📋 Instructions

1. 1Heat the oven — Preheat the oven to 400F (200C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. A fully preheated oven gives the scones an immediate burst of lift.
2. 2Whisk the dry mix — In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined, about 30 seconds.
3. 3Cut in the butter — Add the cold butter cubes and rub them into the flour with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse sand with a few pea-sized butter pieces left. Those butter flecks create the flaky layers.
4. 4Add the wet ingredients — Whisk the egg, 3/4 cup buttermilk, and vanilla in a small bowl, then pour it into the flour mixture. Stir with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms, then fold in the cranberries if using.
5. 5Fold and shape — Turn the dough onto a floured surface, pat it into a rough rectangle, fold it in half, and pat it out again to 1 inch thick. This single fold builds layers, so handle it gently.
6. 6Cut the wedges — Cut the round into 8 wedges with a sharp knife or bench scraper, pressing straight down. Transfer the wedges to the baking sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart.
7. 7Brush and sugar — Brush the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of buttermilk and sprinkle with sanding sugar. This gives the scones their golden, crackly crust.
8. 8Bake until golden — Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the tops are deep golden brown and the centers feel set and spring back when pressed, or an instant-read thermometer reads 200F (93C). Let them cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before serving warm.