Description

Tender, bakery-style scones packed with tart cranberries and bright orange zest, finished with a cozy maple icing. This foolproof recipe yields flaky, delicious brunch treats in under an hour.

Ingredients

Scale

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, very cold and cubed
1 cup dried cranberries
1 large orange (zested, approx. 2 tablespoons)
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg (plus 1 for egg wash)
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup buttermilk
1 cup powdered sugar (for icing)
2–3 tablespoons real maple syrup (for icing)
1–2 teaspoons milk or cream (for icing)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and orange zest.
Cut the cold, cubed butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or forks until it resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter chunks remaining.
Make a well in the center and pour in the egg, heavy cream, and buttermilk. Add dried cranberries. Gently stir until the dough just comes together; do not overmix.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat into a 1-inch thick circle. Cut into 8 wedges.
Place wedges on the prepared baking sheet, leaving an inch between them. Brush tops with egg wash.
Bake for 18-22 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Whisk powdered sugar, maple syrup, and milk/cream until smooth. Drizzle over cooled scones before serving.

Notes

Keep all ingredients cold, especially the butter, to ensure flaky layers. Do not overmix the dough to avoid tough scones. For best results, use real maple syrup for the icing. These freeze well; you can freeze unbaked dough or baked scones.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Category: Breakfast
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 scone
Calories: 320
Sugar: 18
Fat: 14
Saturated Fat: 8
Carbohydrates: 42
Fiber: 1
Protein: 5

Keywords: fall baking, cranberry scones, orange scones, maple icing, brunch recipes, easy scone recipe, autumn baking