These homemade raspberry scones make for a lovely breakfast or snack. It's a quick and easy recipe—even for beginner bakers—as it comes together in just 30 minutes. The dough is prepared in a food processor, so you won't have to bother with stirring the ingredients. Simply pulse until a dough forms, then fold in berries and bake for about 15 minutes. You can also swap in other berries or even frozen raspberries with great results.
Since this scone recipe already contains fruit, it's best served with a pat of butter or dollop of clotted cream (the latter of which is the traditional choice in Britain). Enjoy it warm or at room temperature with afternoon tea.
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Mixing the Dough
Leaning on a food processor to bring this dough together makes all the difference. From working in the butter until crumbly to incorporating the eggs and buttermilk, the machine does it all—without the risk of over-mixing.
No food processor? No problem. You can still make this recipe by hand, it may just take a few minutes longer. Use two forks, a pastry cutter, or your fingers to work the butter into the flour in step 1. Using extra-cold butter will help keep it from getting to soft during the mixing process, which can impact the texture of the baked scones.
Instead of dipping the measuring cup into your container of flour, use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, piling it slightly over the top. After spooning it in, sweep a knife across the top to level it out. This process prevents the flour from being packed so firmly in the cup that you would have more flour than the recipe calls for, which can throw off your recipe.
Ingredients
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2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
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¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
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1 tablespoon baking powder
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¾ teaspoon coarse salt
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½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
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¾ cup buttermilk
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1 large egg yolk
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1 ½ cups fresh raspberries (6 ounces)
Directions
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Preheat oven and make butter-flour mixture:
Preheat oven to 400°F. In a food processor, pulse together flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and pulse until pea-size pieces form.
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Whisk buttermilk and egg yolk:
In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg yolk. Slowly pour buttermilk mixture through feed tube into processor, pulsing until dough just comes together.
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Incorporate raspberries into dough:
Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle raspberries on top. Gently press and fold dough to work in raspberries (there may be loose pieces of dough and a stray berry or two; that's OK). Avoid kneading or over-mixing.
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Separate dough into pieces:
Gather and pat dough into a 1-inch-thick square and cut or pull apart into 2-inch pieces. Place pieces, about 2 inches apart, on 2 parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets and sprinkle tops with 1 tablespoon sugar for a flaky crust.
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Bake:
Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let scones cool slightly on sheets on wire racks. Serve warm or at room temperature.
How to Serve Scones
In British cuisine, clotted cream is the traditional partner for scones. You can also add a pat of butter, which is especially delicious when the scone is still warm. Some people enjoy fruit scones with whipped cream, honey, or chocolate ganache.
Storage
Keep scones in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 4 days. They can also be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.