Pistachio Cranberry Scones (with Lemon Icing)

Pistachio and Cranberry Scones garnished with icing and crushed pistachios on a baking tray.

No ratings yet

Pistachio Cranberry Scones (with Lemon Icing)

This Pistachio Cranberry Scone recipe takes a classic dessert and gives it a Middle Eastern twist with flavors of pistachio, citrus and honey. The scones come together with minimal effort. They are one of my favorite bakes for brunch, the holidays or a slow weekend morning with coffee.

Prep Time20

Cook Time18

Chill time30

Total Time1 8

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American, Mediterranean

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: Scones

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $20

Ingredients

For the Scones

⅓ cup Raw pistachios - 45 grams
¼ cup White sugar - 50 grams
2 cups All purpose flour - 250 grams
4 tsp Baking powder
½ tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp Lemon zest
6 tbsp Unsalted butter (frozen & grated) - 85 grams
⅓ cup Half & half or Milk - 75 grams
3 tbsp Honey - 63 grams
1 Large egg
1 Egg yolk
½ tsp Almond extract
½ tsp Vanilla extract
1 cup Cranberries (fresh or frozen) - 100 grams

For the Icing and Garnish

1 cup Powdered sugar - 120 grams
1 tbsp Lemon juice
2 tsp Water or milk - See note
¼ tsp Lemon zest
2 tbsp Chopped pistachios - 17 grams

Instructions

Process the Pistachios. Combine ⅓ cup Raw pistachios and ¼ cup White sugar in a food processor. Pulse until finely ground with a few small crumbs remaining.
Mix the Dry Ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups All purpose flour, 4 tsp Baking powder, ½ tsp Kosher salt, 1 tsp Lemon zest, and pistachio-sugar mixture.
Add Butter. Add 6 tbsp Unsalted butter (frozen & grated) and toss to coat it evenly in the flour mixture.
Mix Wet Ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together ⅓ cup Half & half or Milk, 3 tbsp Honey, 1 Large egg, 1 Egg yolk, ½ tsp Almond extract, and ½ tsp Vanilla extract.
Add Wet to Dry. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula for about 5 strokes. The mixture will look shaggy and not fully combined.
Add Cranberries. Add 1 cup Cranberries (fresh or frozen) and continue folding (or use your hands) just until the dough comes together. It should hold its shape but not feel sticky.
Shape and Cut Scones. Transfer dough to a clean work surface (no flour needed if you work on a piece of parchment paper). Pat into a circle about 8 inches wide and 1½ inches thick. Cut into wedges using a sharp knife or bench scraper.
Transfer and Cool. Place scones on a parchment paper lined baking sheet or cookie sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. This helps them hold their shape and bake up tall.
Pre-Heat Oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C.
Brush and Bake. Brush tops of scones with a little half & half or milk. Bake for 16–18 minutes, until the tops are set and lightly golden. Cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes.
Glaze. Whisk together the icing ingredients (1 cup Powdered sugar, 1 tbsp Lemon juice, 2 tsp Water or milk and ¼ tsp Lemon zest. Spoon over the warm scones and sprinkle with 2 tbsp Chopped pistachios. Let the icing dry completely before storing.

Notes

Refer to the post above if you need step by step photos, additional tips or guidance.

Key Ingredient Notes:

Raw Pistachio Nuts: I recommend using raw shelled pistachios in this recipe. You will need them for both the base dough and for garnish. If you can only find toasted pistachios, you can use them instead, but make sure they are unsalted.
Unsalted Butter: I really think you should use unsalted butter here, but if you only have access to salted butter, skip the added salt in the recipe. The trick to getting flaky scones is to grate the butter while it's really cold/frozen. If you have trouble grating frozen butter, you can grate it straight out of the fridge and then freeze it in a single layer if you can. This way, it won’t just soften when you’re mixing the dough.
Half & Half or Milk: Adds moisture; heavy cream works for an even richer result. But most of the time, I will use Milk because that’s what I have on hand.
Cranberries: Use fresh or frozen; if using frozen, no need to thaw them. If you only have dried cranberries, you can use those too. The scones may be a touch on the dry side but they should still bake up beautifully.

Other Key Tips:

Keep everything cold. Cold butter is essential for flakiness. Freezing and grating it distributes it evenly and keeps the dough from warming up too quickly.
If you plan to enjoy the scones right away, then you can use water or milk in the icing. If you think you will need to eat them over a couple of days, use water in the icing so that it can be shelf-stable. Store fully cooled leftover scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Nutrition