Cranberry Orange Scones
Tender, buttery British-style scones studded with tart cranberries and brightened with orange zest. Perfect warm from the oven with clotted cream and jam.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 248
- Protein
- 4g
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small cubes
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- 1 whole orange, zested
- ¾ cup whole milk (plus 1 tablespoon for brushing tops)
Instructions
- 1
Set the oven to 400°F and wait until the indicator light or beep tells you it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.
- 2
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper by laying one sheet flat on top of the tray.
- 3
Zest the orange using a microplane or fine grater, working downward over a small bowl until you have collected 1 tablespoon of zest.
- 4
Pour 2 cups flour into a large bowl, then add 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon orange zest, stirring with a fork until evenly mixed.
- 5
Add the 6 tablespoons cold butter cubes to the flour mixture, then use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour for 2 minutes, squeezing and breaking the butter into pea-sized pieces until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
- 6
Stir in 0.75 cup dried cranberries using a fork until they are distributed throughout the dough.
- 7
Pour 0.75 cup milk into the bowl and stir with a fork for 1 minute until a shaggy dough begins to form with no dry flour visible at the bottom.
- 8
Lift the dough out of the bowl with your hands and place it on the parchment-lined baking sheet, then gently press and shape it into a 1-inch-tall disk about 6 inches across using your palms, being careful not to overwork it.
- 9
Using a sharp knife, cut the disk into 8 wedges by slicing down through the center, then slicing perpendicular lines to create pie-shaped pieces, wiping the blade clean between cuts.
- 10
Brush the top of each wedge lightly with 1 tablespoon milk using a pastry brush or the back of a spoon, coating only the exposed surface.
- 11
Slide the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the scone tops are the color of warm honey with light golden-brown edges.
- 12
Remove the baking sheet from the oven using oven mitts and let the scones cool on the tray for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack or plate to cool completely.
Tools you’ll need
- oven
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- microplane or fine grater
- small bowl
- large mixing bowl
- fork
- pastry brush (or spoon)
- sharp knife
- oven mitts
- wire rack or plate
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