There’s something wonderfully comforting about a warm scone straight from the oven, especially when it’s studded with tart raspberries and creamy white chocolate chips. I first made these on a rainy Saturday morning when I had a punnet of raspberries that needed using up, and they’ve since become a weekend staple in our house.
The secret to a truly excellent scone is keeping everything cold — cold butter, cold cream, and minimal handling of the dough. Overwork it and you’ll end up with something closer to a hockey puck than the light, flaky scone we’re after.
Ingredients
- 350g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 85g cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 150g fresh raspberries
- 100g white chocolate chips
- 175ml cold buttermilk
- 1 large egg, beaten (for glazing)
- Pinch of salt
Method
- Preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the cold cubed butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Work quickly so the butter doesn’t warm up too much.
- Stir in the caster sugar, white chocolate chips, and raspberries. Be gentle with the raspberries — you want them to stay mostly whole.
- Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk. Use a butter knife to bring the dough together with cutting motions. Don’t knead — just gently press until it comes together.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat the dough to about 3cm thick. Use a 7cm round cutter dipped in flour to stamp out scones, pressing straight down without twisting.
- Place on the prepared tray, brush the tops with beaten egg, and bake for 12–15 minutes until golden and well-risen.
- Cool on a wire rack for just a few minutes before serving. These are best eaten still slightly warm, with a generous smear of clotted cream if you’re feeling indulgent.
Tips
If you can’t find buttermilk, you can make a quick substitute by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to regular milk and letting it sit for ten minutes. Frozen raspberries work in a pinch too — just don’t thaw them first, or you’ll end up with pink dough (though it does look rather pretty).
These scones are best on the day they’re made, but they freeze beautifully. Pop them in a bag and reheat in a warm oven for five minutes whenever you fancy a treat.
