These scones are my wife’s all-time favorites, topping any high-end bakery scones she has ever eaten, and she is highly particular about the texture and flavor of scones. She really appreciates their fantastic flavor and how light and flaky they are. The kids love the variations I’ve made of these, which I’ve created by omitting all the orange and cranberries and replacing them with chocolate chips and water.
| Prep Time: | 20 mins |
| Cook Time: | 25 mins |
| Additional Time: | 5 mins |
| Total Time: | 50 mins |
| Servings: | 16 |
| Yield: | 16 scones |
Ingredients
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 ⅓ cups cold milk
- 1 large orange, zested
- 2 tablespoons natural (raw) sugar
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
- ½ cup powdered sugar, or as needed
- ¼ cup orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Heat 1/4 cup orange juice and water in a small pan over medium-low heat; add cranberries. Simmer the mixture for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and let sit until it cools slightly.
- Grind oats with flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a food processor or blender. Add butter. Run the machine in short spurts until the mixture has the consistency of sand. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
- Add milk, 1/2 of the orange zest, and the orange-cranberry mixture to the large mixing bowl. Stir until the mixture begins to hold together.
- Form the dough into a large ball with your hands, adding a bit of milk if necessary. Press or roll out the ball of dough until it is 1 inch thick. Cut the dough into 16 squares or triangles. Sprinkle with the remaining zest and raw sugar. Place on an ungreased baking sheet.
- Bake scones in the preheated oven until they are lightly browned on the edges, about 20 minutes.
- While the scones are baking, whip cream cheese, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and orange juice together to make the topping. If the topping is too thin, thicken with additional powdered sugar.
- Frost the scones and serve warm.
- You can use orange liqueur instead of orange juice for the topping.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 346 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 42 g |
| Cholesterol | 48 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 11 g |
| Sodium | 338 mg |
| Sugars | 15 g |
| Fat | 18 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |