With the holidays right around the corner, these white chocolate cranberry scones will make a perfect addition to any Thanksgiving or Christmas brunch you host. They’re easy enough to whip up the morning of, or you can make the dough the night before and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake the scones the next morning. The sweet white chocolate balances out the tartness of the fresh cranberries. If you can’t find fresh cranberries at your local market, you could easily substitute frozen or dried cranberries. I top each scone with a white chocolate drizzle and sanding sugar for a little extra sparkle - perfect for the holiday season. Enjoy!
White Chocolate Cranberry Scones
Makes 16 small scones or 8 large scones
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips, separated
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cold, grated
1 cup + 1 Tbsp. heavy cream (plus additional 2 Tbsp. for brushing)
1 Tbsp. sanding sugar (optional)
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400° F. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk the ingredients together. Add the grated butter, cranberries, and ½ cup of the white chocolate chips to the flour mixture and gently stir until they are evenly distributed with the dry ingredients.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the heavy cream. Fold the ingredients together until the wet and dry ingredients are incorporated. Do not over-mix the dough.
Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and work the dough into a large square with your hands. Using a large knife, cut the dough into 16 triangles (Note: the scones will be relatively small; you can vary the size if you’d prefer larger scones). Place the scones on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Brush the top of each scone with heavy cream and evenly sprinkle sanding sugar over the top of each scone. Bake the scones until the tops begin to turn golden brown, about 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.
Place the remaining white chocolate chips in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the white chocolate chips in 30-second increments until they are completely melted. Use a spoon to drizzle the melted white chocolate over the scones and serve.