Make Healthy Holiday Memories: Cranberry Scones with Pumpkin Seed Glaze

December 3, 2024

It's holiday baking season and the air is filled with delicious aromas like ginger, cinnamon and shortbread. Yum! These ever familiar scents can really stimulate those nostalgic memories, suddenly we're right back to childhood waiting - what feels like forever - for the oven to ding.

Baking is purely magical is it not?

We know many families are trying to make healthier choices, or perhaps working with food intolerances or special dietary needs. We are here to remind you that there are lots of creative ways to make old classics into new favourites. It's all about having the right ingredients and making a good swap!

An easy place to start making healthy adjustments to recipes is to replace refined white sugars with natural alternatives such as maple syrup, honey, monk fruit, stevia or coconut sugar. Depending on how much sugar you are trying to cut out there are lots of ways to maintain flavour and still keep the ingredients natural. 

For those needing gluten-free options we have a wide range of gluten-free flours that you can buy in pre-mixed bags or you can pick out ingredients individually such as coconut flour, tapioca flour, rice flour and almond meal - and mix these to your preferred ratios.

Adding something nutritious to a treat may seem daunting but there are many wonderful ways to incorporate healthier ingredients such as nuts, dried antioxidant rich fruits, seeds and healthy fats.

We found great Nuts to You recipe and thought you might like to try this one. Whoever doesn't like the sound of Cranberry Scones with Pumpkin Seed Glaze ... well there's just one word.... GRINCH ;-)

This NTY Recipe is the perfect example of making a treat more nutritious, without sacrificing the decadence of the holiday and still giving the-little-kid-in-all of us that memorable bite of JOY. Scroll down for the recipe.... (and do jump over to their blog for more ideas!)

This week's new flyer features up to 25% off all of Anita's Organic baking flours, 20% off Enjoy Life allergy friendly chocolate chips, 30% or more off NOW Better Stevia and 20% off Nuts to You Cashew or Rainforest Butter PLUS so much more!

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If you need any help to choose healthier and alternative ingredients for your baking, please feel free to chat with our team...We're here for you!

CRANBERRY SCONES WITH PUMPKIN SEED GLAZE

Yield: 8 scones

INGREDIENTS
For the scones

• Zest and juice of 1 orange (half of each for scones, half for glaze)
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ¾ cup milk of choice
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold
• 1 cup frozen or fresh cranberries

For the glaze

• ¼ cup Nuts to You Pumpkin Seed Butter
• ¾ cup icing sugar
• Remaining orange zest and juice
• Water as needed
• Pumpkin seeds for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425⁰F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Zest the orange, then juice it. Set aside half of each ingredient for the glaze.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and orange zest and rub with your fingers to release a lovely aroma. Set aside.
4. In a small mixing bowl, combine milk and orange juice and set aside. It will curdle, but don’t worry, we’re making mock buttermilk!
5. To the bowl with the sugar, add flour, baking powder and salt. Grate cold butter into the dry ingredients and mix to distribute the butter throughout.
6. Make a hole in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the milk mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy mass develops, then gently fold in the cranberries. Turn the dough out onto the counter.
7. Flour your hands. Press the dough into a ball and gently knead it just a few times until it comes together. Flatten the dough into a circle, about 9 inches wide. Use a knife to cut the circle into 8 even wedges.
8. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown just around the edges. Allow to cool for 30 minutes.
9. In the meantime, combine the Pumpkin Seed Butter, icing sugar, orange zest and juice in a bowl. Whisk together and add spoonfuls of water until you reach a pourable consistency.
10. When the scones have cooled, pour two spoonfuls of glaze over top of each one, gently spreading the glaze to the edges. Garnish with pumpkin seeds if desired.
11. Store scones in an airtight container for 3 days.
12. Have leftover glaze? Use it to make the most amazing cinnamon toast!

Enjoy!

Recipe and Photos by Nuts to You Nut Butter

Written Content by Sita Huber, BHsc (Nutritional Medicine)