Cranberry-Orange Scones

By Laura RegeUpdated: Dec 6, 2022

1 Rating

cranberry orange scones drizzled with glaze and topped with sanding sugar

PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER PHOTOGRAPHY; FOOD STYLING: ERIKA JOYCE

Yields:

Cook Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 45 mins

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Buttery, crumbly scones are one of our favorite breakfasts, particularly because they can be enjoyed any time of year. To keep them feeling fresh, we like to swap out the ingredients with whatever’s in season—blueberry-lemon for spring, pumpkin for fall, and this cranberry-orange version for winter. These are wonderful as is, warmed in a toaster oven and smeared with butter or cream cheese, but feel free to add sanding sugar and a glaze like we did if you like things extra sweet in the morning.

These scones are also surprisingly versatile. If you can't find fresh or frozen cranberries, try substituting dried ones and going for fresh orange segments instead. You could also go off-piste entirely and mix in chopped dried apricots, pistachios, and sweetened, shredded coconut. Whatever flavors you love best will work well with this classic scone dough, so get creative.

Whatever you go with, we do have a few tips to make sure your scones turn out the best every time: First off, start with the coldest ingredients you can (seriously, freeze that butter if your kitchen is warm), and don’t overwork as you incorporate them into the dough. Speaking of cold, it’s not totally necessary, but if you're worried your scones have gotten too warm, feel free to chill them before baking.

In fact, after assembling them and cutting them into triangles, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. You can then bake them straight from frozen; just add ~5 minutes to the bake time to make up for the extra cold. What we don’t recommend is baking them the night before you plan to serve them. Fresh scones are best scones, trust us!

Made these? Let us know how it went in the comments below.

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Ingredients

1/2 cup
(100 g.) granulated sugar
2 Tbsp.
finely grated orange zest
2 cups
(240 g.) all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
2 tsp.
baking powder
3/4 tsp.
kosher salt
1/2 tsp.
baking soda
1/2 cup
(1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1
large egg
3/4 cup
plus 1 tbsp. heavy cream, divided
3/4 cup
halved fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
1 Tbsp.
coarse sanding sugar or granulated sugar
1 cup
(115 g.) confectioners' sugar
1 Tbsp.
(or more) fresh orange juice

Directions

1. Step 1Preheat oven to 400º. Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar and orange zest. Using your fingertips, work zest into sugar until combined. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and whisk until well combined. Add butter and, using a pastry cutter or your hands, cut butter into flour until pea-size pieces remain.
2. Step 2In another medium bowl, whisk egg and 3/4 cup cream until smooth. Make a well in center of flour mixture and add egg mixture and cranberries. Mix with a fork until just combined.
3. Step 3Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat to a 7" round. Cut into 8 triangles and arrange on prepared sheet. Brush tops with remaining 1 tablespoon cream; sprinkle with sanding sugar.
4. Step 4Bake scones until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely.
5. Step 5In a medium bowl, whisk confectioners' sugar and orange juice, adding more juice 1 teaspoon at a time if needed, until a thick glaze forms. Drizzle glaze over scones. Let set 20 minutes before serving.