5.31.2011

Summer Berry Scones


It'll be June tomorrow. Finally! I've been holding this recipe back until fresh fruit abounds in our markets. How fortunate we are in South Florida to have fresh fruit all year; we are spoiled. Although most of the larger markets nationwide now carry fresh fruit year round, it can be pricey.  But hopefully, you now have berries available whether at your grocery or farmer's market and you can try these fabulous scones. I really do think it's important to use fresh, not frozen, berries.

I had family visiting recently and they love fresh berries for breakfast so I thought it would be fun to spoil them with these scones. I was worried they'd be soggy what with the raspberries, certainly not the driest fruit, but they weren't. As long as you cool them on a rack, the bottoms hold up perfectly. I love the raspberry jam in them and those raspberry and almond flavors marry beautifully. My favorite sweet mini muffins have raspberry jam and almond paste in them. 

The recipes in Once Upon a Tart are practically no fail and the only additional advice I would add to this recipe is when mixing the dry and wet ingredients, use your best kitchen tool: your hands. It's rather a stiff dough and it's hard to mix with a spoon. However, I did use a big spoon for mixing in the berries. Very. Carefully.


Wouldn't this be wonderful to use for a fruit shortcake? Slice the scone in half and put some berries in the middle and top with whipped cream. Another bonus: I had some left over and put them in the freezer. A week ago, I thawed them in the fridge overnight and stuck them in a convection oven the next morning. They were still perfect.


Summer Berry Scones

From Once Upon a Tart by Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau
 
 

Ingredients:
4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 sticks (20 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, diced small
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 tablespoon raspberry preserves
1/2 cup dried currants
3/4 cup blueberries, rinsed and dried on paper towels
2/3 cup raspberries, rinsed and dried on paper towels


Method:
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a food processor, pulse the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and sugar to mix. Add the butter all at one time. Run the processor for 15 seconds. You want the mixture to look grainy like moist crumbs and with no chunks of butter. Pulse if you need to (I didn't)but don't overwork the dough.
Dump the crumbs in a big bowl. Whisk the eggs, add the buttermilk, extracts, preserves and currants. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until there is no flour visable. I did this with my hands.
Add the berries and mix gently, trying not to break them up anymore than necessary.
Using your hands or a 1/2 cup measure, scoop the batter onto the parchment paper, leaving 2 inches in between scones.
Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake 20-25 minutes, until they are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place baking sheet on a wire rack to cool for a couple moments, then transfer the scones to to the rack. Makes 12 scones.

41 comments:

  1. Good morning Barbara,
    And what a lovely way to start the day. I was just replying to your comment about freezer strawberry jam's simplicity and thought I would pop in to tell you and lookie what I found, a "berry" pretty Berry Scone.

    You lucky girl. I was thrilled to buy my first batch of local strawberries yesterday. I'll bring the coffee. It's perking as we speak. (yes I perk coffee:)

    Thanks for sharing, Barbara...

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  2. Enjoy the lovely fresh berries Barbara! Tomorrow is our first day of winter :( When our berries reappear, I'll think of these scone :)

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  3. Hard to believe it is almost June! These look so delicious!

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  4. We are just getting into our berry season as well. I would love to have one of the luscious scones with my morning coffee.

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  5. Blueberries were buy one get one free yesterday, but no raspberries yet. I'll wait...

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  6. I love your summer scones, look amazing, love scones! xxgloria

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  7. The berries are just beginning to bud here..in a few weeks should have plenty...the scone would be perfect to start the day. Esp like the idea of freezing them.

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  8. I can't believe it's almost June! I'm thrilled that berry season is here (or almost, anyway, since where I live up north we won't even have local strawberries for another 2 or 3 weeks!). The scones are lovely and look like a great use for fresh berries!

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  9. Babbara, I can't think of a better way to start the day. These would be so good with a cup of my favorite tea. It will be a while before we have berries here, but a gal can dream of things to come. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  10. Looks fantastic, I love berry scones, wish I had one of those!

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  11. I love the idea as is or using these scones for a strawberry shortcake!!!

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  12. We are lucky here in S FL to get fresh fruit year round, but it's best when they are local! These scones look perfect, could you send one over? I don't like blueberries and raspberries are a favorite of mine!

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  13. How interesting to add the preserves right into the batter! Great idea. I am going to try and remember this one next time I make scones. I love that they have both vanilla and almond in them, too.

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  14. I would love a couple with a cup of black Colombian coffee :) They look delicious and sound wonderful!

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  15. I haven't done much baking with fresh berries, except for the occasional muffin. Made a black berry bread last year that was delicious, but fell apart. This year, I will master the technique!

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  16. Lovely looking scones! So luscious.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  17. Our berries in the garden and at the farmers market are ripe and delicious, so this a timely post indeed.
    Mimi

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  18. beautiful! what a perfect way to start the day!

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  19. Living in South Florida is a year round fruit/vegetable festival.

    Your scones look delightful. A cup of good cup of morning coffee and it would be a great start to my day.

    Take care.
    Velva

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  20. With all of the wonderful berries in them they have to taste wonderful! What a great way to start the day.

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  21. I love scones. This recipe looks like a perfect summer treat!

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  22. And I've got blueberries to use!

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  23. Yes you are lucky to have all that beautiful fruit year round. The scones sounds wonderful Barbara.

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  24. We seem to need a constant supply of scones in our house! And, scones with fruit are my favorite. They would be great used for shortcakes too!

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  25. That, to me, looks like a little carby puff of heaven. I want it.
    *kisses* HH

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  26. Barbara, the scone looks delicious with all the berries in it, not only tasty, but beautiful with all the different colors. Still have to try to make scones...hope you are having a great week :-)

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  27. Hi Barbara,

    Oh yum your scones look so good and would go so well with my morning cup of coffee I am having now.
    thanks for sharing the recipe and the combination of the raspberry jam and the almond paste will be lovely.

    Happy day
    Hugs
    Carolyn

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  28. It sounds like there are a bunch of ways to enjoy these beauties. I love love berries too. I'm impressed that you worked the raspberries in so delicately that they have remained beautifully intact in the scone.

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  29. Obviously we're on the same wavelength because I'm also thinking scones right now. I've never made them with fruit inside but yours looks amazing so why not?

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  30. And to think, I was JUST considering making some scones last night but couldn't choose a recipe. You've won me over with this almond/raspberry/blueberry combo!

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  31. I just made blueberry muffins last night!

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  32. Nothing beats a good scone - as long as there's lots of jam and cream :) Would love to try your scones.

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  33. Barbara, I'm just jumping back in to answer your question. I think weighing the ingredients might make a difference. I spoon dry ingredients into my measuring cups and think that may have upset the dry to liquid ratio in the recipe. I won't know until I try. I'll let you know. Blessings...Mary

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  34. OMG! These look Delicious Thank you for sharing your recipe!
    Sandra Evertson

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  35. i've found that raspberries don't weep nearly as much as blueberries in recipes such as this. i guess they're just more content with their lives. :)

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  36. The reports from our local farmers: Blueberries are poised to appear at our farmers markets, and conditions are looking for a HUGE harvest. Blackberries should follow later this month. Perfect timing, Barbara, for this yummy scone recipe!

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  37. Your scones are so beautiful. The berries look like little jewels. I agree - living in Florida, you are spoiled with great fruit!

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  38. Love the idea of using a gorgeous fruit scone for shortcake!

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  39. Your guests must have been duly impressed Barbara.
    Sam

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  40. Almond extract makes me a happy camper! These sound delicious, barbara!

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  41. I've missed so many awesome recipes!

    Wow, this scone looks incredible. It's perfectly golden, and I love the fruit in it. This goes in my "MUST TRY" list!

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