These mini eggnog scones are studded with festive tart and sweet dried cranberries. Grating the butter and chilling the dough before baking ensures that the scones will rise nicely, leading to a flaky and fluffy scone that isn’t heavy or dense. The slightly moist dough allows you use a little extra flour on the surface, bench scraper or knife, and your hands so you can form the scones without making a dry baked good. Use whatever eggnog you have on hand (storebought or homemade) but keep in mind that sweeter eggnogs will result in a sweeter scone. If the eggnog is very sweet, I reduce the sugar in the dough to 3 tablespoons.
Calories 143kcal
Author Irvin
Ingredients
Dough
2 1/4cupsall-purpose flour315 g
1/4cuppacked brown sugar55 g
3/4teaspoonkosher salt
1tablespoonsbaking powder
1/2teaspoonground nutmeg
1/2cupcold butter115 g or 1 stick
1cupdried cranberries130 g
3/4cupcold eggnogstorebought or homemade
1large egg
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1/2teaspoonrum extractoptional but recommended
To finish
All-purpose flour for forming scones dough
2tablespoonseggnog
2tablespoonsturbinado sugaror white sugar
Instructions
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or with a silicon baking mat.Vigorously mix together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg in a large bowl with a balloon whisk until uniform in color.
Grate the cold butter through the large hole of a box grater or hand grater into the dry ingredients. Toss gently with the dry ingredients to coat the grated butter. Add the dried cranberries and toss again to coat.
Place the eggnog, egg, vanilla extract and rum extract (if using) in a glass measuring cup and beat together with a fork or a small whisk. Drizzle all the eggnog mixture over the dry ingredients and toss gently to combine with a spatula or wooden spoon.
Mix until a moist dough forms, but don’t overmix. Don’t worry if there are a few dry spots here and there. Just mix gently, folding the dough over itself until most of the dry ingredients are absorbed.
Dust a clean surface lightly with flour, then scrape the scone dough out onto the surface. Divide the dough into 3 parts, roughly 275 grams per part if you have a scale.
Dust your hands with flour and take one dough part and gently pat the dough into a 5-inch wide disk, about 3/4-inch thick. Dust with a little more flour if the dough is sticking.Take a bench scraper or a butter knife, and cut the disk into 6 even wedges. You can coat the bench scraper or knife with flour if the dough is sticking when you cut.
Move the wedges to the lined baking sheet, leaving at least 1 inch of space between each wedge. Repeat with the remaining dough.Once the scones are formed place the entire baking sheet with the scones on them in the fridge. If you plan on baking the scones the next day, cover the scones tightly with plastic wrap. If you plan on baking them the same day, no need to cover them. Let the scones chill 30 minutes minimum in the fridge.While the scones are chilling preheat the oven to 425°F.Once the scones have chilled, pull them out of the fridge and brush the top of the scones with the eggnog and then sprinkle with turbinado or white sugar. Bake in the oven for 13 to 15 minutes or until the top of the scones are golden brown and the sides of the scones look slightly dry. Let the scones cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
The scones can be shaped and formed the day before, covered tightly on a baking sheet with plastic wrap, and baked the next day directly from the oven. Just brush the eggnog and sprinkle the turbinado sugar on top right before baking.
These scones can be made in a more traditional size. See section above for directions on this.