I’m here to share with you the simplest and tastiest scone recipe I’ve ever made. I got the recipe from Jenny Steffens’ blog and of course her recipe is inspired from Ina Garten! The directions are so simple and the results are scrumptious. These go super fast in my house and I’m sure they will in your house too. I made some additional notes to the recipe below which might help a more novice scone maker for their first try. I’ve made this recipe several times and it always comes out great.

Cranberry Scones with an orange glaze

Adapted from Jenny Steffens’ recipe.

Yields: 8 scones

Ingredients:

For the scones:

2 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced*

2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup cold heavy cream**

1 cup fresh cranberries

….

For the glaze:

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted***

Zest of 1 orange****

4 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Directions:

Cut the cold butter into 1/2 inch pieces and place on a plate in the freezer.

In a mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. 

Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low until the butter is mixed in and is the size of peas. 

In a separate bowl, mix together eggs and heavy cream with a fork. 

Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the cream and egg mixture.  Turn off the mixer once added. 

Fold in the cranberries.

Turn the dough out onto a flat, floured surface.  Add some flour onto the top of the dough, then pat it out into a disk about 8-9 inches in diameter.  Cut the disk into 8 pieces like a pie.  Separate the pieces and put them on a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-17 minutes.

To make the glaze, stir together orange zest, juice, and powdered sugar. 

When scones are done baking, take out of the oven and drizzle the glaze over them.

*Notes

*Take the cold diced butter and place it on a plate in the freezer until you need to mix it in. We want the butter and cream to stay cold until use and not get to room temperature.

**Measure out the heavy cream and leave it in the fridge until mixing it in.

***Measure the confectioners sugar first, and then sift it. I always find my confectioners sugar has lumps in it and it’s much easier to mix it in with things if I sift it.

****Zest the orange before squeezing it.

*****It’s worth noting that these scones are freezer friendly too. You can follow the steps up until you place the scones on a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 30 minutes to flash freeze the scones and then transfer them to a Ziplock Freezer Bag until a later date to bake. You can bake at the same temperature, but will need to bake them for about an extra 3-5 minutes. Keep a close eye on them so they don’t overbake. You would not make the glaze ahead and freeze it. Glaze can be made day of or the day before and kept in the fridge overnight. I would just take it out of the fridge when I wake up to come to room temperature.