Description
Delight in these tender and flavorful Glazed Cranberry Orange Scones, combining zesty orange, tart cranberries, and a sweet citrus glaze. Perfect for breakfast or a cozy afternoon treat.
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 flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest in a large bowl.
- Incorporate butter: Grate frozen butter using a box grater, then add it to the flour mixture. Combine with a pastry cutter, two forks, or fingers until the mixture forms pea-sized crumbs. Chill the mixture while preparing wet ingredients.
- Prepare wet ingredients: Whisk 1/2 cup heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Drizzle over flour mixture, add cranberries, and mix until moistened.
- Form dough: Pour mixture onto a floured surface. With floured hands, work dough into a ball; dough will be sticky. Add flour if too sticky or 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream if too dry. Press dough into an 8-inch disc. Cut into 8 wedges.
- Optional brushing: Brush scones with remaining heavy cream and sprinkle coarse sugar for extra crunch.
- Chill scones: Place scones on a plate or baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven: Heat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.
- Arrange and bake: Arrange chilled scones 2-3 inches apart on prepared baking sheet(s). Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on edges and lightly browned on top.
- Cool and prepare glaze: Remove scones from oven, cool for a few minutes. Whisk confectioners’ sugar with fresh orange juice to make glaze; adjust consistency by adding more sugar or juice.
- Glaze scones: Drizzle orange glaze over warm scones.
- Storage: Store leftover iced or unglazed scones at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated for 5 days.
Notes
- Freeze Before Baking: Freeze dough wedges for 1 hour. Store frozen in a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to baking time, or thaw overnight before baking.
- Freeze After Baking: Freeze baked, cooled scones before glazing. Thaw at room temperature or in refrigerator and warm briefly before serving.
- Overnight Option: Prepare dough through cutting wedges, cover and refrigerate overnight, then continue baking next day.
- Special Tools: Use glass mixing bowls, box grater, pastry cutter, bench scraper, pastry brush, baking sheet, and silicone mats or parchment paper for best results.
- Prevent Over-spreading: Keep dough very cold to reduce spreading during baking. If spreading occurs, gently reshape scones in oven with spatula.
- Cranberries: Frozen cranberries help keep dough cold. Fresh or dried cranberries can be used but adjust quantity accordingly.
- Orange Juice: Freshly squeezed orange juice is preferred for glaze, but store-bought juice can be used.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scone
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
