Saving Room for Dessert

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Almond Cranberry Scones

5 from 4 votes

Light and airy, perfectly moist and sweet and great for a special breakfast or brunch during the holidays!

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a plate of fresh cranberry scones with almonds

Almond Cranberry Scones – Airy and light with pockets of almond deliciousness, these are the perfect lightly sweet scones terrific served for brunch or breakfast.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a big fan of Food 52.  Food 52 sends out email posts a few times a week and I always find enticing recipes and reviews of gorgeous kitchen tools that make me want to whip out the credit card.  When I read about a recipe by Judith Rae for Almond Scones I knew I’d have to make them one day.  Then to seal the deal, Monica, from Playing with Flour, posted these scones and turned them into peach shortcakes – which was totally brilliant!  I couldn’t stand it any longer – so I popped my almond paste in the freezer and grabbed a bag of fresh cranberries and boy am I happy with the results!

 

ingredients gathered to make almond cranberry scones. Milk, extract, egg, sugar, almonds, and flour.

Almond extract is one of those flavors I can’t get enough of.  In fact … I feel a little rush of excitement when I open the bottle and take a whiff of that amazing extract. It’s pure love!

 

grated frozen almond paste

These cranberry scones are made with almond paste, almond extract and topped with sliced almonds.

Is it almond overload?  Not at all.  The cranberries compliment the almond flavor and don’t overpower the scone.  The almond paste is frozen then grated on the large whole side of a box grater.  This method creates a wonderful soft, fluffy crumb with bursts of almond flavor.

 

Egg mixture being poured into the dry ingredients to make cranberry almond scones

Cold butter is cut into the flour mixture, then the grated almond paste is folded in.  Buttermilk, an egg and almond extract are blended together then added to create a tender dough.

 

Cranberry almond scone dough rolled out and cut with a biscuit cutter

To be more seasonally festive, and to use up my cranberries before they spoil, I folded in a heaping 1/2 cup of fresh ripe cranberries.

 

Round cranberry almond scones topped with almonds getting ready to go in the oven

The cranberry scones are cut into 2 1/2 inch rounds then brushed with a water and egg mixture.

Topped with sliced almonds and generously sprinkled with coarse sugar they are then baked for about 20 minutes.

 

Baked cranberry almond scones on a platter with sliced almonds on top

The almond cranberry scones are not overly sweet so be generous with the sugar topping.  The flavor is truly amazing.

 

a close up of cranberry almond scones sprinkled with coarse sugar and sliced almonds

Fresh, tart cranberries are just enough to add a layer of flavor without overpowering the almond party.

 

a cranberry almond scone

The perfect holiday treat for brunch or breakfast!

 

a flaky cranberry almond scone broken in half

A must make with your fresh cranberries. Enjoy!

 

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A close up of an almond cranberry scone topped with sliced almonds and coarse sugar

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PRINT THE RECIPE!

Almond Cranberry Scones

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 16 -18 Scones
Course: Breakfast Sweet Bread, Scones
Author: Tricia
Pin RecipePrint RecipeRate Recipe
5 from 4 votes
Light and airy, perfectly moist and sweet and great for a special breakfast or brunch during the holidays!

Ingredients

  • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
  • 7 ounces almond paste frozen (I used Odense Almond Paste) grated using the large-hole side of a box grater
  • 1 cup buttermilk well shaken
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • ½ heaping cup fresh cranberries whole small or cut larger cranberries in half
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg mixed with 1 teaspoon cold water for brushing on top
  • Coarse sugar for topping
  • Sliced almonds for topping

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
  • Using a pastry blender cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some larger pea size chunks of butter still remaining.
  • Fold in the grated almond paste using a rubber spatula.
  • In a large measuring cup combine the buttermilk, almond extract and 1 egg. Blend with a small whisk until combined.
  • Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour and butter mixture. Fold together using the spatula until a dough starts to come together. Do not over mix.
  • Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead gently to combine. Press the dough out and sprinkle the cranberries on top. Fold the dough over a few times to incorporate the cranberries.
  • Press the dough into a ¾ inch thick round and cut into scones using a 2 ½ inch biscuit cutter.
  • Place the scones 2 inches apart on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  • Brush each scone with the egg and water mixture. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, then sliced almonds, then a little more coarse sugar.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Recipe Notes

  • Inspired by a recipe from Judith Rae, posted on Food 52
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 212mg | Potassium: 98mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 229IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 2mg

Here are a few more recipes you might also enjoy:

A stack of cranberry orange muffins

Cranberry Orange Muffins – made with tart cranberries, fresh squeezed orange juice and bright orange zest folded into a wonderfully moist, rich sour cream batter. Click HERE to get the recipe.

 

An overhead view of a cranberry almond breakfast cake topped with sugared cranberries

Cranberry Almond Breakfast Cake ~ Lightly sweet, moist and delicious, this easy treat is perfect as a breakfast (coffee) cake, a light dessert after lunch or an anytime snack cake. Click HERE to get the recipe.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Tricia

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31 Comments

  3. Cie

    are you sure it was 1 whole tablespoon of baking powder? it seemed like a lot to me so I compared other scone recipes and they generally used much less for a similar amount of flour etc. I ended up using only about 1 teaspoon or so and they turned out fine

    Reply

  4. Willoughby crow

    I love scones but have never been successful making them. This recipe is the best ever ….just delicious!!! It makes so.many too that it is worth the effort.. Thank you so much! Willoughby C

    Reply

  5. Jessica DePaiva

    Hi, I am interested in prepping these the night before for xmas brunch and refrigerating the dough, do you have any suggestions or concerns?

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Hi Jessica – regarding your question about prepping these ahead, I don’t think they will turn out as light and fluffy as they should. Once you add baking powder to a recipe, you have to get it in the oven pretty quickly to ensure proper rise. Hope you get the chance to make them, thanks for giving them a try!

      Reply

  7. Susan

    What a great idea to freeze the almond paste, Tricia! Your scones are perfect for the season and look so moist and flaky. Wish I had one in front of me right now 🙂

    Reply

  9. Liz

    Such gorgeous scones! And I even have some leftover almond paste in the fridge. This would be a wonderful holiday breakfast. Merry, merry Christmas to you!!!

    Reply

  10. Monica

    You rocked this, Tricia! I was just reading your comment and asking you if you used cranberries. It looks beautiful with it and you truly did a gorgeous job of it. For me, this was one of those recipes I saw and couldn’t wait to make. I’m glad we share a love of almond extract (pass me the bottle!) among other things. Happy baking, cooking, eating, enjoying, and relaxing with your family during the holiday break!

    Reply

  15. Betty

    These scones look so good! I love the little tart burst of cranberries- I bet they go well with the almond in these. Great idea to grate the almond paste- can’t wait to try! I have company this week so it’s the perfect time. 🙂 (Whenever I open almond extract it reminds me of Jergens lotion- I love it!) Merry Christmas!

    Reply

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