Cranberry Orange Scones |Cooking With Amanda

I am one of those people that is very easily distracted by the baked goods case in the coffee shop.

You're with me on that one, right?

So many pretty glazed things, so little time.

There are breads and muffins, cookies and little spongy madeleine cakes -- you can tell I spend a lot of time peeking through the bakery case glass, right?

Anyway, scones are at the top of my favorites list.

Except you have to be careful when you buy scones. Because some scones are like scary bricks that will hurt you. Too much flour, not enough butter, hard as a rock.

I am making it my personal mission to eliminate all the bad scones in the world.

It starts with this recipe. The trick is the butter. And not overworking the dough. You want the outside to have a slight crust and the inside to be soft and fluffy delicious.

This recipe is a great base for a perfectly buttery, fluffy scone. If you eat them hot from the oven they pull apart like those addictive flaky layered biscuits. The cranberries are tart. The orange glaze is sweet. And the flavors in these Cranberry Orange Scones to me are totally perfect for the holiday season.

You can make these scones two ways -- big 'ol coffee house style or mini (as pictured).

I love mini treats.

Also mini treats are perfect for gifting.

If you'd like to try some other fluffy perfect mini scones, I really love these strawberries and cream scones or these spring onion cheddar scones.

My fellow foodies here at Food Fanatic have also made delicious coffee shop style treats! I'd recommend these cherry scones or these really pretty lemon ricotta muffins.

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Cranberry Orange Scones Recipe

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Ingredients

For the Scones:

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup whole cranberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, thawed)
1/2 cup butter, cold
1 cup buttermilk

For the Egg Wash:

1 egg
1 tablespoon water

For the Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk, or cream
1 tablespoon orange juice

Directions

For the Scones:

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, kosher salt, and orange zest. Toss in the cranberries and stir for a minute to coat them with the flour.
Cut the butter into the flour mixture until coarse crumbles form (My favorite method is to grate in the butter with a cheese grater and then incorporate into the flour with my fingers).
Pour in the buttermilk and incorporate it gently using a sturdy rubber spatula or wooden spoon. You want to JUST combine the ingredients. Do not overmix.
Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and pat it out to about 3/4 " thickness. If you are making large scones make a circle with the dough and then slice it like a pie. For mini scones (pictured) make a rectangle, cut it into strips, and then cut each strip into triangles.
Lightly beat together the egg and water and then brush the tops of the scones.
Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes.

For the Glaze:

To make the glaze, mix together the powdered sugar, milk, and orange juice until smooth.
Drizzle the glaze over each scone (it takes a few minutes to set up so it's not sticky).