Great tender raspberry scones are bursting with fresh raspberries, some cream cheese bits, and dusted with sugar. Just follow the easy step by step photo instructions.
Editor's Note: Originally published May 22, 2012. Updated with expanded instructions and updated photos.
My wife is a raspberry hound. Yep. If it has raspberries, she is hopeless. Add some cream cheese, and she is putty in my hands.
Many scones are little rocks, and you could break a tooth on them. Think of Haggard's rock cakes in Harry Potter.
But a scone is just a sweet biscuit with things added. Add some fruit, sugar, cinnamon or cream cheese. So I make mine with a little boost of baking soda to puff it up some.
My Rating:
Not an unexpected rating.
Pro Tips: Recipe Notes for Raspberry Scones with Cream Cheese
Scones vs. Biscuits
Let’s talk a little about biscuits vs. scones. While the ingredients are similar, scones frequently have some sweetness and/or fruit.
The texture is frequently more dense and less of that biscuit fluff. Also, a little dryer, not really dry just not as moist. For these raspberry scones, I'm violating these last few things. The raspberries would be mush.
The Raspberry
Never use previously frozen berries for this recipe. Pick as fresh as possible.
Raspberries would break apart in the mixing, so I froze them along with the cream cheese that I cut in small cubes.
Other Scones
Start about 2 hours before you want to cook. Wash and dry 1 to 1 1/2 cups of raspberries. Cut 4 oz of cream cheese into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes. Spread both on a piece of parchment paper and place in a freezer.
Preheat oven to 375 convection. Mix dry ingredients: 2 cups AP flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder. Mix well with a fork.
Chop six tablespoons of butter into small cubes. With a large fork, cut the butter into the dry mix until crumbly.
Mix the frozen cream cheese and raspberries.
Whisk together the wet components: 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 3/4 cup buttermilk.
Drizzle in the wet to the dry while stirring gently until all the dry in combined. The dough should be a bit sticky but hold shape well. Add a touch more flour if needed.
Roll onto a large cutting board. With wet hands, form into an 8-inch diameter disk about 1 inch thick. With a large knife, cut into wedge-shaped pieces.
Move to a parchment covered baking sheet. Whisk an egg with 1 t of water. Brush the scones with the egg wash.
Sprinkle the top with a little sugar.
Bake until golden brown. About 25 minutes.
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Raspberry Scones with Cream Cheese
Ingredients
Fillings
- 1 cup raspberries
- 4 oz cream cheese - optional
Dry
- 2 cups AP flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons butter
Wet
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Topping
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon water
- sugar
Instructions
- Start about 2 hours before you want to cook. Wash and dry 1 to 1 1/2 cups of raspberries. Cut 4 oz of cream cheese into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes. Spread both on a piece of parchment paper and place in a freezer.
- Preheat oven to 375 convection. Mix dry ingredients: 2 cups AP flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder. Mix well with a fork.
- With a large fork, cut six tablespoons of cold butter into the dry mix until crumbly. Helpful hint: Chop the butter into small cubes before starting.
- Mix in the frozen cream cheese and raspberries.
- Whisk together the wet components: 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 3/4 cup cold buttermilk.
- Drizzle in the wet to the dry while stirring gently until all the dry in combined. The dough should be a bit sticky but hold shape well. Add a touch more flour if needed.
- Roll onto a large cutting board. With wet hands, form into an 8-inch diameter disk about 1 inch thick. With a large knife, cut into wedge shaped pieces.
- Move to a parchment covered baking sheet. Whisk an egg with 1 teaspoon of water. Brush the scones with the egg wash.
- Sprinkle the top with a little sugar.
- Bake until golden brown. About 25 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Use fresh berries than freeze. Do not buy previously frozen berries.
- The cream cheese is optional. Do not use low fat or fat-free cream cheese.
- The butter needs to be cold when you are cutting it in. I like to cut mine up or use a grater to get a head start.
- Try to work quickly and do not handle the dough more than needed. Cold dough is better, so cold milk, egg, and butter.
- Do not use baking powder that has aluminum.
- No buttermilk, no problem. A good substitute is 2 teaspoons of lemon juice plus enough milk to measure 3/4 cup. Then let set for 5 minutes.
- Good at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated for 4-5 days.
Nutrition
Originally published May 22, 2012.
Janet
These scones were very wet. I had to add nearly a cup of flower and even then they were terrible to work with. The end result is bland, with a pleasing texture.
Louisa Ellingham
Love everything about these scones!