By Yossy Arefi
- Total Time
- 35 minutes, plus cooling
- Rating
- 4(959)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Cranberries and orange are a classic sweet-tart pairing in these scones, which are quick-to-make but super satisfying. Folding the dough a few times, and using a combination of buttermilk and cream creates a flaky and tender texture that is irresistible. The glaze adds another punch of orange flavor, but it is totally optional, if you prefer a simpler scone. The scones freeze well after baking, but for the best texture, make sure to defrost them at room temperature and warm gently before serving. Feel free to swap in another citrus fruit for the orange, and just about any other dried fruit for the cranberries. Tart cherries and lime also make a great combination.
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Ingredients
Yield:9 scones
- 1medium orange
- ¼cup/50 grams granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
- 2¼cups/288 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1tablespoon baking powder
- ½teaspoon fine salt
- ½cup/113 grams unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1cup/130 grams dried cranberries, roughly chopped
- ½cup/115 grams buttermilk, cold
- ½cup/115 grams heavy cream, cold, plus more to brush over the scones
- 1cup/100 grams confectioners’ sugar
- 4 to 6teaspoons orange juice
- Pinch salt
For the Scones
For the (optional) Glaze
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (9 servings)
368 calories; 12 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 61 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 28 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 279 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Heat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step
2
Zest the orange into a large bowl. (You should have about 2 teaspoons of zest.) Reserve the remaining orange for the glaze. Add the ¼ cup granulated sugar to the zest and use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar. The mixture will be very moist and fragrant. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk to combine.
Step
3
Add the butter to the bowl and toss to coat in flour. Use your fingers or a pastry blender to work the butter into the flour until it is the size of small peas. Add the cranberries and stir to combine. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the buttermilk and cream. Use a fork to gently stir the mixture into a shaggy dough. (It’s OK if there are a few loose, floury pieces of dough.)
Step
4
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Fold the dough in half then pat it into a rectangle again and fold it one more time. Pat the dough into a square that is about 7 inches wide and 1 inch thick, then cut it into 9 pieces. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, brush the tops of the scones with a bit of cream and sprinkle with more granulated sugar.
Step
5
Bake scones until golden brown and cooked through, 18 to 22 minutes.
Step
6
While the scones are baking, make the glaze, if desired: Juice the orange. Add the confectioners’ sugar, 4 teaspoons of orange juice and a pinch of salt to a bowl. Whisk until smooth, adding more juice as needed to make a thick, but pourable glaze.
Step
7
Let the scones cool for about 15 minutes, then drizzle or brush the glaze over the scones. These are best the first day, but you can store any leftover scones in an airtight container for a day or two. They also keep well in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
Ratings
4
out of 5
959
user ratings
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Cooking Notes
stubborndreamer
Thanks. A winning combination of flavors. To prevent drying out the edges, I find it best to pat scone dough into a circle, score wedges with a bread knife & bake whole. Once cooled, it's easy to separate them into moist nuggets of chewy triangle without crusty edges capable of shredding the roof of the mouth --
morgan
These are so good and not too dry like so many scone recipes are. The dough is quite wet so a little tricky to form. I do think they make a small batch and it was hard to get 9. Next time I will definitely double the recipe and maybe make them each a bit bigger.
Carol J Winkelman
have been freezing raw scones for years in a plastic zip lock bag...bake straight from the freezer
Caroline L
Just preheating the oven for ANOTHER batch of these luscious so easy to make scones....I have made these so often I fear I will turn into a scone!!! Just a tip, I freeze the butter and grate it into the flour mixture,so simple and even distribution of the butter. I also measure the 2 liquids into a 1cup measure and pop it into the freezer while assembling all the dry ingredients. The key to wonderful scones is all ingredients as cold as possible!! Still refusing to glaze as they are so good.
Elizabeth
These were delicious! My only modification was that I put in 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder instead of the full tablespoon. A T sounded like too much and I thought it could be a typo, so went with 1.5t. I definitely like them iced.
Jane S
So I made the scones again, this time with 2 extra tablespoons of butter, then I soaked the cranberries in 2 tablespoons of orange juice for 10 minutes before adding the berries and juice to the mixture - I added just under 1/2 cup each of heavy cream and buttermilk. The scones were more flavorful and much less dry as a result.
Junebug
I would definitely keep the whole amount of baking powder and make sure not to seal the edges. If the edges are sealed, the scones won’t rise completely. I would start with a hotter oven and turn it down once I’m ready to bake (for the immediate rise). Cranberry and orange…what’s not to love!
Nancy
Oh my. Tender and delicious. One inch was really taller than I thought, so to create a 7" square, I ended up with something more like 3/4". Also couldn't find plain dried cranberries, so used orange-infused cranberries and cut the zest a tiny bit and the 1/4 C sugar in half since I did want to have sugar sprinkled on top. Couldn't wait for icing. Sliced and buttered them hot. Oh my giddy aunt.
Agnieszka
Outstanding, few subs due to ingredients on hand: yoghurt instead of buttermilk,fresh cranberries, demerrara sugar instead of the glaze, 1.5 tsp of baking powder (thanks to previous comments).Light and flaki,perfect sweetness level
Justine Somogyi
Can I use fresh cranberries?
Marci
A little trick I used in a different recipe, zip the sugar and citrus zest in a food processor a few seconds. Really releases the oils/flavors!
Tamara
Subbed fresh cranberries for the dried - let's see for a double recipe I added 3 cups/1 bag (fresh cranberry fans around here). Tossed the fresh cranberries in a tablespoon of flour to make them behave. I was about a 1/4 cup short on my flour as well. No matter - these were DELICIOUS. Oh and I added a generous helping of vanilla bean paste to the dough. Too many cranberries? Nope. Husband noted that the usually dry scone issue was not present - they were perfectly moist. YUM.
Ji Ji
I get bored with steps for a glaze. Sprinkled Demerara sugar on the scones just as removing from oven. Yummy!
SpringPansy
These are really delicious and will be great with morning coffee. I used dried tart cherries with the orange zest and we loved the combo. I followed the suggestions below to weigh ingredients in grams, cut the baking powder (I used 2 tsp), and patted the dough into a round and scored before baking (rather than the individual squares suggested in the recipe). I had to bake it a bit longer (5 - 7 minutes) to be done in the middle, but they're amazing.
Name
I recommend cutting into 18, not 9 (cut squares in half), as a square is about 400 calories with glaze. Really moist for a scone & totally inhalable.
Sandy
Best scones EVER! I sprinkled with turbinado sugar before baking inside of glazing.
cyrus
Totally delicious. The orange and cranberries work as well here as they do in the quickbreads I've made in the past.But I confess to modifications: Used extra zest. Added toasted chopped pecans.No cream in the house, so substituted 2%milk. And they were still outstanding.
L
Amazing texture. I used half buckwheat flour because I was feeling healthy/crazy/needed to use it up and it was perfect. Making again this morning.
CVan
These are really freakin good. I've made them 3x in 2 weeks and have adapted the recipe slightly. I eliminate the sugar and add 1/2cup candied lemon peel to punch up the citrus flavor. I also use clabbered milk instead of buttermilk which I curdle with the juice from the orange. Between the cranberries, OJ, and lemon peel they are plenty sweet. I brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with sanding sugar for extra crunch. I make the whole recipe in the food processor for simplicity. Delish!
LG
I made these with buttermilk, and added currants and lemon zest; no icing as I serve with lemon curd,a tradition.
Stef
I woke up to snow this Saturday morning, a perfect day for staying home, so I used fresh cranberries, halved and quartered, as I had no dried cranberries on hand. A keeper recipe!!
CiCi
I make scones all the time and love the lemon or orange zest but hate to zest. Found that I can put the entire peel of an orange in my blender and it freezes perfectly so I always have “zest” on hand. And it doesn’t ever waste an orange peel!
Mildacrl
My first attempt and the scones were perfect! I would amp up the orange just a bit by placing a small piece of orange on top of each scone before baking.
Sue
Do you think these would work with gluten free flour?
JCM
Fabulous scone recipe. I am always in search of the perfect scone. I think this is it. Followed the recipe as written. Will make and freeze ahead next time to have on had.
Sarah W
This recipe turned out well! When using dried fruits, such as dried cranberries, in baked goods, it's a good idea before adding them to your mixture to moisten them first. You can add a couple of tablespoons of water to them and simmer them briefly in a pan on the stove, or steam them with the water in a bowl in the microwave on a couple of short bursts. Let them cool off before adding them. That way they don't absorb so much moisture from the batter while baking.
BonnieC
These were wonderful. Super easy and fresh or even dried cranberries are great. Wouldn't change a thing!!
Erica
These were delicious! I used the full tablespoon of baking powder and they came out beautifully.
mimi
My toddler keeps bringing home little packets of dried cranberries he doesn’t eat at preschool so decided to make this. Made it with him, who especially loved cutting the dough, and it’s a treat! Used yogurt whole milk for buttermilk and used 3/4 recipe amounts of milk for cream and it turned out great. Glaze is a lot so ended up tossing probably about half and still a tad too sweet (for me anyways, but hubby liked it). Will definitely make again as we still have a lot of cranberries…
debinpdx
Followed the recipe exactly this morning and these are the best scones! Fun to make and ooops, I almost forgot. I used my food processor, I almost forgot that part. I wouldn’t make scones without using one. Fast and delicious and smelled good and tasted good with my morning cup of coffee. Perfect for sharing with neighbors too!
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