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Cranberry white chocolate scones should be a brunch staple. I’m talking eggs benedict level popular. They’re a combination of chewy cranberries, gooey pockets of creamy chocolate, flaky puffs of butter, and crisp golden edges. Pastries bordering between puff pastry and cake, there is nothing equally light and rich.
These scones are the reason I get out of my blank cocoon on a chilly morning, and trust me, my cocoon is plush and absolutely irresistible. Make these simple scones and you’ll get the hype (of just me, but I like to think I contain the enthusiasm of a crowd).
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Customizable for any dried fruit and chocolate you have on hand.
- Made in one bowl and ready in under an hour. Most of the time is chilling or baking time, so really it’s like 15 minutes 😉
- The perfect cranberry to chocolate to scone ratio. Enough mix-ins for lots of flavour, without getting overly sweet and overpowering the buttery notes.
Problems this recipe solves
- Bye bye dry scones! These are buttery, flaky, and oh so tender.
- No extra grocery shopping because all the ingredients are pantry staples! If they aren’t for you, they’ll last you ages and be part of many delicious desserts.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour gives these scones the perfect amount of structure to hold together, while staying tender.
- Granulated sugar: Just enough sugar for a slightly sweet yet light scone.
- Baking powder: Baking powder adds lift to give the scones a slightly cakey texture.
- Table salt: Salt enhances the flavours of the scone. If using kosher salt or sea salt, double the quantity listed in the recipe.
- Unsalted butter: Cold unsalted butter melts and produces steam, creating flaky buttery pockets of air. Making sure it stays cold is key to getting that flaky texture.
- Dried cranberries: The sour notes from the cranberries pair well with white chocolate, but any dried fruit in small chunks works.
- White chocolate: White chocolate adds creaminess and a gooey texture to the scones.
- Heavy cream: Heavy cream binds the scone together and keeps it rich and moist.
- Egg: Egg helps give the scones their cakey texture.
- Lemon extract: Lemon extract adds a fresh citrus note to pair with the cranberries.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla adds flavour and complements the creamy white chocolate.
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Add cranberries and white chocolate.
Shape and cut into scones.
Incorporate cold butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. Work quickly so the butter stays cold.
Add wet ingredients and mix into a dough.
Bake until golden brown on the edges.
Equipment
Scones are more about technique than equipment. As long as your butter is incorporated until the flour mixture is sandy, and the dough stays cold the entire time, you should be good to go! A pastry cutter works great, but I love quickly using my hands since the dough gets popped in the freezer right after.
Baking pan material can affect the scones. If you use a dark coloured baking pan, the scones will bake and brown faster than if using a lighter pan, so keep a close eye on them. Don’t overbake these scones or else they’ll become dry.
Also, make sure you have a kitchen scale for this recipe since most of the measurements are in grams. Using a kitchen scale ensures you get the same results I have! Learn about why I use a kitchen scale here. If you’d like to use measuring spoons or cups, you can use an online recipe converter to change the units to whatever you’re using.
Storage
These scones are so delicious, half of the batch is usually gone minutes after they come out of the oven. They’re definitely best warm, so if you want smaller amounts at once, I recommend freezing the scones in an airtight container and baking them fresh when you want them. After baking, they can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
FAQ
Of course! They do spread a bit, so I recommend simple shapes like circles or rectangles. Bake at the same temperature, but keep a close eye on your scones, as they’ll bake at a different rate than the triangular ones listed in the recipe.
Yes! I love the scones with cranberries peeking out of the dough, but feel free to brush with a mixture of egg and water or just heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar to get a golden extra crispy lid.
A tiny bit of butter leakage is totally okay. If there’s a lot, the butter was likely in large chunks. Make sure the mixture is like wet sand before adding the wet ingredients next time and your scones will be perfect.
Let’s bake!
Perfect year-round, these cranberry white chocolate scones are bound to become a brunch staple. They’re so simple, so delicious, and worlds away from any dry sandpapery sugary scone. Just remember, the butter needs to stay cold to get the right scone texture, so if at any point the dough approaches room temperature, into the fridge or freezer it goes!
When you make them, tag me on Instagram @bakewhenitrains so I can see your pretty little scones. Or giant scones, those are fun 😊
Also, don’t forget to leave a comment and rating below. I’d love to hear your feedback.
With love,
Your baking friend Sherene ❤️
Cranberry White Chocolate Scones
Ingredients
- 175 grams all-purpose flour
- 20 grams granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- 80 grams unsalted butter cold, in small pieces
- 70 grams dried cranberries
- 60 grams white chocolate chunks
- 60 grams heavy cream cold
- 1 egg cold
- 1/4 tsp lemon extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Add cold butter and mix with the flour, breaking the butter into pea-sized pieces until the mixture looks like wet sand. Do this by hand quickly, or with a pastry cutter.
- Add cranberries and white chocolate and mix until combined.
- In a small bowl, combine heavy cream, egg, lemon extract and vanilla extract. Add to flour mixture and mix until it forms a shaggy dough. It will be sticky, that is okay.
- Transfer dough onto counter and press into a 1 inch thick rectangle. Fold in half, then repeat the pressing and folding twice.
- Form the scone dough into a 1 inch thick circle, and cut into 6 even triangles.
- Place triangles onto prepared baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes, until the scones are more solid and cold.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. A very small amount of butter may leak out of the scones but that's okay.
- Let cool slightly and enjoy while warm.
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