Christmas Morning Scones Recipe (Vanilla Bean, Nutmeg, and Rosemary-Scented Scones)

Christmas Morning Scones Recipe (Vanilla Bean, Nutmeg, and Rosemary-Scented Scones)

With vanilla bean, nutmeg, and fresh rosemary, this easy scone recipe is the perfect festive breakfast for Christmas morning.

Course Bread, Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American, British

Keyword Christmas Morning Scones, Christmas Morning Scones Recipe, Christmas Scones, Christmas Scones Recipe, Holiday Scone Recipes, Holiday Scones, Holiday Scones Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Servings scones

Calories 368kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

Ingredients

Scones:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-grated whole nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsweetened dried cranberries (chopped small; or sweetened dried cranberries if you prefer)
4 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (chilled and diced)
1 cup half and half (chilled; or heavy cream or whole milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/2 tablespoon whole milk (for brushing on top)

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/4 teaspoon fresh-grated whole nutmeg
2 to 3 tablespoons water

Other Toppings (optional):

Unsweetened dried cranberries
Fresh rosemary leaves

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prep. Preheat oven to 450F. Line a large baking sheet with a silpat liner for easy cleanup; otherwise, lightly grease it.
Make the dough. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, dried cranberries, and rosemary in a large bowl.
Cut in the butter with a fork or using two butter knives until it looks like coarse meal. Stir in the half and half and vanilla bean paste. (TIP: The dough should come together, but not be too wet.)
Chill. Shape the dough into a ball, then slightly flatten it into a disk; wrap it in plastic wrap and chill 10 minutes in the freezer.
Shape. 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 3/4 inch thick. Cut the circle of dough into 8 equal wedges.
Bake. Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet, lightly brush the tops with a little milk, and bake until puffed and light golden brown on top and bottom, about 14 to 16 minutes. Cool completely.
Glaze. Once cooled, whisk together all ingredients for the glaze. Dip the tops of the scones into the glaze, letting it run down the sides; if desired, sprinkle a few dried cranberries and rosemary leaves on top. Place the scones onto a wire rack and let the glaze set completely before serving.

Video

Notes

Half and Half Substitute: Instead of half and half, you can use cream for this recipe for even richer scones. Whole milk will also work, but your scones will be less rich.
Storage: Like most fresh homemade baked goods, these scones are best served the same day they're made. Once they're baked, you can keep them in an airtight container for up to 2 days, but by the second day they will be a bit drier.
Make-Ahead: You can make the dough up to 3 days ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Bake the scones straight from the fridge the morning you want to serve them. This is perfect for Christmas morning; you can have the dough already made so all you need to do is bake the scones!
Freshly-Grated Nutmeg: Take a couple minutes to freshly grate your nutmeg because it makes all the difference in terms of flavor! I recommend using a microplane to grate whole nutmeg.
Video Edit: There is a typo at 0:16 of the video; it should say baking powder, not baking soda.

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