When the big day finally arrives, the last thing you want is to worry about feeding everyone amidst all the chaos. Scones are fluffy on the inside, slightly firm on the outside, and not overly sweet. So you can go ahead and eat two. The trick to making the perfect scones is to be super gentle with the dough. If you over-mix them, they’ll be tough and crumbly rather than soft and tender. Then, you’ll just need to find the perfect Christmas flavors, like cranberry, orange, or peppermint.
Best Ever Christmas Morning Scones and More!
1. Christmas Morning Scones
I’m a huge scone lover, and they’re the perfect treat for breakfast or mid-morning snack. When it comes to Christmas morning food, these are a terrific option. You can make the dough ahead and freeze them. Then, in the morning, just pop them in the oven and bake right from frozen. That’ll save you so much time, letting you focus on your family and, of course, presents! The flavor is a little piney which will give you serious festive feelings. And there’s plenty of warm spices and sweet glaze to keep it nice and sweet.
2. Zingerman’s Ginger Scones
If you like the sweet and spicy taste you get from ginger, you’ll love these scones. Not only is there ground ginger in the dough, which makes it wonderfully fragrant, but there’s also crystalized ginger for beautiful pops of chewy goodness. If you want it a little less spicy, try adding some candied orange peel instead of or as well as the ginger (about half and half). If you’re just feeding grown-ups, consider topping these with a vanilla and rum glaze.
3. Lemon Cranberry Scones
I’m so used to seeing cranberry with orange, which is citrusy and zesty. But if you like an added kick, lemon is the perfect pairing. You’ll add lemon juice and lemon zest to the dough, as well as lemon glaze to the top. Mix that with dried cranberries, and the whole thing is pretty tart. Stir through some white chocolate chips for something a touch sweeter, or go for a vanilla glaze instead.
4. Orange Scones
The base flavor here is, of course, orange. You’ll add some zest to the sugar and let it sit for a while, so the oils start to release. To be honest, that is more than enough to make these scones tasty. I love how subtle the flavor is, but it’s also very fragrant. That said, this dough would be perfect with a selection of dried fruits or candied citrus peel. Or, if you want something more decadent, add dark chocolate chips.
5. Peppermint Mocha Scones
Mint and chocolate is a classic Christmas flavor profile, and chocolate scones are wonderfully unique. This recipe uses cocoa powder and instant coffee, making it crazy rich and bursting with chocolatey goodness. Adding coffee to any kind of chocolate cake or cookie is a surefire way to boost the natural taste, and don’t worry, you won’t taste it. Then, you’ll include peppermint extract and crushed candy canes for a fresh minty layer and plenty of yummy crunch. Another option would be to add Andes baking chips, which provide mint flavor, but they’ll melt like chocolate chips.
6. Cardamom Brown Sugar Scones
Cardamom is one of the most used spices in Sweden during the holidays. In fact, you can’t go anywhere without seeing these fantastic cardamom buns. It tastes piney, fruity, and a little bit astringent, like menthol. Given their love for licorice, it makes sense they use it so often. With that in mind, make sure to only add the one teaspoon to the dough; otherwise, it will likely be too strong. Since these use brown sugar instead of white sugar, they’re not crazy-sweet and have a subtle caramel taste, too.
7. Cherry Scones Recipe
Thanks to all the cherries, these scones are citrusy, nutty, sweet, and full of beautiful pops of color and flavor. If you use fresh cherries, carefully pit them and cut them into quarters. I cut half a little smaller, too, so there were more little bits in every bite. You can also use frozen cherries, but be sure to thaw and drain them thoroughly. But save the juice! It will make a terrific, vibrant glaze. As with the orange scones, these would be extra delicious with dark chocolate chips.
8. Mini S’mores Scones with Marshmallow Glaze
It may not be summer, but who can resist the classic combination of chocolate, marshmallow, and graham crackers? To infuse these with the right flavors, you’ll add crushed Graham Crackers to the dough. Depending on how fine you crush them, you won’t know they’re there other than the taste. But I like to leave a few pieces in chunks, so there are bits of crunch. When making the glaze, it’s a breeze to melt everything in the microwave. Just be careful and don’t let it go for more than 20-30 seconds at a time and stir between intervals.
9. Chocolate Chip Scones
For something super simple and sure to be a crowd-pleaser, try these tender and gooey chocolate chip scones. When served warm, the chocolate will be ooey-gooey and impossible to resist. I love using mini chips for this because they distribute better. But if you like big pickets of melted chocolate, go ahead and cut a bar into chunks.
10. Basic Scone Recipe (+ 7 Flavors!)
Unless you make savory scones, you can pretty much take any base recipe and embellish it however you like. It should have real butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and baking powder. And unlike making cookies, you want the butter nice and cold. I like to cut it into chunks and freeze it. Another great trick is to freeze a block and grate the butter, so it incorporates faster. I always mix the dough until it’s almost together but still shaggy. Then, finish working it into a smooth dough on the counter, very, very gently! If you want to add extra flavor, like chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruits, do so with the last addition of flour. If you add it at the end, the dough will become too tough. Click on a star to rate it!
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