Candied Orange Cranberry Scones (Printable Version)

Buttery scones studded with candied orange peel and tart cranberries, perfect for a flavorful brunch.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Fruits & Flavorings

05 - 1/2 cup dried cranberries
06 - 1/3 cup candied orange peel, finely chopped
07 - Zest of 1 orange

→ Wet Ingredients

08 - 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
09 - 2/3 cup heavy cream, plus extra for brushing
10 - 1 large egg
11 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Optional Glaze

12 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
13 - 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - Add cold butter cubes to the dry mixture. Using a pastry cutter or fingertips, rub butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
04 - Stir in dried cranberries, chopped candied orange peel, and orange zest until evenly distributed throughout dry ingredients.
05 - In a separate bowl, whisk together heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract until combined.
06 - Pour wet ingredients over dry mixture. Mix gently with a fold-and-turn motion until just combined. Avoid overworking dough.
07 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat gently into a 1-inch thick disc. Cut into 8 equal wedges using a sharp knife.
08 - Arrange wedges on prepared baking sheet with 2 inches spacing between each. Brush tops with additional heavy cream.
09 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until golden brown on top. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar and fresh orange juice together until smooth consistency. Drizzle glaze over cooled scones if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • They come together in under 40 minutes, which means you can impress people without spending your whole morning in the kitchen.
  • The tart-sweet balance from cranberries and candied orange feels fancy enough for company but tastes like home.
  • Cold butter is the only real trick, and once you nail that, you'll make these constantly.
02 -
  • Cold butter is absolutely everything—if your butter starts to warm up, your scones will be dense instead of tender, so keep everything as cold as you can manage.
  • That moment when you think you need to mix more is exactly when you should stop, because every extra fold of the dough makes them tougher.
03 -
  • Keep your mixing bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes before you start if you're worried about butter warming up, because even that small shift in temperature changes everything.
  • A pastry cutter works better than your fingers if you have cold hands, but either way works as long as you're gentle and quick.
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