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Christmas Morning Scones {aka Vanilla Bean, Nutmeg, and Rosemary-Scented Scones}

December 19, 2014 by Faith 35 Comments

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Christmas Morning Scones {aka Vanilla Bean, Nutmeg, and Rosemary-Scented Scones}

Whatever you do, DO NOT make these scones.

I made them, tasted them, and did a double take. (Oh my God, they are the best scones. Ever.) I may have had to sit down and I’m pretty sure my eyes rolled back in my head a little.

I thought it was a fluke, so I made them again and invited a bunch of ladies over. And everyone who’s had them has told me that they’re the best scones they’ve ever had. (Totally blushing here, but hey, they said it so I had to share, lol.)

Which sounds great, right?

Christmas Morning Scones {aka Vanilla Bean, Nutmeg, and Rosemary-Scented Scones} 2

(I’m telling you, no matter how much you want to, don’t go make them!)

The problem is that these scones then become the standard by which all future scones are judged. Your taste buds will be tainted the same way that mine are. These scones will wreck it for all the other decent scones out there, making you think a sufficiently good scone just isn’t worth it (not the time, not the effort, not the money, and not even the flour that went into making it). You will want Christmas Morning Scones all the time, whether it’s Christmas morning or not.

Christmas Morning Scones {aka Vanilla Bean, Nutmeg, and Rosemary-Scented Scones} 3

Which normally wouldn’t be a problem (I’m not afraid to whip up a batch of scones on a random Thursday afternoon), but they are for Christmas morning; they’re special, if you will, and sacred in a way.

I asked everyone who tried these scones how they’d describe them, but I think my 11-year-old niece said it best: “It’s like you came up with the flavor of Christmas.” (Ha! That, my dear, is exactly what I was going for. ;) )

Christmas Morning Scones {aka Vanilla Bean, Nutmeg, and Rosemary-Scented Scones} 4

So, on the off chance that you don’t heed my advice and you decide to go ahead and make these, first of all, know that you will never be the same. But also take note that you can make the dough the night before and bake them off in the morning.

And on Christmas morning there is nothing that will make your house smell more like Christmas morning than these scones.

Christmas Morning Scones {aka Vanilla Bean, Nutmeg, and Rosemary-Scented Scones} 5

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Christmas Morning Scones {aka Vanilla Bean, Nutmeg, and Rosemary-Scented Scones}
Prep time:  25 mins
Cook time:  15 mins
Total time:  40 mins
Yield: 8 large scones
 
Ingredients
Scones:
  • 2½ cups (320 g) all-purpose flour
  • 6 tablespoons (75 g) sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened dried cranberries, chopped small
  • 4 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
  • 6 tablespoons (80 g) unsalted butter, chilled and diced
  • 1 cup (237 ml) half and half (or milk or cream), plus 2 tablespoons more for brushing on top
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Glaze:
  • 1 cup (115 g) powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons water
Other Toppings (optional):
  • Unsweetened dried cranberries
  • Fresh rosemary leaves
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450F; line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat liner.
  2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, dried cranberries, and rosemary in a large bowl.
  3. Cut in the butter with a fork or using two butter knives until it looks like coarse meal. Whisk together the half and half and vanilla bean paste, and stir it into the flour mixture. (The dough should come together, but not be too wet.)
  4. Shape the dough into a ball, then flatten it into a disk; wrap it in plastic wrap and chill 10 minutes in the freezer.
  5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll or press the dough out to a circle about 7 to 8 inches in diameter and ¾ inch thick. Cut the circle of dough into 8 equal wedges.
  6. Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet, lightly brush the tops with a little half and half (or milk), and bake until puffed and light golden brown on top and bottom, about 14 to 16 minutes. Cool completely.
  7. Once cooled, whisk together all ingredients for the glaze, adding the water a little at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. Dip the tops of the scones into the glaze, letting it run down the sides; sprinkle a few dried cranberries and rosemary leaves on top, if desired. Place the scones onto a wire rack and let the glaze set completely before serving.
Notes
Make Ahead: You can make the dough the night before; instead of chilling it in the freezer for 10 minutes, wrap it up and refrigerate it overnight. Bake the scones straight from the fridge the morning you want to serve them.
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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged: Baking, Breakfast, Brunch, Christmas, Christmas Brunch, Festive, Holidays, Nutmeg, Rosemary, Scones, Special Occasion Breakfasts, Vanilla Bean, What to serve on Christmas morning

Comments

  1. Rosa says

    December 19, 2014 at 3:15 am

    Beautiful scones! Very tempting…

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
    • Kelley Campana says

      December 26, 2018 at 9:34 am

      Omg!! These are really horrible!! In a good way!! Have you used this recipe for different types of scones? Blueberry etc? I feel like this is the absolute best scone I have ever had in regards to texture moisture level etc!! Love!!!!!! I want to hoard them and not share!

      Reply
  2. Becky Winkler says

    December 19, 2014 at 9:32 am

    These sound so good! I might have to make a gluten exception and bake these for my boyfriend’s family this Christmas :)

    Reply
  3. Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says

    December 19, 2014 at 11:48 am

    That may be the best compliment ever “You came up with the flavor of Christmas’. The rosemary in these is genius – just beautiful, Faith. Merry Christmas!

    Reply
  4. Eileen says

    December 19, 2014 at 2:33 pm

    These scones sound so good, and I bet they smell amazing! NOM NOM NOM.

    Reply
  5. Mandy says

    December 19, 2014 at 3:49 pm

    Where do you find vanilla bean paste? Is it better than vanilla extract?

    Reply
    • Faith says

      December 24, 2014 at 12:21 pm

      Mandy, I buy vanilla bean paste at Wegmans, which is just a regular local grocery store in my area (I get the Nielsen-Massey brand). I’ve also seen it available at specialty food or bakeware stores, and of course there’s always Amazon if you can’t find it anywhere else.

      For me, I find vanilla bean paste to be a bit more intense-flavored than most vanilla extracts. Plus, it lends all those gorgeous black vanilla bean specks to whatever it is you’re making. If it’s easier to find, you could use the scrapings from a vanilla bean instead or even swap it out for vanilla extract. (The jar of my vanilla bean paste says 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste = 1 tablespoon vanilla extract = 1 vanilla bean.) I hope this helps!

      Reply
  6. Laura (Tutti Dolci) says

    December 19, 2014 at 8:16 pm

    These scones are just gorgeous Faith! They absolutely look like the best ever :).

    Reply
  7. SeattleDee says

    December 21, 2014 at 7:10 am

    Until now I’ve been immune to the lure of scones – no longer. These sound awesomely tempting. Your photos are lovely, as usual.

    Reply
  8. Joanne says

    December 23, 2014 at 6:48 pm

    I consider myself warned but…now I’m going to have to make them.

    Reply
  9. Kate says

    December 25, 2014 at 8:31 am

    I love the flavor combination here. A stroke of genius…I will be making these!

    Reply
  10. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says

    December 25, 2014 at 8:10 pm

    Made ’em. They are SOOOOOOOOO good! Thank you!

    Reply
  11. Aunt Peg says

    December 23, 2015 at 12:00 pm

    You are absolutely right about these scones, Faith. They are an explosion of Christmas in your mouth, and it has now become our Christmas morning tradition. Thanks for creating a new tradition in our family!! Merry Christmas! And happy new year to you and Mike!!

    Reply
    • Faith says

      December 24, 2015 at 10:40 am

      Aunt Peg, I’m so honored that my recipe has become one of your family’s Christmas traditions. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, Uncle Mark, Sara, Eric, and Andy! xoxo

      Reply
  12. Kate says

    December 19, 2016 at 11:00 am

    Hi there –

    If I wanted to make the dough a few days in advance should I leave it in the freezer or fridge? Or is that just a bad idea all around?

    Reply
    • Faith says

      December 21, 2016 at 8:16 pm

      Kate, I’ve made the dough for this recipe a day in advance and left it in the fridge overnight and it worked really well. I think making the dough up to 2 days in advance and leaving it wrapped in the fridge would be fine; please let me know how it goes if you give it a try!

      Reply
  13. Dee says

    January 4, 2017 at 10:25 pm

    These scones look wonderful!!! Do you think I’d be able to use almond flour instead of all purpose flour? Also, I’m guessing that there is no healthier substitute for the powdered sugar in the glaze?

    Reply
    • Faith says

      January 10, 2017 at 7:06 pm

      Dee, I haven’t tried altering this recipe so I don’t know how the scones would turn out with those changes; I’m the same way though – I always like looking for ways to make a recipe healthier or paleo-fy it! :) You might be interested in taking a look at my Paleo Cranberry Scones, which use almond flour and forego the glaze. Or if you decide to experiment with this recipe, please let me know how it goes with your substitutions!

      Reply
  14. Sue says

    February 23, 2017 at 3:30 pm

    I make scones all the time and I love them. I usually make the dough ahead of time, cut them into triangles and wrap them individually and put them in the freezer. Then when I want a scone I take one out and bake it. Do you think I could do that with this recipe?

    Reply
    • Faith says

      February 28, 2017 at 8:54 am

      Sue, I haven’t tried it, but I think that method would work fine here! If you decide to try it, please let me know how it goes.

      Reply
  15. Hamlin says

    March 3, 2017 at 4:26 pm

    This is my go to recipe for all scones! Since becoming vegan, I have tried several vegan scone recipes and they were all mediocre at best. For this recipe, I simply did a 1:1 swap on the butter and milk (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks and Cashew Milk) and they have come out perfect every time. I have even swapped out the rosemary/cranberry/nutmeg for other flavors. Don’t get me wrong, the original flavor is my favorite, but that seems too special for “every day” baking!

    Thanks!

    Reply
  16. Brent says

    July 23, 2017 at 5:26 pm

    This is the only scone recipe my wife will let me use anymore. Highly recommend if you want a scone with a great taste, that is moist and does not overwhelm.

    Reply
  17. Paula says

    December 23, 2017 at 1:13 pm

    This scones are seriously the best scones I’ve ever had. Perfect combination of flavours! Thank you for the recipe! :)

    Reply
  18. Laurie says

    December 28, 2017 at 7:30 pm

    For the last 10 years I’ve been searching for the perfect Christmas morning breakfast. It would have to be something I can prepare the night before and just throw into the oven Christmas morning. Something that feels special and festive without being so over the top that it’s too much to have knowing there would be a big Christmas dinner feast that night. I’ve tried and dismissed so many recipes that were excellent but not quite festive enough, or too much work, or just didn’t seem Christmasy. I made these this Christmas and I have found my new Christmas morning breakfast. Thanks for posting, these were perfect!!!

    Reply
  19. Leah says

    December 31, 2017 at 12:55 pm

    These were obscenely delicious! I knew when I was struggling to keep myself from eating the raw dough that this recipe was going to be something special 😊

    Reply
  20. Tamela Sargent says

    July 13, 2018 at 5:22 pm

    These were perfect for my Christmas in July craving! Took a batch to the office and everybody loved them, great recipe!!
    Thank you for sharing, now this is in my Christmas recipes!!

    Reply
  21. Debbie says

    August 9, 2018 at 8:13 pm

    My daughter-in-law made these scones last Christmas morning and they were, indeed, the best scones I have ever tasted! I would like to make them but have been unable to find unsweetened cranberries locally. Where do you buy them?

    Reply
    • Faith says

      August 10, 2018 at 7:39 pm

      Debbie, I’m so happy you enjoyed these scones, it makes my day to hear that! I actually got these cranberries at a local market when I lived in Kuwait, but I’ve also seen unsweetened cranberries on Amazon. Hope you’re able to find them, they are definitely hard to track down!

      Reply
  22. Britt says

    November 21, 2018 at 9:33 pm

    Can I use milk instead of cream for the actual recipe or just on top?

    Reply
    • Faith says

      November 22, 2018 at 7:55 am

      Britt, You can use whole milk instead of cream in the recipe and on top, they just won’t be quite as rich. But they’ll still be delicious! Hope you enjoy them if you give them a try. :)

      Reply
  23. Laura says

    December 13, 2018 at 5:01 am

    I’m going to try making these for Christmas morning when my in-laws visit, what would you suggest serving them with? We usually just have butter (or clotted cream) and jam with regular scones in our house :)

    Reply
    • Faith says

      December 15, 2018 at 6:28 pm

      Laura, I’m so happy you’re going to make these for your family on Christmas morning! These scones are glazed, so I don’t typically serve them with clotted cream and jam. However, if you want to go a more classic route, you could leave off the glaze and serve them with clotted cream and jam. I think cranberry jam would be a lovely flavor accent! I have a delicious and easy cranberry sauce here if you’re interested: https://www.anediblemosaic.com/vanilla-spiced-cranberry-apple-sauce-crazy-for-cranberry/. I hope you enjoy them!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Christmas Morning Scones (AKA Vanilla Bean, Nutmeg and Rosemary Scones) | a rented kitchen says:
    December 24, 2015 at 4:49 pm

    […] Source: An Edible Mosaic […]

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    November 22, 2018 at 11:31 am

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Hello! I’m Faith and I write An Edible Mosaic. This is my recipe collection of international favorites and updated American classics, with an emphasis on seasonal dishes. I focus on real foods that sustain body and mind, bring people together, and make a house a home. Welcome to my mosaic of recipes.

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I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to email me with questions or comments.

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