White Chocolate Cranberry Scones

These cranberry scones make the ultimate breakfast pastry. They’re soft and moist like a good muffin and flaky like a biscuit. Cranberries make this recipe excellent during the holidays, but can be swapped for other berries throughout the year.

So if you’ve never had a scone before, it’s like a sweeter, moister biscuit. It’s often filled with a variety of things, usually fruit, but sometimes chocolate, nuts or fun flavors you’d find in other pastries. Savory scones are also a thing, with popular fillings like cheese, bacon and chives, sun dried tomatoes or just classic buttermilk.

Why not just call this a biscuit recipe? What is the difference between a biscuit and a scone anyway? The answer, in a word, is eggs. Scones have them; biscuits do not. It’s that added moisture I talked about before that really sets the two apart, and I think you’ll find that you really like this recipe!

tips for making cranberry scones

This recipe really is pretty easy, even if you’ve never made pastries before. The biggest part is controlling the temperature of the dough. If you live in a hot or humid area, make sure all of your ingredients and bowls are chilled, and work as quickly as possible.

See the pic below for how to cut these into the classic triangle shape. Don’t worry too much about getting them perfectly even. The best scones are obviously homemade, which come in all shapes and sizes.

using fresh fruit vs dried

Fresh, frozen or dried – it really doesn’t matter. You can swap them all out interchangeably. Fresh and frozen will use the same amounts listed in the recipe. If using dried fruit, reduce the amount by half. 

I personally do not like dried fruit and prefer not to use them in my recipes. If that’s your jam, go for it! In the US, fresh cranberries are easiest to find during the holidays, and they freeze very well. Just buy an extra bag to store in the freezer if you enjoy cranberry treats year round. Stores will also usually carry some in their frozen section. 

storing & reheating scones

For best results, serve these scones fresh. But I get it, life happens, and sometimes you just gotta make these puppies ahead so you can hop in the car early the next morning. Wrap each scone in a piece of foil and store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. To reheat, place them, still wrapped in foil, on a sheet pan and bake at 375℉. 8-10 minutes if refrigerated or 16-20 minutes if frozen. This method works best when scones are not glazed. 

And there you have it. Soft, sweet, fruity scones to elevate your morning coffee. Please enjoy.

Until Next Time. X

White Chocolate Cranberry Scones

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These cranberry scones make the ultimate breakfast pastry. They’re soft and moist like a good muffin and flaky like a biscuit. Cranberries make this recipe excellent during the holidays, but can be swapped for other berries throughout the year.

• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 12 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 1/2 cups All Purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup cold half and half, plus more for brushing
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• Turbinado sugar

Optional glaze

• 3/4 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
• 1–2 Tbsp milk or half and half
• 1 tsp vanilla (optional)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, mix in the cold butter until the butter looks like small pebbles and the mixture has the consistency of damp sand. (It should be slightly moistened) Stir in the white chocolate chips.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the half and half, lemon juice, egg yolk and vanilla. Stir into the flour mixture and mix until a shaggy dough comes together.
4. Generously flour a work surface and your hands and turn out the dough onto the surface. Knead the dough until just mixed and flatten into one large 1/2″ thick slab and sprinkle the cranberries on top.
5. Fold the dough over twice to trap in the cranberries, then flatten into a 6″ by 9-12″ rectangle slab. (Feel free to sprinkle the dough with more flour if it gets too sticky, and use a spare piece of parchment paper to keep your hands clean)
6. Using a dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal sections, then cut each section again in half diagonally (pictured).
7. Place each scone onto the parchment lined sheet pan at least 2 inches apart and brush the tops with half and half, then sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
8. Bake about 15-17 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
9. Serve warm as is with butter, jam or cream, or transfer to a cooling rack to glaze.

To glaze (optional):

Mix the sifted confectioners sugar, milk or half and half and vanilla together until smooth, then pour over each scone. Let sit a few minutes to dry.

Notes

tools

• parchment paper
• dough scraper
• pastry cutter (optional)

• Author: Sarah | Away From the Box
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Breakfast
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegetarian