Description
These Cranberry Orange Swim Biscuits are tender, flaky, and bursting with vibrant flavors of fresh cranberries and zesty orange. Perfectly sweetened and lightly drizzled with honey, these biscuits make a delightful treat for breakfast, brunch, or a cozy snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, use fresh and good quality
- 3 tablespoons (38 g) granulated sugar, fine is preferable for even mixing
- 1 ½ teaspoons (6 g) baking powder, ensure freshness
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) kosher salt
- Zest of 1 medium orange, finely grated avoiding white pith
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted cold butter, high-fat, cut into pieces
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
- 1 cup (100 g) fresh or frozen cranberries, firm and bright (if frozen, add directly without thawing)
- Honey, for drizzling (approx. 1 tablespoon or 15 ml per biscuit recommended)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and orange zest until evenly combined.
- Cut in Butter: Add cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the butter into the mixture until the texture resembles small crumbs. This step is essential for flakiness, as the butter’s pockets create steam during baking.
- Add Cranberries and Buttermilk: Gently fold in fresh or frozen cranberries and buttermilk into the flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Do not over-mix; the dough will be sticky, which is expected for tender biscuits.
- Portion Dough: Drop the dough by roughly 1/3 cup (about 80 ml) portions—around 8 total—onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart to allow for expansion.
- Bake Biscuits: Place in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Watch for a light golden color on top. If biscuits brown too rapidly, tent them with foil after 8 minutes to prevent over-browning while allowing baking to finish.
- Serve Warm: Remove biscuits from oven and serve warm with a drizzle of honey (approximately 1 tablespoon, or 15 ml, per biscuit) to balance the tartness of the cranberries.
Notes
- Use cold butter to ensure flaky biscuits.
- Do not over-mix the dough to keep biscuits tender, the dough will be sticky.
- Frozen cranberries can be used directly without thawing to prevent bleeding into the dough.
- If biscuits brown too fast, tent with foil after 8 minutes of baking.
- Serve warm with honey for the best flavor contrast.
