Cranberry Orange Scones

With the Christmas holiday just around the corner, I’ve been dreaming up different ways for my little family of three to celebrate.

One thing I’m looking forward to is a leisurely Christmas morning, complete with homemade breakfast. With nowhere to rush off to that day, we have the opportunity to spend time together in the kitchen, and I can’t think of a better way to start the day than by making breakfast with the people I love most.

Scones are a breakfast staple around here. Before Clara was born, I filled my freezer with both chocolate chip and bacon, pepper jack, and jalapeño scones. I wanted to have my sweet and savory bases covered, and those two recipes are still favorites around here. When I was thinking of what I wanted to make for Christmas morning, though, I knew something more seasonally appropriate was in order.

Cranberry Orange Scones
Photo by Courtney Champion

These cranberry orange scones fit the bill perfectly. They are lightly sweetened and get most of their sweetness from the dried cranberries. The orange zest and juice add brightness, while the wheat flour gives these a hint of nuttiness. This recipe is a quick one, which means you can easily have these scones in the oven before the first present is unwrapped.

If your refrigerator is overflowing with clementines like ours is (Clara reaches for one every time I open it), then you can certainly use them in place of the orange called for in the recipe.

Cranberry Orange Scones

A lightly sweetened scone, studded with dried cranberries and perfect for Christmas morning. Recipe slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast & Brunch
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 215kcal
Author: Courtney

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 3 Tablespoons raw cane sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice optional
  • 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter chilled
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/3 cup light cream
  • 1 Tablespoon orange juice or clementine
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 Zest of 1 medium orange or 2 clementines
  • milk for glazing

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a nonstick baking mat.
  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cane sugar, baking powder, salt and allspice.
  • Cut the butter into pieces and add it to the dry ingredients, using your fingers or a pastry cutter to incorporate it until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the dried cranberries.
  • In a second bowl, whisk together the cream, orange juice, egg, and orange zest. Pour egg mixture to the flour and butter and stir with a light touch just until the dough comes together.
  • Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface, knead it gently a few times, and shape it into a ½"-thick round, about 8" across.
  • Transfer the round of dough to the baking sheet. Brush it with milk, and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
  • Cut the round in 8 wedges and separate the wedges slightly. Bake the scones for 13-15 minutes, or until they're light golden brown. Remove them from the oven and serve immediately.
  • To make ahead and freeze, line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and place the unbaked scones on it. Freeze until the scones are firm, then transfer to an airtight container. Bake directly from the freezer, adding a couple minutes to the original baking time.

Notes

Nutrition

Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 157mg | Potassium: 167mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 305IU | Vitamin C: 3.1mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 0.8mg

 

What’s your favorite Christmas morning breakfast or tradition?

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




11 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    So pretty and seasonal! Scones and I are having a moment right now. I’m obsessed with them, and all they do is hang around on my thighs! It’s the holidays, so it’s okay to eat a little extra cream, right? 😉

  2. Hi Courtney. I just love scones! I usually get them at those rare trips to the coffee shop, when I treat myself to a cappuccino breve. But I will definitely have to try making them at home! Looks delicious. Thank you for sharing. 🙂

    Always,
    Kimberly

  3. These look amazing. Might need to make my first run at making scones. I am thoroughly obsessed with savory scones though. A local place makes bacon/blue cheese/date scones that are AMAZING. They fill me up for 5+ hours!!

  4. My favorite holiday breakfasts are Swedish pancakes (crepes) and tea ring. Scones sound lovely too. I might swap cherries for the cranberries in this recipe. You make a great point about these being quick. That’s why I don’t make some of my favorites as often as I wish. Time is limited with little ones about!

  5. 5 stars
    Thank you. We go to a potluck Christmas party every year, and my gift to the hostess is a basket of breakfast for the next day (often scones or bread, flavoured butter and her favourite seasonal coffee, wrapped in a tea towel). This year she did the 8-week challenge and went off of refined flour and sugar. These scones will be perfect this year.

  6. Yum! Scones are my favorite pastry. Do you think this recipe would work with a gluten-free flour like Cup4Cup? Thanks for sharing!

  7. Could you make these ahead and NOT freeze the dough? Like, make the night before and refrigerate to bake in the morning?