Ingredients
Method
Infuse Citrus Sugar & Cut Cold Butter
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) with a rack in the center. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine granulated sugar and fresh orange zest. Using your clean fingertips, rub the zest into the sugar for 1 minute until fragrant and moist like wet sand—this releases aromatic citrus oils throughout the dough.
- Whisk in the flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Add the cold butter cubes. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, work the butter into the flour until coarse pea-sized crumbs form with some butter flakes remaining for flaky layers.
- Gently fold in the chopped fresh cranberries until evenly distributed.
Form Dough & Slice Wedges
- In a measuring cup, whisk together the cold heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract. Drizzle the liquid into the flour mixture.
- Stir gently with a fork just until a shaggy dough begins to form. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat and fold gently 3 to 4 times until the dough holds together into a cohesive mass. Do not knead!
- Shape into an 8-inch round disk about 1 inch thick. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, slice the disk into 8 even triangle wedges.
- Transfer wedges to the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between them. Brush tops with heavy cream and sprinkle generously with coarse turbinado sugar.
Bake to Golden Perfection & Glaze
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 18 to 22 minutes until tops are golden brown and edges are lightly crisped. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
- While scones cool, whisk together powdered sugar, fresh orange juice, vanilla, and orange zest in a small bowl until thick, smooth, and ribbon-like.
- Generously drizzle the citrus glaze over the warm scones. Let set for 5 minutes, then serve warm with tea or coffee!