Raspberry Scones
Soft and buttery, this recipe is ready in under an hour. They have a tangy burst from the sweet raspberries, and the formed scones can be frozen for a month so you can bake them to order.
Servings 8 scones
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 7 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 6 ounces unsalted butter cut into cubes, very cold
- 1 ½ cups raspberries fresh or frozen (directly from the freezer)
- ½ cup buttermilk very cold
- ¼ cup heavy cream very cold
- extra sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC).
- Line a baking or cookie sheet with parchment paper or grease the bottom.
- In the food processor: place 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 7 tablespoons sugar and ½ teaspoon lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse a few times to mix.
- Scatter the cold butter cubes on top, and process on low until the mixture is grainy and the butter the size of peas. Don't overprocess.
- By hand: stir to mix 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 7 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl. Add ½ teaspoon lemon zest and stir to mix with a spoon or rubber spatula.
- Scatter 6 ounces unsalted butter pieces on top and integrate by hand or with a pastry cutter. The pieces of butter should be the size of peas and beans. It will be irregular.
- For both methods: transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and add 1 ½ cups raspberries. If using frozen raspberries, don't thaw them. Mix lightly with a spoon or rubber spatula.
- Drizzle ½ cup buttermilk and ¼ cup heavy cream over the flour mixture.
- Mix with a fork until it barely comes together, but don't mix too much, or the scones will be tough and flat.
- On a lightly floured surface, transfer the mixture and pat it together, folding it unto itself a few times until you have a circle of dough that holds together (I use a dough scraper). It will still be shaggy in places. Don't be tempted to overwork it as you would a pie crust. I don't use a rolling pin, but if you want to, roll it very lightly, you don't want to press it down, simply pat it so it holds together.
- Make a circle with the dough, about 2 inches high.
- Cut it in half, and then cut each half into 4 triangles. You should have 8 pieces or triangles.
- At this point, they can be frozen, well covered, for up to a month, and baked directly from the freezer. They might take a few more minutes.
- Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, and sprinkle the tops with extra sugar.
- Bake for 15 minutes, turn down the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and dry. If you need to check, with the tip of a fork lift the top of a scone and see if the inside is dry. Depending on the size and height, the bake time might vary, so start checking at the 30-minute mark.
- I recommend eating them within a few hours of being baked.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for a day, maybe two, but the texture is much better the day they're baked.
Notes
Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use an oven thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Very cold ingredients. I measure but leave the ingredients in the fridge until it's time to use them. Don't take the cream for half an hour before mixing the scones. Butter, milk cream and other wet ingredients belong in the fridge until you need to scatter and pour them.
Handle the dough lightly. Don't overwork it. It needs to remain cold so the butter doesn't start to melt. It's the way to get soft, tender scones that rise well.
Very cold dough before baking. After shaping and before baking, pop the dough in the freezer for 15 minutes. That ensures that it bakes and rises as much as possible.
A rather high oven. They need that extra heat to rise however they can despite all that butter and cream. And if you forgot to turn the oven on before you start mixing, please don't leave the baking sheet with the cut scones waiting on the counter. Put them in the fridge or freezer for the ten or fifteen minutes it takes for the oven to reach its temperature.
Different sizes: for a brunch table, tea time, or that type of gathering, you might want to make smaller scones, and round ones at that (check out the parmesan chive scones as a guide to the shape) as they are usually easier to handle and bake more evenly. Use a round cookie cutter.
Serving scones: eat them warm or at room temperature, preferably within a few hours of baking. Serve them plain, with a dollop of whipped cream or a drizzle of lemon glaze. Each variation is a different experience, so try them out and find your favorite.
