These Cranberry Macadamia Nut Scones combine the great taste of a buttermilk scone delicately flavored with nutmeg and cardamom with pieces of chopped fresh cranberries and macadamia nuts. It’s the perfect balance of flavors for a delicious scone!
I love this time of year because of the wonderful fruits and veggies we are able to eat. There is a season for everything and when everything is at its’ peak, and ready to be picked, that’s when it tastes the freshest and absolutely most delicious.
You can make this recipe now during the holiday season when cranberries are fresh, OR if you stick a couple of bags of those fresh cranberries in your freezer, you CAN have these perfect scones all year round!
SAVE THIS DELICIOUSLY GOOD SCONE RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!
This recipe is adapted from Baking – From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.
Tips for Perfect Cranberry Scones
There are a few things that are essential to getting a tender, soft dough that results in perfectly made scones:
First, use cold ingredients. Make sure your butter and buttermilk are kept chilled until ready to use.
Second, stick to all-purpose flour. You want these scones to be light and flaky, so this flour is the best choice!
Finally, don’t over mix your dough. The more you handle the dough, the more gluten builds up, and the tougher it gets. Only mix enough to combine ingredients, and be careful not to knead your dough too much either.
What do I need for this recipe?
Gather your ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:
- all-purpose flour
- white sugar
- baking powder
- ground cardamom
- ground nutmeg
- salt
- cold butter
- 1 egg, room temperature
- buttermilk
- fresh cranberries, rinsed and chopped
- macadamia nuts, chopped
How to make Cranberry Macadamia Nut Scones
First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Prepare your baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine flour and other dry ingredients. With a pastry blender, cut butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Then add the cranberries and nuts to the mixture and combine.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until it just comes together.
Use a rubber spatula to knead and fold together this rich dough about 8-10 times. Then turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
Divide the dough in half and roll dough or pat each section into a circle approximately 5 inches in diameter. Cut the dough into six wedges, then transfer the entire circle to the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden and firm. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes:
- Cutting the dough into wedges before baking allows for easy separation, but still keeping the wedges together during baking allows for the scones to be a bit moister than is typical.
- You can use a touch more sugar than what is called for if you like a sweeter scone.
- You can use dried cranberries instead of fresh, but the texture will be a little different and your scone may be a little drier.
- If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, simply combine a teaspoon of white vinegar with regular milk in a small bowl and let it sit for about 15 minutes to curdle. Then use it in the recipe in place of buttermilk.
- Baking time may vary based on your oven, so make sure to check a minute or two before the recommended time.
Can I freeze the leftover scones?
While these cranberry scones are best when fresh, you can freeze any leftovers. Simply cool completely, then store in a freezer bag or other airtight container. When you’re ready to eat them, simply reheat them in an oven until warm.
They will keep for 2-3 weeks in the freezer.
If you liked these scones, you also might like these scone recipes:
Cranberry Recipes
Every Fall I look forward to incorporating fresh cranberries into my recipes.
This Orange Cranberry Coffee Cake and Cranberry Coffee Cake are two recipes I put on our weekend breakfast menus every year. They’re both just so delicious and flavorful that I can never stop at one piece, and believe me, I try!
Skip the ham and turkey and change dinner up with this Dijon Herb Roasted Pork with Cranberry Pear Chutney.
Then after dinner you can serve this Nantucket Cranberry Pie Recipe.
The combination of orange and cranberry is such a fantastic flavor combination that’s why I used it for The Best Orange Cranberry Bread and it’s a delicious way to start the day with these Cranberry Pancakes with Orange Cream Cheese Drizzle.
I also used this flavor combination to make my Cranberry Orange Dream Bars. It’s a dessert that’s perfect for the holiday season and you don’t even need to turn on the oven!
Like appetizers?
These Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Bites really are the G.O.A.T!! There is SO much flavor in every single bite, and when they’re drizzled with that balsamic glaze, OMG!! You NEED to put these on your holiday menus when you’re entertaining.
Trust me!
You can’t go wrong with these Sausage Cranberry Brie Bites either. Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years, finger foods are perfect for entertaining hungry crowds.
Dried cranberries are just as delicious and the perfect ingredient for in this Cranberry Chia Granola.
And in cookies, too! I’ve got Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cranberry Ginger Pistachio Sugar Cookies, and
~ FOLLOW ME on SOCIAL MEDIA ~
~ FACEBOOK ~ PINTEREST ~
~ INSTAGRAM ~ TWITTER ~
SIGN UP FOR THE WEEKLY
365 DAYS OF BAKING & MORE
NEWSLETTER BELOW!
Keep an eye out for my newest recipes!
Bring the flavor of the holidays to the breakfast table with these easy cranberry scones with chopped Macadamia nuts. A touch of tartness and a little bit of sweet, this delicious baked good will be a fun and tasty addition to your breakfast table any day of the week.
Cranberry Macadamia Scones
#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #343434; }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-33 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-33); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-50 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-50); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-66 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-66); }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-33 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-50 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-66 stop { stop-color: #343434; }
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1 large egg
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cranberries
- ½ cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
Instructions
-
Place a rack into the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment.
-
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt.
-
Cut butter into smaller pieces and with a pastry cutter, cut butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal.
-
Add the cranberries and nuts to the mixture and combine.
-
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until it just comes together.
-
Then using a rubber spatula, knead and fold it together about 8 to 10 times. Prepare a flat surface by dusting it with flour (I use a wooden board) and turn the dough out onto it.
-
Divide the dough in half and pat each into a circle approximately 5 inches in diameter. Cut the dough into 6 wedges and transfer the entire disk of dough to the prepared baking sheet.
Cutting it before baking allows for easy separation, but keeping the wedges together during baking allowed for the scones to be a bit moister than is typical.
-
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until tops are lightly golden and firm. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
This post was originally published 11/9/13, and has been updated in format and with pictures 11/10/22.
The post Cranberry Macadamia Scones appeared first on 365 Days of Baking.