Featured Recipe
Lemon Raspberry Scones
By Kate
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Tender scones with fresh raspberries folded in, lifted by lemon zest and juice. Butter cut cold into flour creates flaky texture. Rolled and sliced for rustic triangles. Quick set-up, adjustable freezing step. Finished with buttery sugar crust that crackles in bake. Swap buttermilk for milk, yogurt for tanginess. Use baking powder and cream of tartar instead of baking soda. Watch edges brown, scones spring back to touch for doneness. Avoid overmixing dough, fragile raspberries break down too much. Cool before slicing to hold shape.
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Prep:
35 min
Cook:
20 min
Total:
55 min
Serves:
8 servings
baking
scones
desserts
berries
Introduction
Fumbling with scones? The trick’s cold butter, gentle mixing. Citrus juice wakes up dough, but crucial: don’t drown it. Berries fold in late, tender but whole. Roll, don’t punch dough, keep air pockets intact. Freeze unbaked scones for mornings in a snap. The melt-butter glaze and sugar topping crackle and caramelize, signaling they’re done. Brown, springy, fragrant. Let cool before cutting or they crumble — patience tastes better here. Lemon sharpness dances with raspberry sweet-tart. Crunch from optional pistachios adds new dimension. Practical methods, eyes on texture, not just clocks. Kitchen noise: soft raspberries squish, cold butter flaking. Oven hum. Aroma of caramelizing sugar interrupts. Scones aren’t just snacks; they’re lessons in precision and timing, tactile feeling over measuring.
Ingredients
About the ingredients
Substitute buttermilk with equal yogurt-thinned with water or milk for tang. Butter should be very cold or frozen for flaky texture; warm butter kills lift. Baking soda needs acid; lemon juice handles that. Cream of tartar here replaces some baking powder to sharpen rise with soda. Sugar amount adjust for sweeter or less sweet preference. Raspberry can be swapped for blueberry or blackcurrant but adjust moisture accordingly. If frozen berries, don’t thaw fully to avoid soggy dough. Adding nuts provides crunch, but omit for nut-free. Salt balances flavor; never skip even small pinch. Measure flour spooned and leveled for accurate texture—too much flour dries scones. Quick pulse blending avoids warming butter which ruins flakiness.
Method
Scones
- Set oven rack upper third. Preheat oven to 190 C (375 F). Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment.
- Combine buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon juice. Let sit few minutes. Acidity helps tenderize dough.
- Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt in food processor. Add cold butter cubes. Pulse briefly until pea-sized crumbs appear. Avoid warming butter – it flakes dough.
- Pour buttermilk mix over dry blend. Pulse just until dough begins to cling but not uniform. Dough needs lumps, not smooth ball.
- Flour work surface lightly. Pat dough roughly into 35 cm (14 inch) square. Scatter raspberries evenly, gently press into dough but no smashing. Optionally sprinkle crushed pistachios inside for nutty crunch.
- Roll dough into rough cylinder. Press lightly to flatten into approx 3.8 cm (1 1/2 inch) thick rectangle. Cut into 7 rectangles. Half each rectangle diagonally into triangles. Don't handle too much or berries burst and release juice.
- Space scones on trays with room for rise. Optional: freeze at this point up to 2 weeks, covered tightly (bake from frozen, add 3-4 minute bake time).
- Brush scones with melted butter. Sprinkle coarse sugar evenly for crackling sweet crust.
- Bake one sheet at a time in center oven rack 18-22 minutes. Scones golden-amber, edges crisp, bottoms firm. Tap top: should spring back, not doughy.
- Cool 15 minutes on racks before slicing. Warm scones crumble; cooling firms crumb.
- Serve warm or room temp. Slather butter or curd. Watch lemon aroma brighten berries’ tartness; butter-sugar crackle sings with each bite. Keep scraps for crumbs or breakfast topping next day.
Finish
Technique Tips
Setting oven rack high promotes brown tops without drying bottom. Resting citrus mix draws zest oils and activates acid-tang needed for soda function. Processing dry ingredients with butter shortens gluten, key for tender flake; overpulsing risks melty butter, dense scones. Combine wet and dry briefly; dough surfing ready when just coming together. Rolling rather than kneading retains layers; more handling = tougher scones. Press berries gently so they stay intact but mix well. Freezer step practical for prep; bake frozen adding few minutes, no defrost. Butter glaze before sugar adds rich shine and caramelized crunch, watch for sugar burn past golden color. Baking one sheet at a time ensures even heat exposure. Doneness cues: edges darker golden, top springs back when pressed lightly, crumb shouldn’t be gummy. Cooling stabilizes shape, flavor, crumb structure. Serve with butter or preserves for best contrast.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Cold butter is non-negotiable. Diced small; pea-sized crumbs key. If warm, butter ruins flake. Use food processor, quick pulse. Want texture.
- 💡 Gently fold in raspberries. Smash them, lose juice. Scatter evenly on dough, press lightly; keep them intact. No overmixing, ruined scones. Nice balance of dough and berries.
- 💡 Chill unbaked scones if not baking right away. Freeze up to 2 weeks. Just add time to bake from frozen. Dummy proof for hurry up days.
- 💡 Glaze with melted butter before topping with sugar. Sugar adds nice crunch when baked. Watch for burn; golden is good, dark not. Finish strong.
- 💡 For tang, swap buttermilk with yogurt, thinned. Or dilute yogurt with milk. Adjust baking soda, need acid from lemon. Lemons provide that zip, tell dough’s ready.
