Cranberry Spice Scones for Christmas Morning
You'll love these flavourful cranberry spice scones. Moist inside, with sugary crisp edges. Prepare ahead, then freshly bake on Christmas morning. Delicious with coffee or tea!
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour (plus more for hands and work surface)
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch ground cloves
- ½ cup unsalted butter, ¼" cubed and chilled
- ⅔ cup fresh cranberries, halved
- ½ cup milk (whole is best)
- 1 large egg, slightly beaten (I used free range)
- ¾ tablespoon pure maple syrup (or honey)
- ½ tablespoon heavy cream
- ¾ tablespoon coarse sugar (I used raw cane sugar)
Instructions
- Whisk together both flours, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl.
- Add cubed butter, then use a pastry cutter (or fork or fingertips) to gently mix together until pea-sized crumbs form. Dump in cranberries and gently mix to coat.
- In a separate bowl, combine milk, egg and maple syrup until smooth. Pour over dry ingredients, then use a fork to lightly mix until dough just comes together (crumbly is good).
- Turn out onto a well-floured surface (cool countertop or marble slab is ideal), gently work into a dome shape with your hands (turning over once or twice), then lightly pat down to form disc (about 8" in diameter).
- Using a sharp floured knife, cut into 8 equal wedges. Carefully transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. *See notes for freezer instructions (if baking later).
- To bake, preheat oven to 400°F. Pull baking sheet out of refrigerator (once oven is preheated). Lightly brush tops (not edges) with heavy cream, then sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
Notes
- Measure flour carefully by spooning into measuring cup, then levelling off with a knife. Over-measuring your flour will result in dry scones.
- I used a free range egg, which gave my dough a deeper colour.
- Use cold ingredients straight from the refrigerator and do not overwork the dough. It shouldn't be too sticky after forming into dome. Add a tiny bit more flour if necessary or cool in refrigerator a few minutes if too warm.
- To cut dough into shapes, dip knife into flour each pass. I sometimes use an offset spatula to transfer scones to baking sheet. Don't worry about making the shapes perfect (less handling is best).
- Lightly brush tops (not sides) with heavy cream and top with sugar before baking to give a golden crust to your scones. This step is optional but highly suggested.
- Freshly baked warm scones taste best. To freeze, cool on rack, then transfer to airtight container or freezer bag. Warm before serving (with butter and/or jam).
- *Want to freeze and bake later? Place sheet pan with unbaked wedges in freezer until dough feels set up (about 1 hour). Remove, then transfer to freezer bag or airtight container. Place back into freezer until needed (I suggest baking within a couple weeks). To bake, place frozen scones on parchment-lined baking sheet, allow to defrost a bit while preheating the oven, then follow topping and baking instructions. Frozen scones usually take a bit more time in the oven.