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Single cranberry orange scone on parchment.

Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Scones

Yield: 8 large scones
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Scones:

  • 3 ½ cups (497 g) all-purpose flour (see note)
  • ⅓ cup (71 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup (170 g) cold salted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
  • 1 cup (242 g) cold buttermilk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups (240 g) dried cranberries (i.e. craisins)
  • ½ cup (85 g) white chocolate chips (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons coarse sugar, for sprinkling (see note)

Glaze:

  • ½ cup (57 g) powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
  • 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice (plus more, if needed, for consistency)

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, add the 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 buttermilk and vanilla and mix until the dough starts to come together. Add the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips (if using). Mix and fold the dough together until evenly combined and no dry streaks remain. Don't over mix or the scones might be tough and dry. Mix just until everything comes together.
  • 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 equal-size triangles.
  • Place the scones an inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with the melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
  • Bake for 15 to 17 minutes until lightly golden on the bottom and there are no doughy spots inside. Let the scones cool for 10 to 15 minutes before glazing.
  • Whisk together all the glaze ingredients, adding more orange juice (or more powdered sugar) until a thick but pourable consistency is achieved.
  • Drizzle the glaze over the scones. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Flour: if you aren't using a scale, take care not to pack too much flour into the measuring cup, or the scone dough will be dry. Fluff the flour, scoop in the cup and level off. 
Food Processor: the scone dough can be mixed in a food processor rather than by hand. Pulse the dry ingredients with the butter until the butter is in pea-size pieces. Add the buttermilk and vanilla and pulse a few times until the dough starts to come together - don't over mix. Turn the dough 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: the butter and coarse sugar can be optional, but they add a delightful crunch to the top of the scones. You can use coarse, sanding sugar or turbinado/raw sugar. Regular granulated sugar can be used, but it won't provide the same texture/crunch 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 into smaller triangles (about 12 to 14).