Cranberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

Fresh cranberries are so good for you.  They are full of fibre, vitamin C and antioxidants and anthocyanins, those flavenoids that keep our blood vessels healthy and keep us youthful and our eyesight strong.

We usually have to consume them dried with cherry essence and call them crasins.  Which are good and also useful. You still need to add some sugar, mostly to balance the bitterness more than the acidity, but when raw cranberries are baked, what is left is a sweet tanginess that is beautiful and juicy in buttery biscuits or cheese filled pastries.

If you’d rather an orange glaze, substitute the lemon juice in the glaze with fresh orange or mandarine juice.

If you’d rather neither, water, milk or cream work too.

What You Need To Make Cranberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

1. Combine the lemon juice with the milk and set aside.

You could add vinegar if you are short on lemon juice and need it for the glaze, or use buttermilk.

2. Sprinkle a tablespoon or so of the sugar over the cranberries and toss lightly, set aside.

Halved ruby red cranberries

You will need to heat the oven to 400°F (200°C), but don’t preheat oven yet.  Wait until you have finished the scones so they can rest in the fridge while the oven preheats.

3. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  

4. Combine the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl, or a food processor.

5. Add the cold butter by cutting in, using two knives or a pastry cutter until the size of tiny peas.  If you are using a food processor, pulse until the butter is in small pieces.  Stop before it clumps together.

Add the butter and pulse until the butter is in small pieces

Cut in using a pastry cutter or two knives until crumbly

6. If using a food processor, put all of this into a large mixing bowl. 

Toss the sugared cranberries through.

7. Add the sour milk or buttermilk, fold in with a large spoon or rubber scraper just until combined.

Don’t over mix.

8. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board, or directly onto the baking sheet.  

Some people will fold it a bit, a brief kneading, about 4 turns.  

I prefer to pat it to bring the dough together. I am afraid that I might make the scone tough.

9. Pat the dough into a 1” (3cm) thick round, about 8” (20cm) diameter.  Try not to use too much flour.  A little icicng sugar works as well.

Make it more level rather than dome shaped.  Once they are cut, I think it looks better.

10. Using a sharp knife, to slice through the cranberries, cut into 8 wedges. 

Rinse off your knife after each cut for cleaner edges.

11. Move the wedges using an off set knife or regular knife, or a spatula and separate on the baking sheet giving them space to rise, about 2” (5cm).

If you choose not to glaze, you could brush with a bit of cream and/or sprinkle with icing sugar or coarse sugar before baking.

Put these in the fridge. 

Now preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

Chilling the scones makes the butter more firm.  It has warmed a bit while you worked with the dough.  Giving it time to rest relaxes the glutens which means tender scones and more firm butter means the scones spread less, so they will be puffier and flakier!

Bake for about 25 minutes. A couple more minutes if you like them crispier on the outside, just be careful not to over brown, which they can quickly at this point.

Leave on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.

Beat the glaze ingredients together until smooth, then drizzle or spread over the scones.