Description
These Glazed Cranberry Orange Scones are a delightful twist on a classic scone recipe, bursting with tangy cranberries and fresh orange zest, topped with a luscious orange glaze. Perfect for breakfast or a sweet snack, they are buttery, tender, and full of bright flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Scone Dough
- 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 flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest in a large bowl until evenly combined.
- Incorporate Butter: Grate the frozen butter using a box grater and add it to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers to combine until the mixture forms pea-sized crumbs. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator or freezer while preparing the wet ingredients.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup heavy cream, the egg, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Create the Dough: Drizzle the wet mixture over the flour and butter crumbs, add cranberries, then gently mix until the dough is moistened but not overworked.
- Shape Dough: Turn the sticky dough onto a floured work surface and with lightly floured hands work it into a rough ball. If too sticky, add a little more flour; if too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream. Press the dough into an 8-inch disc and cut into 8 wedges using a sharp knife or bench scraper.
- Prepare for Baking: Brush the scones with the remaining heavy cream and optionally sprinkle with coarse sugar for extra crunch. Place scones on a plate or lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat 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 the edges and lightly browned on top.
- Make Glaze: Whisk together confectioners’ sugar and fresh orange juice until smooth. Adjust consistency by adding more sugar to thicken or more juice to thin as needed.
- Glaze and Serve: Drizzle the glaze over warm scones. Let cool a few minutes before serving. Store leftovers at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Freeze Before Baking: Freeze scone dough wedges on a baking sheet for 1 hour. Store in a freezer bag or container. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to bake time, or thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as instructed.
- Freeze After Baking: Freeze baked, cooled scones before glazing in a freezer-safe bag or container. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in refrigerator. Warm in microwave for 30 seconds or in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes.
- Overnight Prep: Prepare scones through step 4, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Continue the recipe the next day from shaping onward.
- Use very cold butter and heavy cream to prevent over-spreading of scones during baking.
- Frozen cranberries work best to keep the dough cold; fresh or dried cranberries can be substituted in the same amount.
- Freshly squeezed orange juice is preferred for the glaze, especially since you are already zesting an orange for the dough.
- If the scones start to spread too much in the oven, remove them and gently press them back into shape using a silicone spatula.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 large scone
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
