White Chocolate and Raspberry Scones

My parents were visiting today, and knowing that my Dad loves scones, what else would I make? I had a half pint of fresh raspberries and quite a few chocolate curls left over from when I made the Cheesecake with White Chocolate, Goat Cheese and Cardamom. There wasn't much milk in the fridge, but there was a bit of buttermilk....so white chocolate and raspberry scones it would be!

Turn the oven on to 375F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine in a stand mixer, with a paddle attachment:

2 cups flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces cold butter, diced

When the mixture is the texture of coarse breadcrumbs, remove it from the mixer and place it into a large bowl.

I prefer to add the liquid and fresh fruit by hand.

Measure out:

1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add about a quarter of the liquid and using a fork, gently stir it in.

Add:

3/4 cup white chocolate

Gently stir in another quarter of the liquid.

At this point you will have a shaggy dough that is starting to hold together.

Add:
1/2 pint fresh raspberries

Continue adding small amounts of buttermilk as you gently knead the dough together using your fingertips.

When it holds together, turn it out onto a floured counter and gently knead it a few times to form a ball.

Carefully press the dough down into a circle, about 1 1/2" high.

Cut the circle of dough into 8 wedges and place them onto the prepared tray.

Brush lightly with buttermilk or egg wash and bake until set and golden, about 15 - 20 minutes.







The scones do spread a bit during baking, and the pockets of raspberries can remain hot for a while, so be sure to let them cool to room temperature before serving. I like to serve them just as they are, but butter or whipped cream can be served with them if you like.

• These scones are lighter on sugar, the white chocolate adds sweetness. The raspberries do add a slightly tart note to the scone, so if you prefer your scones sweet, increase the sugar by another tablespoon, and sprinkle a little bit on the top before baking.
• The chocolate curls break into small pieces, almost like grated chocolate. If you want to use chocolate chips instead, go ahead, they will give bigger hits of chocolate and will be nice and gooey if the scone is still warm. Dark or milk chocolate chips can also be used.
• Lemon or orange zest both work well with raspberries and chocolate, so add some if you want. I had neither, so did without.
• Keep in mind that the raspberries do add moisture to the dough, so be careful when adding the buttermilk that you keep an eye on the wetness of the dough and don't just pour it all in at once. I had about 1/4 cup left, and used that to brush the tops of the scones before baking them.
• Frozen raspberries can also be used; add them frozen. Other berries such as blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, boysenberries or huckleberries can also be used.
• As I mentioned above, I prefer to add the liquid and fruit by hand. I find that this makes it easier to control how much liquid you need, stops you from overmixing the dough and ending up with a tough scone and also prevents the berries from being crushed.
• The dry ingredients and butter can be combined to the breadcrumb stage and then refrigerated until you are ready to bake the scones.
• By replacing 1/4 cup of the flour with cocoa, you can make chocolate scones.