Butternut Cranberry Sage Scones

Butternut cranberry sage scones are the perfect Autumn treat for those crisp days. In addition to being absolutely delicious your home will be smelling incredibly festive. You'll be hard pressed to want to share these so we suggest making a double batch just in case.

*This original recipe was found on Food52 however, after testing the recipe we made quite a few modifications. Additionally Robert and I both adhere to a gluten free diet. We have tested just about every gluten free flour mixture under the sun and have come up with several that work incredibly well for very specific recipes. For the butternut cranberry sage scones we found that Cup4Cup flour was the absolute best and you would be hard pressed to know they were gluten free. All recipes we share can be made gluten free with the proper substitutions which we will note.

Butternut Cranberry Sage Scone Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour plus a bit more for dusting
- (We used Cup4Cup Gluten Free Multipurpose Flour. We didn't change any of the measurements)
6 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top of scones
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage (optional)
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
3/4 - 1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup butternut squash puree (see below for directions)
1/3 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing on top of scones
1 large egg
8 small sage leaves

Step One: Squash Puree

*We always find using fresh ingredients in the best and making your own squash puree is really simple. If you want to skip this step you can use unsweetened canned squash. However, we strongly recommend using fresh.

Use a medium size butternut squash and pierce the flesh all around the exterior with either a fork or sharp knife.
We opted to use a Rogosa Violina Butternut squash which we grow here on the farm. They which tends to be sweeter and are perfect for baking. Any butternut squash variety will do but if you have the option for a sweeter heirloom choose that one.
Place the squash in a microwave safe bowl or plate and microwave on high for 30 minutes. Turn your squash every 10 minutes.
- We found you only needed 20 minutes. You will know when the squash is done when it is soft to pick up.
Remove the squash and cut open lengthwise. Careful of the steam the squash will be incredibly hot
- If your squash isn't completely cooked cover with a towel and place back in the microwave for a few more minutes.
Remove the seeds and pulp (if you have your own garden and opted for an organic variety you can save the seeds to replant. Additionally you can bake the seeds with a bit of oil and sea salt for an incredibly healthy and delicious snack)
Scoop the meat of the squash into a mesh strainer and place over a bowl. You want to drain any of the excess liquid from the squash. This can take a couple of hours.
- Letting the squash drain we found wholly unnecessary. After 8 hours there was only a teaspoon of liquid in the bowl. If your squash is incredibly wet do not skip this step. If it looks pretty dry don't worry about draining it.

Heat your oven to 425 degrees. If available use convection setting.

Step Two: Dry Ingredients

In one bowl combine all your dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger, and sage.
Mix together using a fork to fluff the mixture.
Add butter to dry mixture. Here you can use a food processor to pulse the mixture or your hands (we prefer using our hands)
- If using your hands to mix in the butter grab a handful of the dry ingredients with the butter included and roll through your hands - thumb running from pinky to pointer finger. Release, grab some more, and repeat until the butter has been thoroughly broken down. You do not want any large clumps of butter remaining but a grainy texture is normal.
Once the butter has been sufficiently incorporated mix in your dried cranberries. We used 3/4 of a cup however, next time we will be adding one full cup. This is up to your individual preference.

Step Three: Wet Ingredients

In a separate bowl mix together your wet ingredients: heavy cream, egg, and squash puree.
Whisk together making sure they are fully mixed.
Once fully mixed combine slowly with wet ingredients using a fork to incorporate.
- A fork will be more useful than a spatula to ensure the ingredients are fully blended and the mixture retains enough air.

Step Four: Turning Out Your Dough

Sprinkle a smooth surface with your extra flour.
Gather your mixture into a ball in your bowl and then turn out onto your floured surface.
Pat your dough into a 8" circle. Dough should be about 1/2 inch thick.
- We found the butternut cranberry sage dough to be quite wet so you'll want to put some flour on your fingers when patting round. You may also need to sprinkle the top with a bit of extra flour if excessively wet.
Once your dough is in a circle cut into 8 wedges using either a knife or pizza wheel.
Place a piece of parchment of silicon baking mat onto a baking sheet.
Place each wedge onto the lined baking sheet spacing them equally apart.
Using your extra heavy cream brush the top of each scone lightly.
Dip your eight sage leaves into your extra cream and place one on the center of each scone.
Sprinkle the top of each scone with a little crystal sugar.

Step Five: Bake & Enjoy

Place into preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes turning halfway through.
- We found the tops got a little crispy so you'll want to place them on the lowest rack in the oven.
Once out of the oven move onto a cooling wrack.
- Admittedly at this point you're probably going to want to eat them all. We don't blame you and we just about did.
Enjoy them while warm with a dab of butter or apple butter.
To save them place in a airtight container and reheat either in a pan or for 20 seconds on low in the microwave.
We found this recipe to be extremely moist, unlike what we think the typical scone consistency is. The longer they are kept the more they will dry out so eat them while they are fresh.

Butternut Cranberry Sage Scones