Cranberry White Chocolate Scones
Looking for a festive breakfast or snack for the holiday season? Look no further than these Cranberry White Chocolate Scones! Tart cranberries meet sweet white chocolate in these buttery and flaky treats. Orange zest helps round out the holiday flavor profile and a sprinkling of sanding sugar adds a pop of crunchy texture.
Make the Dough
To begin, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in cold, cubed butter using a pastry cutter, fork, or your hands. Mix the butter in until you get pea-sized crumbs as shown in the picture below. A couple of bigger chunks of butter are okay. If the butter starts to melt during this step, put the bowl in the refrigerator for a few minutes to firm it back up.
Want to learn more about why you need cold butter for this recipe? Read my post on the role of butter in baking here.
In a medium bowl, whisk together heavy cream, sugar, egg, vanilla, and orange zest. Pour the wet ingredients over the flour/butter mixture and mix until just combined. Gently mix in the cranberries and white chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
Shape the Dough
Dust a work surface with flour and work the dough into a ball using your hands. If the dough is too sticky to work with, add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of flour.
If making standard size scones, press all of the dough into one 8-inch disc. If making mini scones like I did for the pictures, divide the dough in half and press into two 5-inch discs. Cut each disc into 8 triangular sections and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
After chilling, brush the tops of the scones with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake the Scones
Bake the scones at 400°F for 18-20 minutes for mini scones or 22-25 minutes for standard size scones. The tops and edges should be a nice golden brown and firm to the touch. Let the scones cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store scones covered at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen scones in the refrigerator overnight and warm in a 400°F oven for 2-3 minutes.
Cranberry White Chocolate Scones
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing the tops of the scones
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- zest of one orange
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
- coarse sugar for sprinkling on top of scones (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Cut in the cubed butter using a pastry cutter, fork, or your hands until the mixture comes together into pea-sized clumps. Refrigerate until needed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, sugar, egg, vanilla, and orange zest.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the flour/butter mixture and mix until just combined. Gently mix in the cranberries and white chocolate chips. Do not overwork the dough as it may melt the butter. If you notice your butter is melting too much while mixing, put the bowl in the refrigerator for 5 minutes before continuing.
- Dust a work surface with flour and work the dough into a ball using your hands. If the dough is too sticky to work with, add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of flour. If making standard size scones, press all of the dough into one 8-inch disc. If making mini scones (pictured), divide the dough in half and press into two 5-inch discs. Cut each disc into 8 triangular sections and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Transfer the scones to the baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Brush the tops with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 18-20 minutes for mini scones or 22-25 minutes for standard size scones until golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Storage & Freezing Instructions: Store scones covered at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen scones in the refrigerator overnight and warm in a 400°F oven for 2-3 minutes.
