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1 Comment Scones are definitely one of my favorite treats and I finally managed to make the perfect scone at home! These scones with cranberries are so good that the batch of scones will be gone in no time at all. They would be absolutely perfect for Easter breakfast.
The perfect scones with cranberries
Now I had made scone recipes before and the scones with orange and chocolate where also pretty good. But I have also made my fair share of not so good scones and I could never quite put a finger on why it went wrong. As it turns out making the perfect scones is really not that complicated. The important thing is not to overwork the dough. If you do, you’ll end up with tough scones, and that’s the last thing you want.
I wanted a more neutral version than the chocolate scones I made before. The recipe comes from my good friend and British Baking queen, Regula (also known as Miss Foodwise) By the way, Regula is not British but Belgian, but she is known for her amazing English recipes. If you don’t know her, check out the British Baking Book, which is where this recipe comes from.
Cranberry Scone recipe
The only thing I have changed about this recipe is the addition of dried cranberries instead of the sultanas Regula used. Not a big change, and the scones are delicious either way. With raisins or with cranberries. But anyone who knows me knows that I’m a big fan of cranberries. So naturally I went with the cranberries. These are not fresh cranberries as that would have a different effect on the end result.
English Perfection
Back to these perfect scones. What I personally didn’t know is that how you use your pastry cutter to cut out the scones is also important. The important thing is to not twist the cutter in the scone dough while you cut out a scone. So straight down and up again. Twisting the cutter can result in the scones not rising properly.
Scones are best eaten right away. So don’t store them, just bake them fresh. That said, you can store them for 1-2 days and reheat them just before serving. That works too but they are best the day they are baked. I love serving them with clotted cream and cranberry compote. If you don’t have clotted cream or can’t find it, you can also use whipped heavy cream.
Variations
Adding some delicious variations to these cranberry scones is pretty simple. You can use brown sugar instead of white sugar for a more caramelized flavor. Another great addition is to add a bit of orange flavor. I love adding some orange zest into the dough.
I have not tried using plant based milk or butter but I suspect that should work. Replacing the eggs would be a different story, but I would be curious to find out if anyone has had succes with making a vegan scone. Let me know if you did!
Scones with cranberries
Ingredients
- 430 g flour
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 40 g white sugar
- Pinch of sea salt
- 150 g unsalted butter at room temperature
- 100 gr dried cranberries
- 2 beaten eggs
- 90 ml milk
- 1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon of milk to drink
How to make the scones with cranberries
- Preheat the oven to 220˚C/430˚F and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a bowl. Add the butter and knead with your fingers until the dough resembles breadcrumbs. Add the cranberries.
- Add the eggs, then the lemon juice and a little milk and mix with a spatula until you have a soft and slightly sticky dough.
- Place the dough on a generously floured work surface and continue to knead gently until the dough is no longer sticky but still soft to the touch. This will take about 1-2 minutes. Using your hands, press the dough into a sheet about 2 inches thick.
- Using a round cookie cutter about 2 inches (5 cm) for small scones and about 3 inches (7 cm) for large scones, punch out the scones by pushing straight down and not turning the mold.
- If you turn the pan, the scones will not rise properly. Fold the remaining dough back into a 2-inch thick ball and continue punching out scones until you run out of dough.
- Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and brush with the egg-milk mixture.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 10-15 minutes, until the scones are risen and golden brown.
- Let them cool on a wire rack. When cooled, cover with a dish towel to keep them soft and fresh.
- Serve with whipped cream or clotted cream and your favorite jam. Scones should be eaten the same day or reheated in the oven.
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
My all time favorite scone recipe!