Cranberry Ginger Scones

Cranberry Ginger Scones are flaky, buttery scones studded with sweet-tart, plump cranberries, and tangy, floral candied ginger. They’re make-ahead friendly, which means they’re perfect for your holiday breakfasts or brunches. They also make for a great teatime treat.

What Are Scones?

Scones are to Britons as biscuits are to people from the States. Scones are quickbreads made with flour cut with fat (usually butter) and moistened with liquid. Quickbreads don’t rely on yeast to rise; instead, a chemical leavener, like baking powder, gives the bread lift. 

You can mix various dried or fresh fruits, nuts, chocolates, or spices into your scones to create unique flavors. Scones are a teatime treat, but I’m down to eat them any time of day. Typical American that I am.

What Do I Need to Make These Cranberry Ginger Scones?

Cranberry ginger scones are made with all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, unsalted butter, whole milk, a large egg, dried cranberries, crystallized (or candied) ginger, and topped with Turbinado sugar. 

This recipe is easy to make because you mix everything in one bowl, roll out the dough, plop it onto a sheetpan and bake it. 

How Do I Make My Scones Light and Flaky?

The keys to achieving light and flaky scones are using cold ingredients and not handling the dough too much.

Sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, and kosher salt into a 4-quart mixing bowl. Shred butter, straight from the fridge, into the center of the dry ingredients in the bowl using a cheese grater. You can also dice the butter, but doing so requires you to work the dough more, which causes it to heat up more.

Toss the butter shreds into the flour with your fingertips until they resemble a coarse meal.

Lightly beat the egg and add the cold milk to it. Pour this mixture into the butter-flour mixture in the mixing bowl and gently toss everything together until it forms a clump. Remember not to overwork the dough.

Cover the mixing bowl with plastic film and refrigerate it for 15-20 minutes. 

Can I Use Fresh Ginger and Cranberry in This Recipe?

This recipe requires dried and crystallized fruits. You can’t substitute fresh ginger when crystallized is called for because fresh ginger is too spicy. You can’t substitute fresh cranberries for dried ones because fresh cranberries are too tart. 

Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rough oval shape after chilling.  

Sprinkle half of the crystallized ginger and dried cranberries over the surface of the dough and fold one half over the other. Roll the dough out once more into a rude oval shape. Sprinkle the remaining fruits over the surface and fold the dough over itself once more.

Now gently form the dough into a ball shape. Press any fruit that escapes back into the dough. 

Can I Freeze Scones Before Baking Them?

Put your scone dough onto a sheetpan lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and roll it into a 1/2-inch thick circle. 

Use a very sharp knife to cut the circle into 8 wedges. You can freeze the raw scone dough at this point if you prefer. Transfer the pan to the freezer and allow them to freeze solid. Break up the wedges, pack them into a freezer-safe container, and store them frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw the entire batch or one or two in the refrigerator when you’re ready to bake them. 

Brush the remaining whole milk over the surface of the scone dough with a pastry brush, then sprinkle a generous pinch of Turbinado sugar over the surface.

Are Scones Traditionally Round?

Scones are traditionally round in shape. I don’t like to waste food, however, and cutting scones into circles means scraps are produced. Instead, I cut my scone dough into wedges (or triangles) and use all of the dough.

You can cut your scones into circles if you want, though. Just use a round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter to do so. 

How Long Do I Bake the Cranberry Ginger Scones?

Bake the cranberry ginger scones in a 400°F (204°C) oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. 

Remove the pan of scones from the oven and allow them to cool on the pan for 3 minutes. Transfer the scones to a cooling rack to cool further. 

How Are Scones Served?

Serve Cranberry ginger scones with whipped butter, clotted cream, or plain. I prefer the latter. Folks in the UK love their clotted cream, though. 

Scones make a great breakfast bread. You can enjoy scones with fresh fruit, yogurt, or with your favorite morning beverage. Serve these cranberry ginger scones with teat cookies, fancy sandwiches, and tarts for a proper high tea event. 

How Do I Store Leftover Cranberry Ginger Scones?

Store leftover cranberry ginger scones in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. Give scones a freshly-baked taste by reheating them in the air-fryer for 3 minutes at 350°F (177°) or in the microwave for 20 seconds on high.

Don’t refrigerate scones, or they will grow stale faster. 

Can I Freeze the Cranberry Ginger Scones After Baking Them?

You can freeze cranberry ginger scones after baking them. Freeze them until solid on the baking sheet, and once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container. Freeze the scones for up to 3 months. Thaw them in at room temperature and reheat them as desired before eating.

Add a unique twist to your mornings or holiday baking sessions with these Cranberry Ginger Scones. Let me know what you think of them in the comments below, and remember to pin and share them with your crew.

Cranberry Ginger Scones

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 17 votes

Cranberry Ginger Scones are flaky, buttery scones studded with sweet-tart, plump cranberries, and tangy, floral candied ginger. They're make-ahead friendly, which means they're perfect for your holiday breakfasts or brunches. They also make for a great teatime treat.

Servings: 8

Print Pin Recipe SaveSaved!

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

chilling time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Equipment

• cheese grater
• half sheetpan

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3 cups (420 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (6 grams) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter very cold
• 1 large egg very cold
• 3/4 cup (180 milliliters) whole milk very cold, plus tablespoon (15 milliliters) for brushing on the dough later
• 3/4 cup (100 grams) dried cranberries
• 2/3 cup (85 grams) crystallized ginger diced
• 1/2 tablespoon (7 grams) Turbinado sugar optional, for topping

Instructions 

• Line a half sheetpan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.

Sift Together the Dry Ingredients

• Sift the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt into a 4-quart mixing bowl.

Make the Cranberry Ginger Scone Dough and Chill

• Shred the cold butter into the center of the dry ingredients in the bowl using a cheese grater.

  Toss the butter shreds into the flour with your fingertips until they resemble a coarse meal.
• Lightly beat the egg and add the cold milk to it.

  Pour this mixture into the butter-flour mixture in the mixing bowl and gently toss everything together until it forms a clump.

  Don't overwork the dough.
• Cover the mixing bowl with plastic film and refrigerate it for 15-20 minutes. 

Fill and Form the Scone Dough

• Towards the last 5 minutes of chilling, preheat an oven to 400°F (204°C).
• Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rough oval shape after chilling.  

  Sprinkle half of the crystallized ginger and dried cranberries over the surface of the dough and fold one half over the other.
• Roll the dough out once more into a rude oval shape.

  Sprinkle the remaining fruits over the surface and fold the dough over itself once more.

  Now gently form the dough into a ball shape. Press any fruit that escapes back into the dough. 

Bake the Cranberry Ginger Scones

• Put your scone dough onto the prepared sheetpan and roll it into a 1/2-inch thick circle. 

  Use a very sharp knife to cut the circle into 8 wedges.
• Brush the tablespoon of whole milk over the surface of the scone dough with a pastry brush, then sprinkle the f Turbinado sugar over the surface.

  Bake the cranberry ginger scones in a 400°F (204°C) oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. 
• Remove the pan of scones from the oven and allow them to cool on the pan for 3 minutes.

  Transfer the scones to a cooling rack to cool further. 
• Serve Cranberry ginger scones with whipped butter or clotted cream spread on top, or plain with fresh fruit, yogurt, or with your favorite morning beverage.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

• Swap the dried cranberries for dried dark raisins or sultanas, currants, or chopped tart cherries.
• Replace the crystallized ginger with diced crystallized lemon peel, orange peel, or citron mix.
• Use half-and-half in place of whole milk.

Tips and Techniques:

• The keys to achieving light and flaky scones are using cold ingredients and not handling the dough too much.
• You can't substitute fresh ginger for the crystallized here because it's too spicy. Likewise, you have to use dried cranberries because fresh cranberries are too tart. 
• You can cut your scones into circles if you want, though. Just use a round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter to do so. 

Storage Instructions:

• Store leftover cranberry ginger scones in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.
• Give scones a freshly-baked taste by reheating them in the air-fryer for 3 minutes at 350°F (177°) or in the microwave for 20 seconds on high.
• Don't refrigerate leftover scones, or they will grow stale faster. 

Freezer Instructions:

• To freeze the raw scone dough: 
  1. Transfer the pan to the freezer and allow the circle of dough to freeze solid.
  2. Break up the wedges and pack them into a freezer-safe container. 
  3. Freeze the wedges 3 months.
  4. Thaw the entire batch or one or two in the refrigerator when you're ready to bake them. 
• To freeze cranberry ginger scones after baking them:
  1. Allow the scones to cool completely.
  2. Freeze them until solid on the baking sheet, and once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container.
  3. Freeze the scones for up to 3 months.
  4. Thaw them in at room temperature and reheat them as desired before eating.

Nutrition

Calories: 615kcalCarbohydrates: 111gProtein: 11gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 242mgPotassium: 152mgFiber: 4gSugar: 41gVitamin A: 439IUVitamin C: 0.04mgCalcium: 104mgIron: 4mg

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Teatime

Cuisine European

Keyword biscuit, cranberry, ginger, scones

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