I have lost count how many times I’ve made these scones… especially over the holiday season. If I’ve been to your house recently for brunch or I’ve hosted you, they were also in attendance. These scones and I go way back – I’ve been making Cranberry Orange Scones for well over 20 years. In fact, they were one of the items I used to sell in my little eBay store called Coffee Companions. Cute name, huh? My husband was the genius behind that creativity. They were good then, and as a shock to me, friends, colleagues and even strangers placed repeat orders. After making them for a few decades and tweaking the recipe numerous times, I can safely and confidently say, these are the best yet. They actually may be some of the best scones I’ve ever eaten. Ever!
Why should you make these? Well… for starters, they are perfect to make ahead, freeze and pop in a hot oven when the craving strikes, the brunch invitation is extended or a gift opportunity presents itself. Maybe you just want to treat yourself or family on a Sunday morning – the hardest part is waiting for the oven to heat up while you brush some cream on top of each scone and sprinkle it with sugar. Once they are cooled they are drizzled with a simple tangy orange glaze. Alternatively, feel free to skip the glaze and just enjoy the crunch of the sprinkled coarse sugar on top.
The combination of orange and cranberry is delicious anytime, but especially during the holidays. This may be the best part – these scones are *almost* as good the second day. They can be toasted briefly in a toaster oven and will remain just as flaky and buttery as the day they were made. This makes them the superhero of scones and they are the ultimate brunch or afternoon treat.
I hope these scones become one of your beloved recipes for years to come.
Cheers,
Christina
Cranberry Orange Scones
Ingredients
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup sugar + more for sprinkling turbinado sugar can be used for sprinkling
- zest of one orange
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 10 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces leave butter in refrigerator until ready to use
- ⅔ cup, divided cold heavy cream, plus more to brush on top of scones leave cream in refrigerator until ready to use
Orange Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 orange, zested and juice reserved
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Plump the cranberries by placing them in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Let sit for about 10 minutes, then drain well and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add sugar and orange zest. Using your fingertips, rub the sugar and zest together until fragrant and resembles wet sand. Add flour, baking powder and salt and combine.
- Add the butter to the dry ingredients and using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into dry ingredients until you have butter that is pea-sized.
- Add the softened cranberries and ½ cup of the cream. Toss lightly to distribute. Add 1-2 additional tablespoons of cream if too dry.
- On a large lightly floured board, dump the mixture and begin to gather the dough into a mound. Flatten the mound a bit and gather any dry or loose pieces and press into the top of the dough. Using a bench scraper, fold half of the dough onto itself. Flatten a bit, give it a quarter turn and fold over the dough again, repeating the process a few times until the dough holds and you begin to see layers. Do not overwork the dough.
- Shape the dough into a rectangle that's about 9"x 4" and 1" thick. Cut into 4 squares and then into triangles. You should have 8 triangles. *Feel free to make a longer rectangle and cut even smaller squares and triangles
- Place scones on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze for at least 2 hours. At this point frozen scones can be placed in a freezer bag and kept frozen until ready to use, up to 1 month.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°. Place scones on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the top of the scones with cream and sprinkle with sugar or use turbinado sugar for an extra crunch. Bake frozen scones until lightly golden brown, about 23-25 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool slightly before serving.
Orange Glaze
- In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, 1 tbsp of fresh orange juice, salt and about 1 tsp of the orange zest. Whisk vigorously until smooth. Add more juice until desired consistency and easy to drizzle.
- The glaze can be drizzled onto slightly warm scones and it will soak in a bit giving the scones a shiny finish. If preferred, the scones can be cooled completely and then drizzled with the glaze making the glaze more visible. Either way, they are incredibly delicious.
Nutrition
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