I am strongly of the opinion that the best, (and perhaps only) way to enjoy a scone is when it is freshly baked and still warm from the oven, slathered in butter and jam. I’ve been craving scones, lately, and have been on a fairly disappointing mission to find a great one from the coffee shops and bakeries near my apartment. Most pastries have a pretty small window of perfection, from the time they are baked until they become a bit stale, and this may be especially true for scones. Thus, the only remedy for my craving was to make some at home.
These scones are made with whole wheat pastry flour, as it is a great 1:1 replacement for all purpose flour. (I like the nutty taste of the whole wheat vs. white flour, but use whatever you have on hand.) Note that brushing the scones with egg white is a surprisingly important step… The dough is quite acidic acidic and the egg wash helps them brown properly. (Use a whole egg or egg yolk for a glossy effect…) Lemon zest balances the raspberry flavor, and buttermilk adds that delicious tang. Enjoy!
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or regular all purpose flour)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt (or ¾ teaspoon if using unsalted butter)
- zest of one lemon
- ½ cup oats
- ½ cup butter (cold and cubed)
- 1 egg, separated
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup raspberries (frozen or fresh)
- turbinado sugar (for finishing)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Add the oats and butter, and continue to pulse until the largest pieces of butter are about the size of peas. Mix the egg yolk and buttermilk together. Pour the liquid into the food processor, while continuing to pulse, until the dough sticks together.
Dump the dough into a bowl, add the raspberries*, and gently fold together, until the raspberries are evenly dispersed.
On a cutting board, form the dough into a square of about 1-1¼ inches thick, and cut it into 9 evenly sized pieces. Brush with the egg white, and sprinkle with sugar.
Place the scones on a baking sheet, and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with butter!
Eat the scones within a day. If you don’t think you’ll finish them in one sitting, the dough freezes excellently, and can be whipped out for an impromptu treat… Just thaw to room temperature, before following the same instructions outlined above.
*I used frozen berries, which helped them from becoming complete mush during the kneading process.
