Packed with delightful holiday flavor, these cranberry orange chocolate scones are super soft, quick to make, and super delicious.
Oh my, these festive scones are SO DELICIOUS. And they met quickly! They are perfect for everything from breakfast to holiday parties to casual occasions.
Making Scone Dough the Easy Way
I hear from many readers that scones seem too intimidating or difficult to make. In fact, homemade scones are so easy!
Making scone dough is as easy as:
- Mix the dry ingredients
- Cut the butter
- Adding liquids and mix-ins
- Mix gently until the dough comes together
That’s all!
Scone dough can be made by hand (using a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter). Or it could be made in a food processorwhich makes easy work of cutting in butter.
Patting and Cutting
Scone dough is similar to pie crust dough in that it should not be used as much. And using cold ingredients produces the best result!
For these white chocolate cranberry orange scones, we roll the dough into a thick circle and cut the dough into eight triangles.
However, you can easily make smaller scones by patting the dough into a long rectangle, about 15X3 inches and cutting the dough into smaller triangles (about 12 to 14 scones).
Sweet Cranberry Orange Flavor
Cranberry and orange were meant to be together, and these scones are proof of that.
The dough is topped with fresh orange zest and dried cranberries, and the glaze includes fresh orange zest and orange juice.
Although the orange flavor isn’t overpowering, it’s a nice compliment to the tart, sweet cranberries and creamy white chocolate chips.
Many of you already know my complicated thoughts about white chocolate. If you don’t, I won’t bore you with my soapbox feelings. Suffice it to say, I mostly think white chocolate is disgusting and use it sparingly. Which means: if it appears in any of my recipes, I have tested the process and the result, and I highly recommend using it. For these scones, good quality white chocolate chips (such as Ghirardelli brand) add a delicious, subtle creaminess.
Changing My Scone Attitude
I used to be very “meh” about baked scones. My experience with them usually consisted of dry, tasteless scones.
However, that all changed when I found this recipe. It’s the basis of my scone transformation story, and it’s the recipe I use to model most of my scone recipes after.
It’s fail-proof and the scones are always perfect (and delicious).
A Scone So Good You’ll Cry
I was honestly surprised at how well these cranberry orange white chocolate scones turned out (after several rounds of recipe testing).
I couldn’t stop eating a piece until, finally, I counted a ridiculous number of scones under my belt (literally 😜).
Scones are best at room temperature, but we also like them warmed just a touch (like, no more than 10 1/2 seconds) in the microwave.
They are buttery and tender that melt in your mouth, and those holiday flavors make them something special. I hope you love them as much as we do!
Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Scones
Scones:
- 3 ½ cups (497 g) all-purpose flour (see note)
- â…“ cup (71 g) granulated sugar
- 1 a spoon fresh orange juice
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ a teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ a teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) cold salted butter, cut into spoon-sized pieces
- 1 cup (242 g) cold milk
- ½ a teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (240 g) dried cranberries (ie craisins)
- ½ cup (85 g) white chocolate chips (optional)
- 2 of spoons butter, melted
- 2 of spoons coarse sugar, for dusting (see note)
The Glaze:
- ½ cup (57 g) powdered sugar
- 1 a teaspoon fresh orange juice
- 1 a spoon fresh orange juice (plus more, if needed, for consistency)
Prevent your screen from going dark
-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place half on a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
-
In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, orange zest, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.
-
Add the butter and use a pastry blender or two butter knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is in small pea-size pieces.
-
Add the butter and vanilla and mix until the dough starts to come together. Add dried cranberries and white chocolate chips (if using). Mix and knead the dough together until evenly combined and no dry streaks remain. Don’t get too mixed up or scones may be hard and dry. Mix until everything is combined.
-
On a lightly floured counter, pat or roll the dough into a 9-inch circle. Use a bench knife, regular knife, or pizza cutter to cut the dough into eight triangles.
-
Place the scones inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
-
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes until lightly golden on the bottom and there are no specks of batter inside. Let the scones cool for 10 to 15 minutes before frosting.
-
Mix all the glaze ingredients, adding the orange juice (or powdered sugar) until a thick but pourable consistency is obtained.
-
Spread the glaze over the scones. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Food Processor: scone dough can be mixed in a food processor rather than kneaded by hand. Rub the dry ingredients with the butter until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Add the butter and vanilla and pulse a few times until the batter starts to come together – don’t over mix. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and sprinkle the craisins and white chocolate chips (if using) over the dough and knead briefly until the dough comes together.
Coarse Sugar: butter and caster sugar are optional, but they add a delightful crunch to the top of the scones. You can use coarse, sanding sugar or turbinado/raw sugar. Regular sugar can be used, but it won’t give the same texture/roll due to the smaller granules.
Size: this recipe yields eight large scones. However, you can make smaller scones by patting the dough into a long rectangle, about 15X3 inches and cutting it into smaller triangles (about 12 to 14).
Serving: 1 a large scone, Calories: 505kcal, Carbohydrates: 79g, Protein: 7g, Oil: 19g, Saturated Fats: 12g, Cholesterol: 49mg, Sodium: 345mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 34g
Recipe source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (base scone recipe from this favorite scone variation)
Disclaimer: I am participating in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate marketing program designed to provide me with ways to earn money by linking to Amazon.com and its affiliate sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn on eligible purchases.
