This Orange Cranberry Scones Recipe makes the perfect prep ahead breakfast when you want something a little special to feed the crew!
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I absolutely love this Orange Cranberry Scones Recipe. I made a batch this morning with plans to place them, unbaked, in the freezer for Thanksgiving breakfast. When I think about Thanksgiving morning everyone is home, there’s no big agenda, and it’s a little chilly out so the house feels extra cozy! With the work already done, we can gather around the table with coffee or cocoa and enjoy a special holiday breakfast of scones, fruit, and maybe some bacon, all without too much clean up. I like to hold on to that moment as long as possible because it seems like as soon as breakfast ends, the house always falls into a bit of chaos. After the last bite, you suddenly start thinking of your list for the day, everyone leaves to do a very important thing, and the children find a loud project to begin. At least we started with a good breakfast!
Scone or Biscuit?!
I discovered scones when I was living in my first apartment, working night shift, and spending all my free time working through cookbooks. As I read through the recipe I remember thinking, this is a biscuit with some sugar, and they are very similar. However, their are some key differences that I think really change how you eat them. Biscuits are typically made with milk or buttermilk, while scones are made with heavy cream and sometimes an egg. The higher fat content in the scone changes the final crumb, making it a little tighter and a bit more crumbly. As you’ll see in this Orange Cranberry Scones Recipe, there is more sugar in a scone as well as add-ins to bring more flavor.
In my mind, a biscuit is the perfect base for so many toppings: jams, butter, gravy, stews. A biscuit is meant to be paired, while a scone need only be paired with a good cup of coffee. Out at the bakery we are constantly adding pastries and trialing new ideas but at the end of the day if I could pick one thing from the case, I would pick a scone. Never to rich, perfectly buttery and crumbly, ideal for a sit-down breakfast or a meal on the go.
Varying the Orange Cranberry Scones Recipe
Orange Cranberry scones are a favorite of mine around the winter time. They make me think of drying orange slices, mulled apple cider, or cranberry salad. I especially love adding fresh cranberries because I think it surprises people. Everyone’s expecting craisins when instead you get a beautifully fresh, perfectly tart cranberry that goes so well with a warm orange cream glaze. But there are so many ways to adapt this recipe. Change your scones with the seasons. Leave out the orange zest and replace the cranberries with chocolate chips for a toddler friendly classic.
Lemon Blueberry is by far our most popular scone at the bakery, but we’ve also tried lemon raspberry and lemon blackberry. Vary the add-ins and find a complimentary glaze, and the possibilities are endless! Use this as a starting block and keep experimenting. Start baking scones and don’t look back. Be that crazy guy who delivers scones around the neighborhood. Make them every Saturday for your gang. Really master this recipe because, believe me, it’s such a great one to have memorized.
Making this Orange Cranberry Scones Recipe Ahead
To prep these ahead for a no mess morning, I simply place the pan of unbaked scones in the freezer overnight or until solid. I’ll then transfer them to an airtight container. The morning I want to bake them, I’ll take the scones straight from the freezer, lay them out on a cookie sheet, and bake them in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown. We decrease the oven temp so they do not get too brown before they’re cooked through. If making the glaze ahead, you can store it in the fridge for up to a week or freeze it and allow it to thaw by placing the container in warm water. Easy Peasy!
Orange Cranberry Scones Recipe
Directions
- 300 grams/ 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 100 grams/ 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 90 grams/ 6 Tablespoons butter, cubed
- zest of one orange
- 1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 egg
- For the glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup cream, juice of one orange.
Ingredients
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest.
- Add the cubed butter to the mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, begin to blend the butter with the dry ingredients by breaking up the cubed butter. Continue to work it until the mixture looks like coarse meal and the largest butter pieces are the size of peas.
- Add in the chopped cranberries and mix them in with a fork.
- In a smaller bowl, mix together 1 cup of heavy cream and the egg with a fork until well combined.
- With the same fork, make a well in the middle of your dry ingredients. Add in the cream and egg. Begin stirring the wet ingredients into the dry, working from the middle out toward the edges of the bowl until all of the flour is hydrated.
- Pour the batter out onto a floured surface and pat it together into a disk. Continue to pat the dough into an 8 inch round circle of an even thickness, about 3/4 of an inch. Use a sharp knife to cut the disk into 8 even triangles. Gently place each triangle onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the scones are golden brown.
- To Make the Glaze: Whisk together the orange juice, cream, and powdered sugar. The glaze should be thin enough to drizzle, yet thick enough to sit on top of the scones. Allow the scones to cool slightly before drizzling the glaze generously over the scones. I like to go over each scone twice to make sure they have enough!
2 responses to “Orange Cranberry Scones Recipe”
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[…] breakfast ideas go, this is one of my favorites because it feels both seasonal and timeless. Here is our […]
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[…] A citrus juicer is included because no fruit pie, in my opinion, is complete without the juice of a lemon. I use mine all the time. I like this one because it’s so simple, easy to use, and easy to clean. In addition, you will find all kinds of recipes to use this for–juicing limes for many savory recipes or juicing oranges to make a wonderful glaze for orange cranberry scones! […]
[…] breakfast ideas go, this is one of my favorites because it feels both seasonal and timeless. Here is our […]