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Cranberry Almond Scones

5 from 1 vote

Light and fluffy Cranberry Almond Scones are the perfect holiday treat. Made using a simple scone batter, filled with sweet dried cranberries and topped with a few slivered almonds. Great served with butter and jam.

Cranberry scones on a white plate.
Cranberry Almond Scones

Yes friends, more holiday inspired recipes. If you love the holiday season, you’re in luck. If not, check back in January…hahaha! I will continue posting 3 – 4 recipes a week until the 22nd of December and then I’ll be having a break until the first week of January. So, still more Christmas recipes to come.

I thought these Cranberry Almond Scones could easily be filed in Christmas recipes. Much like my Light and Fluffy Scones these are easy to make and a great addition to a brunch table. Every Christmas morning we do a brunch and scones and Cinnamon Rolls are always on the table. If you love Christmas brunch, these Cranberry Almond scones would be a great addition.

Cranberry scones with a cup of coffee.
Cranberry Almond Scones

Why You’ll Like These Scones

  • Difficulty level – Scones are so easy to make and even a beginner can take on this task. They don’t require any equipment or a mixer and don’t use very many ingredients.
  • Flavour – I love the buttery taste of these scones with the addition of sweet dried cranberries. A great additions for Christmas.
  • Texture – These genuinely are light in texture and fresh from the oven they almost melt in your mouth.
Close up of cranberry almond scones.
Cranberry Almond Scones

Ingredients

  • All purpose flour – This is the most common type of flour used for baking.
  • Sugar – This recipe uses granulated white sugar.
  • Baking powder – Is a rising agent used in many baked goods
  • Salt – Regular table salt.
  • Butter– Unsalted cold butter.
  • Milk – You can use either whole milk or semi-skimmed milk for these scones.
  • Cranberries – I used dried cranberries for these scones.
  • Slivered almonds – These are used to top the scones.
  • Glaze for scones – I combined an egg yolk with 1 tbsp of milk to brush the scones before baking.

REMEMBER, The full recipe and instructions can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Ingredients to make cranberry almond scones.
Ingredients to make the Cranberry Almond Scones

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 425F. Grease a large baking tray and set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk together.
  3. Cut in the butter in cubes. Using your fingers, combine it into the flour mixture. It will be crumbly.
  4. Add the dried cranberries.
  5. Slowly start pouring in the milk, mixing as you add it in. You just need the dough to come together and it will be quite sticky.
  6. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and lightly dust the top of the dough with flour.
  7. Lightly knead the dough about 2 to 3 times. Gently press or roll the dough out to 1inch thick.
  8. Using a floured 2 inch cookie cutter, cut the dough into 8 circles.
  9. Place the dough circles on your baking tray.
  10. Whisk together the egg with milk and brush the tops of the scones. Sprinkle over slivered almonds. Gently pressing them into the top of the scone.
  11. Bake between 12 – 15 minutes or until puffed up and golden.
  12. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Can be served straight away and will keep up to two days in an airtight container.

Recipe Tips

  • Don’t overwork the dough – The dough for scones should be sticky and just needs a light amount of flour added to the top to press it down and cut them out. if you stir it too long or knead it too long, the scones will turn out tough.
  • Baking time may vary – These bake in my current oven at 15 minutes. However, in my previous oven they were done in 11 minutes. They will be fully baked when they are golden and risen up. Baking time varies from oven to oven.
Scones on a baking tray.
Cranberry Almond Scones

Substitutions

  • Dried cranberries – I like using dried fruit and and berries because they are readily available and easy to use. Yes, you could easily use fresh cranberries for these scones.
  • Slivered almonds – I really liked the addition of the slivered almonds on top. You can easily omit these if you don’t prefer them. Alternatively, you could sprinkle sugar over the tops before baking for a bit of a sweet touch.
Scones on a white plate.
Cranberry Almond Scones

Serving and Storage

  • Serving – These are best served warm with jam, butter, lemon curd or even clotted cream or whipped cream. They would make a great addition to a Christmas brunch or afternoon tea,
  • At room temperature – Scones are best fresh the day they are made but they will keep for up to two days in an airtight container on the counter.
Close up of Christmas scones
Almond Cranberry Christmas Scones

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get my scones to rise light and fluffy?

Make sure the oven it at the correct temperature, don’t overwork the dough and use the correct amount of baking powder

Why are my scones dense?

Some common reasons for dense scones are not using enough baking powder, overworking the dough and not baking with the oven at the correct temperature.

Why are my scones hard on the outside?

Again, this is generally because you overworked the dough. Take care in working with scone dough so you don’t end up with tough scones.


Cranberry scones with a cup of coffee.
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Dried Cranberry Loaf Cake

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Cranberry Almond Scones

Light and fluffy Cranberry Almond Scones are the perfect holiday treat. Made using a simple scone batter, filled with sweet dried cranberries and topped with a few slivered almonds. Great served with butter and jam.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Brunch, Snack
Cuisine: British
Keyword: christmas recipes, easy brunch recipes, holiday baking, scones
Servings: 8 scones
Calories: 226kcal
Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

  • 2 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter cold
  • cup milk
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/3 cup slivered almonds
  • 1 egg yolk plus 1 tbsp milk to glaze

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 425F. Grease a large baking tray and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk together.
  • Cut in the butter in cubes. Using your fingers, combine it into the flour mixture. It will be crumbly.
  • Add the dried cranberries.
  • Slowly start pouring in the milk, mixing as you add it in. You just need the dough to come together and it will be quite sticky.
  • Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and lightly dust the top of the dough with flour.
  • Lightly knead the dough about 2 to 3 times. Gently press or roll the dough out to 1inch thick.
  • Using a floured 2 inch cookie cutter, cut the dough into 8 circles.
  • Place the dough circles on your baking tray.
  • Whisk together the egg with milk and brush the tops of the scones. Sprinkle over slivered almonds. Gently pressing them into the top of the scone.
  • Bake between 12 – 15 minutes or until puffed up and golden.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool. Can be served straight away and will keep up to two days in an airtight container.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

  1. Don’t overwork the dough – The dough for scones should be sticky and just needs a light amount of flour added to the top to press it down and cut them out. if you stir it too long or knead it too long, the scones will turn out tough.
  2. Baking time may vary – These bake in my current oven at 15 minutes. However, in my previous oven they were done in 11 minutes. They will be fully baked when they are golden and risen up. Baking time varies from oven to oven.
Nutrition Facts
Cranberry Almond Scones
Amount Per Serving (1 scone)
Calories 226 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 14mg5%
Sodium 367mg16%
Potassium 102mg3%
Carbohydrates 36g12%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 10g11%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 164IU3%
Vitamin C 0.01mg0%
Calcium 161mg16%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping by & Hope To See You soon!

By on December 9th, 2022
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