Raspberry and Almond Scones
July is my favorite month of the entire year. Growing up, July meant a few very specific things: berry picking, strawberry shortcake for dinner, boat rides and camping at the lake. To this day, I look forward to July all year. I’m sure having a birthday in July has something to do with it, especially considering my husband coined me the ‘birthday princess’ years ago.
Can I be honest? We’ve had a rocky start to the summer. Sickness has slowed us down and forced us to miss out on a lot of fun things in the last couple weeks. We came home from a weekend away and our precious kitty is missing. Living in the country you kind of have to expect this kind of thing from time to time but it doesn’t make it any easier.
All that to say, I’m ready to shake off the last few weeks and start fresh with our summer. We are finally (fingers crossed) healthy and ready to work through our summer-fun list.
At the top of the list is a Sunday stroll through the Yakima Farmers Market. I love slowly walking booth to booth, looking at everything. We buy a giant strawberry lemonade for our kids which they inevitably fight over and someone spills but somehow that’s part of the charm. We buy a loaf of bread from Buhrmaster Bakery and a plate of pad thai. We load up on fruits and vegetables for the week, whenever possible choosing something we wouldn’t typically find at the grocery store; a new variety of tomato, a purple bell pepper, sweet yellow carrots, or a big globe of daikon. If berries are in season, I buy a few pints, which my kids eat most of before we even get home. My last stop before we head home is the flower booth. I take my time choosing a bouquet knowing I’ll get to enjoy them all week on my kitchen island.
This week’s recipe is for fresh raspberry and almond scones. The tender sweet raspberries melt into the dough making pockets of perfectly sweet jammy bites. The hint of almond and crunch of raw sugar on top make these easy scones decadent and special. Perfect for a lazy Saturday morning or to bring to a party as a treat, you could easily turn these into dessert with a spoonful of fresh fruit and a dollop of whip cream.
Raspberry Almond Cream Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into ½ inch cubes
3 tablespoons sugar
6 ounces fresh raspberries
½ cup heavy whipping cream
1 large egg
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon raw sugar
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Using clean hands or two forks, mix the butter (breaking it up) into the dough until there are no butter lumps bigger than the size of a pea. Gently stir the raspberries into the flour mixture. In a small bowl whisk together the heavy whipping cream, egg and almond extract. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry and gently stir together with a spatula. Using your hands press the dough into a ball. Sprinkle flour on your countertop and knead the dough until it has just barely come together. Shape the dough into a circle about 1 inch thick. Cut the circle into 8 wedges. Places the wedges on the baking sheet. Using a pastry brush or a spoon, brush the tops of the scones with melted butter. Sprinkle raw sugar over the top of each scone. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until a pale golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Best served warm from the oven, preferably with hot coffee and the early morning sun warming your back as you enjoy Yakima’s perfect summer weather.