Cranberry White Choco Scone Recipe

Preheat and line

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and fine sea salt in a large bowl until evenly combined.

Add the cold cubed unsalted butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining (about 6–10 turns). This creates flaky pockets in the scones.

Stir in the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips so they're evenly distributed through the flour-butter mixture.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth.

Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and pour in about two-thirds of the liquid mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture until it just starts to come together. If the dough looks dry, add the remaining liquid a tablespoon at a time until it holds together when pressed but is still slightly shaggy. Do not overmix—overworking will make tough scones.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat the dough into a disk about 1 to 1¼ inches thick (approximately 7–8 inches in diameter). Handle as little as possible to keep the scones tender.

Using a sharp knife or a bench scraper, cut the disk into 8 wedges. Alternatively, cut into rounds using a 2½ inch biscuit cutter, rerolling scraps once.

Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Brush the tops lightly with a little heavy cream (reserve a teaspoon for glaze if using) and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.

Bake in the preheated oven for 16–20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the scones are pale golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Baking time can vary slightly depending on oven and scone size.

Remove from the oven and transfer scones to a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes. They can be served warm or cooled to room temperature.

Optional glaze

If making a glaze, whisk the powdered sugar with about 1 tsp milk or cream (add more by drops if needed) until smooth. Drizzle lightly over cooled scones. Allow glaze to set for 10–15 minutes before serving.