Scones are by nature somewhat unpolished and rough-looking. The “real” British scones are completely unadorned and not weighed down with extra flavors or ingredients. With scones, it’s all about the texture – flaky, a little crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Being American, the first scones I ever had were blueberry scones and I still can’t resist adding different flavors and textures to my scones, depending on the season.
Cranberry Orange Scones are so perfect for fall, now that fresh cranberries are available everywhere. They also make a great Christmastime treat, with their bright and fruity flavors. Don’t be afraid to try baking with cranberries. They are horribly tart when raw. But when baked, they mellow out and get soft and juicy. The tartness of the cranberries is a delight in combination with the sweet orange scone.
I have included exact instructions and step by step photos on how to make scones. Please read through everything and get your ingredients ready ahead of time but do not be intimidated – scones are the quickest and easiest thing to bake!
Work the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 
Stir in the the cream mixture, turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and bring it into a ball. 
For mini-scones, cut dough in half. Shape each half into a thick disk. Cut each disk into 8 triangles and place them on the baking sheet.
Bake scones for 10-12 minutes until browned and firm to the touch.
- 2 cups (280 g) flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- ½ cup (120 ml) whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) cold butter, cubed
- Zest of 1 organic orange
- 1 ½ cups (150 g) fresh cranberries, washed and patted dry
- 1 ½ cups (150 g) sifted powdered sugar
- Freshly squeezed orange juice
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, granulated sugar and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, lightly beat egg. Whisk in cream and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- Add the cold butter to the flour mixture and quickly work butter into flour using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in orange zest and cranberries. Add the egg and cream mixture and lightly stir until dough is moistened.
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and bring it into a ball. For mini-scones, cut dough in half. Shape each half into a thick disk. Cut each disk into 8 triangles and place them on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until browned and firm to the touch. (For large scones, use all the dough to make one large disk, cut into 8 triangles and bake for about 13-15 minutes.)
- For the glaze, whisk orange juice a little at a time into powdered sugar until you have a runny-thick glaze. Drizzle or pipe glaze over warm or cooled scones.
Recipe adapted from Mom Loves Baking.
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