Joy the Baker

Fresh Cranberry and Meyer Lemon Biscuits

by 79 Comments

fresh cranberry scones

I often daydream about opening a bakery.  These are just daydreams now that I’ve worked in bakeries and know how back-breaking it really is.  But!  In my bakery daydreams, I open a biscuit bakery.  Just biscuits and coffee.  More specifically, really good biscuits and really good coffee.  One kind of biscuit, new everyday, and dark drip coffee.  In my dreams, my biscuit bakery is on a sunny little side street.  People walk up to a little counter, and I hand them their daily biscuit and coffee.  I’m also really well-rested and my feet never ever hurt in these fantasies… so that’s pretty nice.

Who knows, maybe one day my biscuit bakery daydreams will become a reality.  I should probably keep making biscuits. You know… just in case.

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We’ve spent a lot of time talking about biscuits on this blog.  For real.  You know what’s up.

Cold butter is cut into flour and such.  An egg is beaten with buttermilk and added to the dry buttery mixture.  Stir it together.  Add the toppings.  Coax the dough into a disk.  Cut out rounds.  Brush. Sprinkle.  Oven. AND EAT!

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I’m not humble about my biscuit skills.  The rest of my life could be on its head, but daaang can I throw down a biscuit.  I urge you to consider making some biscuits this weekend.  Cranberry or otherwise.  Caramelized Mushroom and Onion Biscuits are perfect for winter.  Maple Blueberry Biscuits for breakfast!  Feta and Chive Sour Cream Biscuits because… more cheese please!

fresh cranberry scones 2 (1)

Original Photography Shot with the Canon EOS 6D Digital SLR. The perfect multimedia solution.

These biscuits are buttery soft and slightly sweet.  The fresh cranberries and lemon zest add the perfect amount of tang.  I love that these biscuits are studded with pink and feel festive.  They’re really great with a sweet cup of morning coffee, but they’d also be great served alongside a roasted chicken dinner (maybe just skip the sugar on top).  Buttery, festive and versatile.  Well well well.  I like us.

Fresh Cranberry and Meyer Lemon Biscuits

makes 10 to 12 biscuits

Print this Recipe!

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of ground ginger

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, but into small cubes

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup cold buttermilk

1 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped (you can used thawed and drained berries from the freezer although the scones will have a more pink color)

1 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest

1 beaten egg for brushing the tops of the scones before baking

turbinado or granulated sugar for sprinkling on top before baking

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, pinch of ginger, salt, and sugar.  Cut in butter (using your fingers or a pastry cutter) until mixture resembles a coarse meal.  Work the butter into the dry ingredients until some of the butter flakes are the size of peas and some are the size of oat flakes.    In another bowl, combine egg and milk and beat lightly with a fork.  Add to flour mixture all at once, stirring enough to make a soft dough.  Fold in the cranberries and zest.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead about 10 times.  Roll or pat out into a 1-inch thickness.  Cut into 2-inch rounds using a round cutter or cut into 2×2-inch squares.  Reshape and roll dough to create more scones with excess scraps.    Place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Brush lightly with buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar.   Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Serve warm.  Biscuits are best the day they’re made, and though they can be frozen and lightly reheated in the oven if you need a future treat.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. lesley

    HI! If I want to keep these for later, say, mothers day…is it best to bake the scones and then freeze/reheat OR can I freeze raw in circles and bake from frozen? Thanks!

    Reply

  4. Annie Home Baker

    Flavored biscuits are so unique. The combination of wintry flavors with lemon and cranberry is just perfect. I look forward to comparing the texture and taste of these biscuits with my buttermilk cranberry lemon scones. I look forward to finding more biscuit recipes on your blog and reading more about biscuit bakery dreams.

    Reply

  5. Shelby

    Made these with cherries instead of cranberries because I wanted them in the summer :) Amazing! First time to make a homemade biscuit and Ill tell ya…I am never going back! Also your instructions and pictures are so helpful. Glad I found you!!

    Reply

  7. Kandice

    I LOVE biscuits! I wish biscuit bakeries existed…I would have a hard time keeping myself from going to yours every day! ;-)

    Reply

  8. Mindy

    I made these as breakfast “scones” and they were deliciously buttery! The only thing that I changed was to add a splash of vanilla–I really think it helped bring out the lemon flavor and make them breakfast-appropriate. Oh, I also did half white whole wheat flour and you can’t even tell! Fresh cranberries and fresh organic lemons combined. They freeze well also…I mixed them up a few days ahead of time, cut them out and froze them on a sheet tray for a few hours before popping them into a freezer bag. The morning I want them, I just heat the oven to 400, sprinkle them with a little coarse sugar, and bake them for about 28 minutes. Perfect! Thanks Joy :)

    Reply

  9. Gwen

    Made these a couple days ago for our Christmas brunch and recipe turned out great! Thank you so much for sharing! It was my first time making a biscuit/scone or anything of the like and I was really pleased with the finished product, so thanks again!

    Reply

  10. Jennifer

    Just finished making these. I’ve only tasted the “scrap” biscuit (you know, the lump that isn’t quite big enough to form a full portion but big enough you don’t want to throw it away?), which is light, fluffy, and tart. A couple weeks ago I bought a small bag of Meyer lemons at Trader Joe’s and a bag of cranberries thinking, “sure, I’ll make something (each independently)”. And, here I am.

    I did substitute in one cup of white whole wheat flour, because I can – still light and not dense like a lot of wheat flour products end up being – while adding a hint of nuttiness. And, I didn’t have any turbinado sugar left, so the topping was a bit weak with the granulated.

    The only other change I think I’d make in the future is to brush the tops with beaten egg instead of buttermilk. The biscuits don’t get golden with the buttermilk as I think they would with an egg wash.

    The flavor isn’t as sweet as I hoped for, especially with the tart fresh cranberries. But, the texture and lightness of flavor I can see being a great accompaniment to tea or coffee.

    I do wonder: ever think about putting some of the Meyer lemon flesh into the dough rather than just the zest?

    Reply

  12. jo

    These were great! Delicious. Do NOT open a bakery, it really sucks.. however, DO write the recipes & stand at the window to hand everyone their morning cup of cheer & biscuit

    Reply

  13. Erica

    I’m just now planning tonight’s dinner… would these be appropriate for dinner? Perhaps I could sub cheddar for the sugar and lemon? Make them a little more savory? Anyone got an idea here? I’ll be serving them with deer loin and some roasted Brussels sprouts!

    Reply

  18. Shana

    In Ottawa, Canada there is a place called the Scone Witch which only makes scones and biscuits (are they the same thing? What is the difference between a scone and a biscuit?) They are the best I’ve ever had and they make a bunch of kinds that rotate daily – savoury and sweet. Plus they make little biscuit sandwiches – like roasted carved ham and homemade mustard on a stilton chive biscuit. The last time I was in Ottawa for work I bought 6 to bring home to my husband but the train ride home to Toronto takes 5 hours and none of them made it home.

    I can’t wait to try these biscuits. I am having an open house over the holidays and am going to put out a big ham, assorted buns and these biscuits, cheeses, chutney and mustards and people can make their own little sammies. They will be perfect!

    Happy holidays!

    Reply

  20. Jayne @ Tenacious Tinkering

    You can really throwdown some biscuit, alright! I daydream about opening a bakery too but as you said, just daydreams. I can never stand up to all that work and hours. I’m too much of a roll-in-my-blankie-with-a-good-book-and-a-mug-of-hot-chocolate kinda person. Work is…meh. But biscuits are always work getting out of my cocoon!

    Reply

  23. Aravis

    I would so totally be in first in line for that biscuit/coffee shop. “joy: the art of biscuitry.” or maybe “joy and biscuits.” just spitballing here.

    Reply

  26. Lexie

    You’re biscuits always look amazing. I love to bake but fail at biscuits EVERY time! They are my nemesis! I don’t knead my dough because I’ve always heard not to work the dough too much because the biscuits will turn out tough. Ugh!

    Reply

  29. Megan

    While traveling through Sidney NSW, I found a tiny little coffee shop in Manly that only sold good coffee (AMAZING coffee) and belgian waffles with chocolate sauce. The walls were plywood and covered in Sharpie graffiti. Thats what I imagine your biscuit shop to be like.

    Reply

  32. Kim

    I was checking my phone before I got out of bed, saw this recipe on Facebook ran down to the kitchen and got to work…delicious!! Thank you, Joy. :)

    Reply

  33. Katy

    I love that pink surface, it goes perfectly with your beautiful biscuits! I think you would sell out every day. Cranberry + lemon = perfect fall flavours.

    Reply

  34. Christie @ Bake for Coffee

    These look and sound amazing! Biscuit bakery and coffee sounds amazing! You OWN the biscuit girl, keep doing your thing! xo

    Reply

  40. Dusty.

    Yum, yum, yum! I definitely want to make these! And, I definitely want to be a regular at your fantasy dream biscuit and coffee bakery. (only, I don’t want it to just be a fantasy).
    p.s. these photos are AMAZING! i really like them.

    Reply

  42. Alyse

    How did you know my daydream?
    Only, mine has PG Tips tea instead of coffee. So funny to read your version!
    It made me smile this morning.
    I, too, have been on a quest of biscuits.

    Reply

  49. Molly

    Yup, my fantasy is a sandwich cart. A fun sandwich of the day, coffee, and homemade cookies. Open 11-2. Except I’m sure I’d hate it in real life!

    Reply

  53. Vicki B

    This is pure genius! You could so easily do a pop up biscuit bakery. That’s how Dorie Greenspan started her pop up cookie bakery.

    Reply

  54. Kathy H

    I think I just found the perfect morning-after-Christmas recipe to go with my egg casserole! Have you read the cookbook Biscuit Bliss by James Villas? It’s a wonderful collection of biscuit recipes!

    Reply

  56. Vicki Bensinger

    I think you should open some sort of bakery. Maybe just a morning bakery where people have to wait in line for all your luscious goodies before they’re gone. With doors open from 6:30-9:00am and that’s it! I think it would be a smash hit.

    I love these cranberry lemon biscuits. They sound light, delicate and tasty!

    Reply

  61. Gry

    They look absolutely fantastic. I have a daydream of opening up a bakery, too, but then I start thinking about how much work it really is…..

    Reply

  62. Alli

    Joy- your endless list of cranberry and biscuit recipes makes me completely happy! I hope you are able to open that bakery one day, I am down for sweet or savory biscuits any time!

    Reply

  63. Baker Bettie

    I have a similar fantasy about a gourmet cookie shop. Just cookies. Just my dark chocolate and toasted pecan cookies and 1 other flavor every day. But like you, I know how lovely day dream land is, and how actually stressful and sweaty real world biscuit/cookie shop would be.

    I want want of those biscuits so bad right now! Get into my mouth! Seriously, so pretty.

    Reply

  64. alwaysaddmorebutter

    I have a bookstore/bakery/coffee shop fantasy that I indulge in from time to time. The bakery only makes croissants, muffins, & scones and one special item each week that coincides with whatever book I’m featuring. I lead a rich fantasy life. I would definitely come to your biscuit bakery though – especially for one of these little jobbies. Yum!

    Reply

  67. Kezia

    I would definitely come and visit your bakery, Joy! I love cranberries in biscuits – although in the UK I we call them scones instead of biscuits:)

    Reply

    • Annie Home Baker

      If the UK calls biscuits, “scones,” then what do you call “cookies?” I love making scones and interested to know what the difference is between a biscuit and a scone.

      Reply

  68. Averie @ Averie Cooks

    I hope the biscuit bakery dreams manifest one day! And any bakeyr with great drip coffee is an automatic hit. It’s easy to make coffee drinks with a ton of artificial syrups and such, but a great drip coffee is unbeatable. Kind of like these biscuits! Perfect & pinned

    Reply

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