Easy Cranberry Orange Scones
- PREP 15min
- COOK 15min
- TOTAL 30min
These incredible cranberry orange scones are light and flaky, with fresh orange zest and dried cranberries. I love topping them with a little coarse sugar, but they are also delicious drizzled with our optional orange glaze shared in the recipe below.
You Will Need
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
5 tablespoons (70g) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup (235ml) heavy cream, plus more for tops of scones
3 tablespoons honey or sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
3/4 cup (100 grams) dried cranberries, see tips for fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon coarse sugar for tops of scones
Optional Glaze
1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons (30ml to 45ml) orange juice
Directions
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicon baking mat.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
Combine cream, honey, and orange zest in a measuring jug. Stir until the honey is completely incorporated into the cream.
Use a pastry blender to work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal with a few small crumbles of butter the size of peas. (Or use a food processor).
Stir in cranberries. Pour in the cream mixture and use a rubber spatula to mix until a crumbly dough forms.
Transfer the dough and all dry, floury bits to a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough 3 to 5 times until it just comes together. Form into an 8-inch circle. Cut into 8 triangles, or use a biscuit cutter.
Place the scones on the baking sheet, brush with extra cream, and lightly sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar.
Bake until light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
For the optional glaze, whisk the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of the orange juice until smooth. If it’s too thick, add a bit more orange juice. Drizzle over the cooled scones.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Fresh or frozen cranberries: You can substitute 1 heaping cup of fresh or frozen (not thawed) cranberries in the recipe above. They will be more tart, so consider increasing the honey or sugar by 1 to 2 tablespoons.
- Storing: Scones are best eaten fresh. If you do have leftovers, your best bet for keeping them fresh is to freeze them. Freeze baked and cooled scones until hard, then transfer to resealable plastic bags. Freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat, bake in a 350°F oven until warmed. It shouldn’t take long.
- You can freeze unbaked scone dough: Chill cut scones in the freezer until firm, then transfer to resealable plastic bags. They can be kept for up to one month. Bake in a 425°F oven straight from the freezer. (They may take a few extra minutes.)
- Recipe inspired and adapted from America’s Test Kitchen