I am obsessed with scones. Scones with berries, scones with nuts, scones with herbs, scones with cheese! These Cranberry Walnut and Brie Scones tick all of the boxes. They’re sweet, savory and have a little bit of funk to them, thanks to the ripe French brie Colin got on sale at Whole Foods a few weeks ago. I’m so glad to be finishing it up because I’ve been smelling that brie every single time I open the fridge. You know that feeling when you ask yourself every time the waft comes toward you, “what’s rotting in the fridge?”
So I got the idea for the cranberry walnut brie combination after Thanksgiving passed and I had some odds and ends leftover–cranberries, thyme, and lots of cheeses (mascarpone, goat, cheddar and brie). So these scones made perfect sense.
They’re based off of my classic scone recipe. The mascarpone is what keeps these scones moist and fluffy but if you don’t happen to have any on hand you can sub cream cheese.
I like experimenting new scone combinations for the day when I open a little bake shop. I can imagine having flavors on rotation, customers asking, “When are you going to have that so-and-so scone again?” I’d like to serve scones, soup and salads all day long. Likely in a small town upstate where the rent isn’t exorbitant and all of the shops have old world charm. A girl can dream…
But in all seriousness, this scone would go really nicely with a butternut squash soup and big green salad. I can also imagine them stacked high on a vintage floral plate, served at tea time with a big pot of english breakfast. One lump or two?
These also look (and smell) a lot like Christmas. I love the red of the cranberries and the green of the thyme. They’d make for an amazingly home-y and delicious breakfast Christmas morning, in between unwrapping gifts from under the tree.
You’re welcome!
Cranberry Walnut and Brie Scones
Yields 8 large scones, or 16 minis.
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1 large egg
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter
1 cup raw cranberries
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 cup brie cheese, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces (about half a wheel)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Extra splash of heavy cream for brushing
Turbinado sugar for garnish
3-4 thyme sprigs for garnish
Pre-heat oven to 400 and line baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
Beat mascarpone and egg in a large measuring cup until blended well.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
Cut butter into cubes and with a pastry cutter, cut it into the flour into a little bigger than pea sized chunks.
Add cranberries and walnuts, toss to combine. Then add brie, making sure the pieces of cheese don’t stick together. Toss in the flour to combine.
Add mascarpone egg mixture into the flour mixture. Mix the dough with a rubber spatula. Add half of the heavy cream and stir. Add last half until the dough just comes together. Switch to hands and kneed the dough against the bottom of the bowl until the mixture comes together.
Invert dough round onto the baking sheet and flatten out until it’s around 1″ thick. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 equal pieces. Separate each scone by at least an inch, more if you can manage. You can also cut each scone in half to make 16 small scones.
Brush with heavy cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar and thyme. Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a baking rack. Store in an air tight container for up to 3 days, but they’re best warm from the oven.
