As a tea lover, you have probably heard of and tried scones at least once in your lifetime. If you haven’t... well, you’re missing out. This recipe whips up in no time, is easy to bake, and even freezes well for that “Oh no, I forgot to make something” crisis! I promise you, this recipe will not fall short of your expectations.
A Little Scone History
Scones hail from Scotland and were originally made with oats and baked on a griddle. The consistency has always remained the same; soft and sticky dough that, once baked, results in a lovely and hearty biscuit-like bread. Fun fact: Afternoon tea time, which is precisely 4:00 pm, first began in 1840 and was introduced by Anna, the Duchess of Bedford, who found herself hungry in between lunch and dinner. Her go-to: scones and tea. Thus, afternoon tea was born!
Styles of Scones
There are three different styles of scones, all tasting wonderful, just prepared slightly differently right before baking. The first are British-style round scones. If I were to compare these to a North American food, they closely resemble a biscuit in appearance and texture. Actual British scones are typically very lightly sweetened and sometimes even savory. This differs from American-style scones as these tend to be sweet and filled with fruit, spices, and/or chocolates.
The second type of scone are drop scones. These are even easier to prepare for this recipe, as there is no forming or cutting necessary. Simply scoop with a spoon and place your dollop onto your prepared sheet. The name “drop scones” date back to the very beginning of the famous scone.
American wedges are our third and final option, which is what I chose to style this recipe as. These types of wedge-shaped scones also date back to the beginning of the scone. Sometimes, prior to frying on a griddle, the scones were shaped and cut into wedges. Once the dough is prepared, it is flattened, rounded, and cut into six wedges for baking (or freezing for those “crisis” moments).
A Gluten Free Variation
If you’re a lover of all things sweet in this wonderful world but have certain dietary restrictions, I don’t want you to miss out on this superb raspberry white chocolate scone recipe. To make this recipe gluten free, simply use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour in place of the regular wheat flour. Now you’re good to go for your gluten free option!
Raspberries: Fresh, Frozen, or Freeze-Dried?
If you’re anything like me, you may wonder, do I choose fresh fruit, frozen, or freeze-dried for my scone recipe? I’ve provided a little break-down of the pros and cons for each, so you may choose the best option for you.
Fresh raspberries are delightful, bursting with flavor, and my go-to in the summer months. I can pick them fresh and not break the bank. The con to using fresh raspberries is that when you mix them in to the dough, the raspberries will, undoubtedly, break apart. This will divide your raspberry flavor throughout the scone and give a more blended appearance versus having the “pops” of bursting raspberry when you bite into a whole one. The benefit: Who can resist fresh raspberries with all their flavor, whether it’s spread throughout the scone or not? Additionally, because the raspberries are more incorporated, they hold a level of moisture that provides for a scone that is subtly moister, not doughy, and the edges don’t burn as easily because the fruit isn’t sticking out of the dough.
Frozen raspberries are my last choice when making scones. The level of moisture content is high and thus can make your scones harder to bake thoroughly. The flavor can still be just as wonderful, but if you choose to go this route, make sure your raspberries are thawed and strained. If you can gently lay them out and blot with a paper towel before incorporating, that’s even better!
Lastly, and the option I chose for this recipe, was using freeze dried raspberries. I’ll admit, this was my first-time using freeze dried raspberries, but I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. When using these, it was easy to blend them into the dough and still maintain whole raspberries throughout. They didn’t break apart, which was wonderful, and the appearance was beautiful. The only con I noticed was, because they are freeze dried, you must watch how they bake up in the oven because the edges of the raspberries protruding from the scone can and will more easily brown. Otherwise, superb!
Tea Pairings
As with most any scone, most any tea pairs extraordinarily! Who doesn’t love tea and scones? With this particular raspberry and white chocolate scone recipe, I can’t get enough of our Raspberry Revitalizer Lemon Maté Tea. The duo of raspberry and raspberry is yummy! Plus, as a maté, this tea provides a great boost of energy. I also love our Vanilla Crème Herbal Tea. It provides the perfect simplistic and creamy vanilla flavor that pairs oh so sweetly with this raspberry and white chocolate scone.
Raspberry White Chocolate Scone Recipe
Ingredients:
Scones
Scones
- 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (Gluten free option: Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
- 1 egg
- 1/2 to 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup raspberries
- 4 oz water
- 1 tablespoon Royal Wedding Tea
- Powdered Sugar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
In your mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Attach your pastry blending attachment (or use a pastry cutter or fork) and cut in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. *Note: If your butter is too warm, it won’t allow your mixture to create the crumbly texture it needs to ensure the butter is properly mixed throughout.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, 1/2 cup of the heavy cream, and extracts.
Mix the egg, cream, and extract mixture into the flour, adding extra heavy cream as needed until the dough just sticks together. (I ended up using about 3/4 of a cup total).
Using your hands, fold in the white chocolate chips and raspberries to combine.
Shape the dough into two round circles about 1 inch high. Cut into six triangles. (For larger scones, shape into one round circle about 1 1/2-2 inches high and increase baking time by 5-7 minutes.)
Place the scones on your cookie sheet. (This is the point where you should freeze them if you want to save a few. Just wrap in saran wrap and place in a freezer bag).
Bake for 10-12 minutes until just lightly browned on top.
Remove from oven and let cool.
For the Glaze:
Boil 4oz of water and steep one tablespoon of Royal Wedding Tea for 10 minutes.
Strain tea leaves and add powdered sugar, whisking until smooth, until you reach a creamy consistency.
Use a spoon to drizzle over your cooled scones.
You can store your extra scones (if there are any) in an air-right container and eat within 1-2 days.
