Cranberry lemon scones

Delicious fresh cranberry scones with a zesty lemon icing.

SCONES! I love love love scones. They make me feel guilty, but I love love love them. Especially with icing (aka guilt). I’m working through the freezer and pantry to get through random foods. Found in the freezer: cranberries! I had just enough to make this recipe, and a big bag o’ lemons needing to be used. These scones were perfect!

I may have overdone it on the liquid (the recipe reflects what it should be), and didn’t chill my scones, so in the photo my scones may look a bit more amorphous than yours will likely turn out. As always, the key is LEMON ZEST! Zest + sugar before adding anything else, to get the most lemon flavor out of the zest!

Cranberry lemon scones
Makes 10 to 12 scones

2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1-1/4 cups fresh cranberries, chopped
2 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream

For the icing:
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Mix the lemon zest with 1/2 cup of sugar, using your fingers really press the zest into the sugar. Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. Cut the butter into the flour mixture, either using a food processor or pastry cutter.

4. Mix the chopped cranberries with the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar before adding into the flour mixture.

5. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and add the cream. Combine with the dry ingredients, being careful to not overmix.
On a lightly flour surface, pat the dough into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out circle, or cut into your desired shape, and place 1-inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

6. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until just beginning to brown.

7. Let the scones cool slightly before combining the lemon juice and powdered sugar and glazing the scones.

Related post on The Kitchen Paper: Cranberry Scones with Wild Orange Essential Oil