One of the things I like to do during this time of year is collect items that are only available right now and freeze them. That not only includes Trader Joe’s puff pastry, but also stuff like fresh cranberries. They freeze so well! I take the whole bag, vacuum-seal it, stick it in the freezer, and they’re good to go when I’m ready.
I wanted something different for Christmas breakfast, and of course, cranberries are still in season. Instead of something eggy, I thought I’d try another version of scones. I found some special-edition pistachios coated with cinnamon in the grocery store a few weeks ago that I couldn’t resist buying, though I had no idea what to use them in at the time. I found myself reaching for them for this recipe.
Of course, you can use any nuts you like for this recipe—I just couldn’t resist adding just a tiny bit more flavor. This recipe also calls for the zest and juice of an orange. All I had was a blood orange, so I used that—delicious! Scones are very forgiving with a little bit of variance. They also freeze really well, if you’d like to make them ahead of time. Just freeze them separately on a sheet pan before tossing them into a plastic bag.
Fresh Cranberry Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 5 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 cup buttermilk + more for brushing
- ¼ cup sugar or honey
- 1 Tbsp orange zest
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- ½ cup chopped nuts, any kind (optional)
- 1 Tbsp turbinado sugar to top scones
Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 425º F.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
Combine buttermilk, sugar or honey, and orange zest in a large measuring cup, stirring until the sweetener is fully dissolved.
Work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal with pea-sized pieces. Mix in the cranberries and nuts, if using, then pour in the buttermilk mixture and stir until it comes together.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead a few times until it just comes together. Shape the dough into a thick 8-inch disk. Cut the dough into eight even-sized triangles.
Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet, brush with buttermilk, then sprinkle with the Turbinado sugar.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
You can glaze these, if you like, by whisking 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons of orange juice, then drizzling it over the scones once they’ve cooled.
Makes 8 scones.
