Description
These Glazed Cranberry Orange Scones combine the tartness of cranberries with bright orange zest and a sweet orange glaze, creating a perfect tender, flaky scone ideal for breakfast or brunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Scones
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands and work surface
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons orange zest (about 1 orange)
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, frozen
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 heaping cup (125g) frozen cranberries
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) heavy cream (optional for brushing)
- Coarse sugar (optional for sprinkling)
Orange Glaze
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest in a large bowl until evenly combined.
- Add Butter: Grate the frozen butter using a box grater and add it to the dry ingredients. Combine using a pastry cutter, two forks, or fingers until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs. Chill this mixture in the refrigerator or freezer while preparing wet ingredients.
- Prepare Wet Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Combine Dough: Drizzle the wet ingredient mixture over the flour and butter crumb mixture, add cranberries, and mix gently until everything is moistened and dough starts to come together.
- Shape Dough: Pour dough onto a floured surface. With floured hands, gently work it into a sticky ball. Add more flour if too sticky or 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream if too dry. Press into an 8-inch disc and cut into 8 wedges using a sharp knife or bench scraper.
- Chill Scones: Optionally brush scone tops with remaining heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar for extra crunch. Place wedges on a plate or lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Preheat Oven: Set oven to 400°F (204°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Bake Scones: Arrange chilled scones 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown around edges and lightly browned on top.
- Make Glaze: While scones bake, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and fresh orange juice to form a smooth glaze. Adjust consistency by adding more sugar to thicken or more juice to thin.
- Glaze and Serve: Remove scones from oven and cool for a few minutes. Drizzle the orange glaze over the warm scones before serving.
Notes
- Freeze Before Baking: Freeze shaped scone wedges on a baking sheet for 1 hour. Store in a freezer-safe bag or container. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to baking time, or thaw overnight before baking as usual.
- Freeze After Baking: Freeze baked and cooled scones in a freezer-safe container before glazing. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. Warm in microwave for 30 seconds or oven at 300°F (149°C) for 10 minutes.
- Overnight Prep: Prepare dough and shape scones through step 4. Cover and refrigerate overnight, then continue recipe the next day.
- Prevent Over-spreading: Use very cold dough and expect slight spreading. If scones spread too much during baking, reshape them quickly with a silicone spatula while still warm.
- Cranberries: Frozen cranberries keep dough cold, but fresh or dried cranberries work as well in the same quantity.
- Orange Juice: Freshly squeezed juice is preferred for glaze for best flavor, but store-bought juice can be used if needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scone
- Calories: 300 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
