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Buttermilk Cranberry Scones

November 16, 2008 by Nicole 64 Comments

Buttermilk Cranberry Scones

I’m sitting here on this beautiful Sunday morning eating the best scone I’ve ever made in my life.  Days like this are bittersweet.  On one hand, there’s almost nothing better than a lazy Sunday morning spent baking and lounging in my pajamas.  But what’s the fun in eating such a wonderful treat, when there’s no one to share it with?

So, as as soon as I’m done writing this, I’m heading out to deliver a few scones to my friend Caron who lives nearby.  And my sister, who is coming over this afternoon, will get the rest.  My husband will be home in a few days, but scones are always best eaten on the day they are made.  I’ll just have to make a new batch for him next Sunday!

Scones are simple to make, especially if you already know how to make biscuits from scratch.  The key is to keep the ingredients cold and work quickly.  Read completely through the recipe before starting and make sure you have all your ingredients and tools ready and nearby.  And make sure you start preheating the oven as soon as you start thinking about making these.

Buttermilk Cranberry Scones

For those of you who have never made scones or biscuits from scratch before, you can read a more detailed account of the process, with photos, at How to Make the Best Buttermilk Biscuits from Scratch.  Although the recipe is not identical, the process is the same.  Scones are simply a lightly sweetened biscuit.

Nutrition

Calories

267 cal

Fat

1 g

Carbs

53 g

Protein

9 g
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Buttermilk Cranberry Scones
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Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped fine

finely grated zest from one small lemon (about 2 teaspoons)

heavy cream (optional, for brushing tops of scones)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk or sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. Add butter chunks and toss lightly with flour; place bowl in fridge.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, and lemon zest; place bowl in fridge.

4. Get organized: measure out and chop the cranberries; set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat; set aside. Lightly dust a counter top with flour. Pour a little bit of heavy cream in a bowl and have a pastry brush handy.

5. Remove bowls of flour and buttermilk from fridge. Cut butter into flour with a pastry blender or rub together with your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add cranberries and stir to combine.

6. Add buttermilk mixture all at once to flour mixture and stir until the mixture clumps together. Dump mixture out onto floured counter top and, with floured hands, gather into a ball and knead once or twice to combine everything. Pat into a circle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 8 slices, like a pie, or cut with biscuit or cookie cutters into whatever shape you prefer. Put scones on lined baking sheet and brush lightly with heavy cream (optional).

7. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 13-15 minutes until lightly browned. Remove to cooling rack.

8. Enjoy with someone you love.

Notes

Since I make these only on rare occasions, I buy and use the best quality unsalted butter I can find. Brushing the scones with heavy cream is optional, but will add a nice shine to the tops. I think these scones are perfect the way they are, but if you want to get fancy, you can drizzle a lemon glaze over the top.

Lemon Glaze: Combine about 1/2 cup powdered sugar with a couple teaspoons of fresh lemon juice and whisk to combine. Adjust sugar/juice amounts to get the consistency you prefer. Drizzle glaze over cooled scones

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If you like this recipe, you might also like to try my Apricot Cream Scones.

For those of you just tuning in this month, I’m happy to say that I’m participating in the National Blog Posting Month challenge. For this year’s edition of NaBloPoMo, I’ve pledged to post a new recipe every single day for the month of November. If you don’t want to miss a recipe, sign up to receive my recipes by e-mail. You’ll only receive an e-mail when I write a new blog post, and your e-mail address will not be used for any other purpose. Interested? Sign up now!

Filed Under: Adventures in Baking, Breads, Breakfast/Brunch, Desserts, Holiday, NaBloPoMo Tagged With: cranberry, lemon, NaBloPoMo, recipe, scones

Previous Post: « Sweet Potato Buttermilk Dinner Rolls
Next Post: Tabbouleh with Persimmons and Almonds and a Knife Giveaway »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Riva says

    March 6, 2010 at 10:10 pm

    I just made these. It was so easy, and the recipe was just what I was looking for. The scones are light, flaky, and delicious! The hint of lemon made it really delightful, especially to my hubby and kids who love lemon baked goods. I totally recommend it! This will be perfect for a tea party I am planning. Thanks so much!
    Reply
  2. Julie @ Willow Bird Baking says

    July 19, 2010 at 11:04 am

    This was a delicious introduction to scones for me! I'm so glad I picked this recipe to start with -- what if I'd picked a less amazing one and missed out on all the scone fun? Thanks :)
    Reply
  3. Daniela says

    October 16, 2010 at 10:33 am

    I tried these and the dough was really wet, so I spooned them onto the baking sheet. I've never made homemade scones or biscuits, so I wasn't sure of the consistency. They came out tasting great, so I guess the dough was ok :) Can't wait to try out the next recipie!
    Reply
  4. ???? says

    October 28, 2010 at 2:09 am

    ??? ????????!!!? ??????? ?? ?? ?????? ???????,????? ??????)?? ???? ??????? ?????? ???????)
    Reply
  5. Vika says

    October 28, 2010 at 2:11 am

    They are gorgeous! I made them in your recipe, very tasty) to thank my Russian friends)
    Reply
  6. Marissa says

    December 22, 2010 at 12:54 pm

    I love scones, but usually head over to the local cafe to fulfill my craving. This time I opted to bake them myself. Pinch my Salt is my favorite food blog so I figured I would give the recipe and technique I found here a go... Well in short these are fantastic (I am mid bite as I type). I used orange instead of lemon and followed the recipe to a T; I also used the article the hints about baking biscuits, which was very helpful. My cranberry orange scones are lights and delicious! Thank you!
    Reply
  7. Wadad says

    June 2, 2011 at 1:01 pm

    Made it 3 times so far,, I have to say,,, delicious!!!! Thank you!!!!
    Reply
  8. Yasmin says

    September 20, 2011 at 10:49 pm

    If I want to make them plain, which ingredient can I add instead?
    Reply
  9. Kelli says

    November 8, 2011 at 12:30 pm

    OMG - these truly are a beyond delicious! I have a recipe I thought was good that use whipping cream in the base instead of buttermilk. These have the X-factor -they're out of this world delcious. Re-reading the recipe here I see an error I made. Was supposed to use 2 tsp lemon zest & I put in 2 tsp lemon extract. They still taste fabulous. I did add about 1 C. Fresh Cranberries - purposely {tossed in a little powdered sugar} + 1/2 C. Chopped Pecans as well. Love nuts n' cranberries & they're in season. Never been that great at rolling so just used a cookie scoop & placed them in heaping scoops on the parchment lined cookie sheets. Thank you sooooo much for sharing this awesome recipe - makes a world of difference. The glaze gives them a POP of flavor & sets them apart - yummmmm! My husband loves them too & grabbed a few for his co-workers this a.m.
    Reply
  10. Mary Lou says

    January 22, 2012 at 8:11 am

    Positively the best scones ever - plus they freeze perfectly. I made a batch, froze them, and took one to work each day for morning breakfast. Wonderful antidote to a long commute. Thank you!
    Reply
  11. Debra says

    June 30, 2016 at 12:49 pm

    I love this idea and look delicious so Thanks for this easy to do recipe I'm going to make it...
    Reply
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