These cranberry orange scones are the best! The candied ginger adds a lovely chewy texture and a bit of spice, while the cranberry-orange combo is bright, tart, and sweet. If you love a flaky, buttery scone, you'll definitely want to make these for the holidays!
1/2cvery cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch chunks
1ccranberries*,fresh, frozen, or dried
3Tbscrystallized ginger,finely chopped
Heavy cream or egg wash**,for brushing
Demerara or sanding sugar,for sprinkling
Instructions
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the heavy cream and egg until smooth. Place the cream mixture in the fridge.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest. Pulse a few times to combine. Toss in the cold butter chunks, and pulse until you have pea-sized pieces.*** Tip the butter-flour mixture into a large mixing bowl.
Next, stir in the cranberries and candied ginger until they're coated with flour. Add the cream mixture to the butter-flour mixture, and stir with a rubber spatula until the dough starts to come together. Use your hands if necessary, but work quickly and do not overmix! A few dry spots are ok.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and roll until it's about 1-inch thick. Use a 3-inch biscuit cutter or mason jar lid to cut the dough into about 10 scones, re-rolling the dough as necessary.**** Place the scones on the parchment-lined cookie sheets about 2'' apart from each other.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the scones in the fridge or freezer for about 10-15 minutes while the oven is heating.
Brush the tops and sides of the scones with either egg wash or heavy cream. Sprinkle each scone with about 1/2 teaspoon of Demerara or sanding sugar.
Bake the scones for 14-15 minutes, turning the pan halfway through, until the bottoms are a light golden brown and the tops are dry. Let the scones cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, and then transfer the scones to a wire rack. Serve warm with coffee or black tea.
Notes
A note on cranberries: *If using fresh cranberries, I would recommend cutting them in half and freezing them for 20-30 minutes. If you're using dried cranberries, look for some that are still a bit plump and juicy.How to make egg wash: **Whisk 1 egg with 1 Tablespoon of water. Alternatively, you can use heavy cream. To make the scones by hand: ***Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest in a large mixing bowl. Then, use a pastry cutter or the tines of a fork to cut the butter into pea-sized pieces into the flour mixture.Cutting the dough: ****For an easier option, cut the scones into 8 triangles. To do so, quickly press the dough into a large 1'' thick circle and cut the dough into 1/8ths with a sharp knife.