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Five cranberry scones with two drizzled with white chocolate glaze on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.
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5 / 7 votes

Cranberry Scones

Cranberry scones drizzled with white chocolate that are flaky and perfectly balanced between tart and sweet, and festive as can be in appearance. Certainly sounds like an ideal Thanksgiving breakfast to us.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 454

Ingredients

For the cranberry scones

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, preferably organic
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
  • 1 cup roughly chopped fresh cranberries or whole frozen cranberries, thawed and patted dry
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the white chocolate glaze (optional)

  • 3 ounces white chocolate, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, preferably organic, plus more to taste
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the cranberry scones

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. Toss in the butter and, using your fingers or a pastry cutter, blend everything until the butter is in pea-size crumbs. Add the fresh or frozen cranberries, dried cranberries, and white chocolate and toss to coat with the flour mixture.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, egg, and vanilla. Pour it into the flour mixture and stir just until everything is moistened, taking care to not overmix the dough or your scones will turn out dense rather than delicate.
  • Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead it 4 times. No more than 4 times. No less than 4 times. Do not overwork the dough.
  • Form the dough into a flat circle that measures 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) in diameter. Cut the dough into 8 large wedges and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) between scones.
  • Bake the scones until they’re golden on the bottom, 16 to 18 minutes. If you're uncertain if they're done, break one open and it should have the same light and flaky consistency throughout. If it has any dense doughy spots in the center, return the pan to the oven for a couple more minutes.
  • Place the scones on a wire rack and let cool slightly.

Make the white chocolate glaze (optional)

  • Just before serving the scones, combine the white chocolate and corn syrup in a small saucepan set over low heat. Stir constantly until the chocolate melts and then stir in the cream. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest.

Serve the cranberry scones

  • If using the glaze, drizzle it over the scones and wait a few minutes for the excess to drip. Serve the scones shortly after glazing.

Notes

  1. Easier cleanup--Before glazing your scones, slip a piece of parchment under the wire rack. Any excess glaze will drip onto the parchment, which can then be crumpled up and tossed out.
  2. Flakier scones--For the lightest and most flaky scones, grate your butter. You'll need to chill the butter again after grating to keep it very cold.

Nutrition

Serving: 1scone | Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 183mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g