Cranberry Scones with Rosemary and Orange
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Filled with dried cranberries, rosemary, and orange zest, these British style cranberry scones with rosemary and orange make a festive addition to any winter celebration. Flaky, buttery, and best served warm, accompanied by a pot of black tea!
What Inspired These Cranberry Scones?
I first started making traditional, British style scones (not to be confused with their sweet, oversized American cousins!) when I moved to London for pastry school back in 2019. Traditional British-style scones are round in shape and usually served at tea time, alongside jam and clotted cream. (They’re often plain, but you’ll find scone recipes with mix-ins like fruit, nuts, herbs, cheese, chocolate, and citrus peels, too.) I based this cranberry scone recipe around my love of cranberry and orange, an ingredient combination I think works especially well for the festive season. (See also: My cranberry and orange parfait, cranberry compote, cranberry punch, and cranberry curd tart recipes…) I’ve also added rosemary, which I also love for holiday recipes because it reminds me of other woody, wintery scents, like pine needles and juniper berries.
Key Ingredients
- Rosemary – You’ll need about 3/4 teaspoon (one 6-inch sprig) of finely chopped fresh rosemary. Don’t use dried rosemary for this recipe. If you have fresh rosemary left over, use it to make sugared rosemary or rosemary shortbread.
- Orange Zest – Zest the orange on a Microplane rather than a box grater like you’d use for grating cheese; the pieces of zest produced by a box grater are large and difficult to chew. For other citrus suggestions, see my notes below.
- Dried Cranberries – Use dried cranberries for this recipe, rather than fresh or frozen, which contain too much moisture. And save the extras! They’re great for making florentines.
- Self-Rising Flour – As with most traditional British scones, this recipe uses self-rising flour, which already contains baking powder and salt. Do not replace it with all-purpose or plain flour, or the scones will not rise properly.
- Baking Powder – Paired with self-rising flour, baking powder produces the tallest, fluffiest scones.
- Unsalted Butter – Starting with cold, cubed butter gives the scones their flaky texture. Rather than a mixer, my recipe employs the “rubbing in” method to work the butter into the dry ingredients. See my classic scone recipe for more detailed instructions on how to incorporate the butter.
- Granulated Sugar – Granulated sugar adds sweetness and moisture. See my guide to sugars for substitution suggestions, but remember that if working with a fine sugar (such as caster) you’ll want to measure by weight rather than volume.
Tips, Tools, and Adaptations
- Gather recommended tools. To make and cut the dough, you’ll need a Microplane for zesting the orange peels; a plastic bench scraper to bring the ingredients together; a 2-inch round metal cutter for cutting the scones; and a pastry brush for egg-washing. For baking, I recommend a half sheet rimmed baking tray (a standard half sheet measures 13 x 18 inches, so you can bake them all at one time) and a silicone baking mat to prevent the dough from sticking to the tray.
- Add mix-ins. Add finely chopped walnuts, pecans, or pistachios. Vary the citrus flavor by including lemon or lime zest, either instead of or in addition to the orange. Mix in chopped white or dark chocolate, or bits of finely chopped candied ginger. Or for seasonal spice, stir 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon or mixed spice into the dry ingredients.
Cranberry Scones
- Total Time30 minutes
- Yield12-15 scones 1x
British-style cranberry scones filled with dried cranberries, rosemary, and orange zest.
Ingredients
350 grams self rising flour (1 3/4 cups)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (about 1 6-inch sprig)
90 grams unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (6 tablespoons)
50 grams granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
10 grams orange zest (1 tablespoon, packed)
180 milliliters whole milk (3/4 cup)
45 grams dried cranberries (1/3 cup)
1 large egg, beaten with a fork
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425° F (220° C). Line a half-sheet rimmed tray with a silicone mat.
In a large bowl, whisk together self rising flour, baking powder, and chopped rosemary.
Add the butter and use your fingertips to combine, rubbing the mixture together until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Stir in the granulated sugar and orange zest.
Form a well in the dry ingredients. Pour in the milk.
With a bench scraper, mix everything together until just barely combined. Mix in the dried cranberries.
Tip out onto a lightly floured work surface. With floured hands, bring the dough together until a ball forms. Do not overwork.
Flatten into a disc, about 7 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick.
With a floured 2-inch (4-5 cm) round cutter, cut the dough into rounds. Reshape scraps into a 2-inch thick disc and cut remaining rounds. When finished, you should have about 12 discs.
Arrange on prepared tray.
With a pastry brush, brush the tops of the scones with the beaten egg.
Bake in preheated oven for 15-17 minutes, or until risen and lightly golden brown.
Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftover scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or layer between sheets of parchment and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
Store leftover cranberry orange scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
To freeze: Layer baked and cooled scones between sheets of parchment and freeze in an airtight container for up to one month. Thaw at room temperature.
Other Scone Recipes You Might Enjoy
Classic British Scones
American-Style Funfetti Scones
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
