How to make white chocolate raspberry scones

As a self-proclaimed stress-baker, I always have the ingredients on hand to bake some of these simple but oh-so-delicious white chocolate raspberry scones. I have made these treats for just about everything — brunch with the girls, family breakfasts, early morning staff meetings at work and as a treat to buoy me through exam season. My roommate, Abbie, claims they are my best work (she may be exaggerating, but I’ll let her).

The flavor profile of these is exquisite — they are largely composed of butter and heavy cream, which leads to a wonderful richness. The sweetness of the white chocolate paired with the tart taste of the raspberries creates a nicely balanced treat.

Drawing on my British authority, there really is nothing like a buttery scone and a cup of tea (or coffee!) for teatime in the afternoon (or a light breakfast). There is an art to making them, which I am biased to say the Americans just have not absorbed (harsh, but true).

Follow this recipe for the best scones this side of the Atlantic!

White Chocolate Raspberry Scones:

Makes 8-12 scones, depending on size

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp salt
• 8 tbsp (1 stick) butter (must be cold!)
• 1 egg
• ½-1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup white chocolate chips
• ½ cup raspberries (may be fresh or frozen)

Materials:

• 2 baking sheets
• Parchment paper
• Cooking spray
• Mixing bowls
• Cup measures
• Spoon measures
• Hand mixer (optional)
• Cutting boards
• Cake slice (optional)
• Pizza cutter or large knife
• Skewer (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line two medium-size baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Measure out flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and mix.
3. Cut the butter into small cubes and “cut” it into the dry mixture — this means to use a fork and mix it to where the mix resembles crumbs (note: although this is not proper technique, you may also use a hand mixer on low speed for the same effect).
4. In a separate bowl, mix the egg and ½ cup of heavy cream.
5. Add this to the dry mixture, and mix. You may add up to ½ cup more heavy cream in ¼ cup increments to achieve a sticky dough (note: you may have to jump in and knead the dough for it to form a uniform consistency).
6. Add the white chocolate chips and raspberries — it is expected the raspberries will break up, as this makes the scones more heterogeneous.
7. Form either one large or two smaller “discs” of the dough that are roughly ½ inches tall and slice into triangle-shaped scones. Transfer the triangles to the baking sheets.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes (note: The scones should appear to brown on the top and sides at this point and will be browned on the bottom ).
9. Enjoy!

Tips:

• Make sure to precisely measure ingredients — baking is an art, and you must level ingredients when measuring! Eyeballing amounts will result in failure.
• The dough should be sticky and uniformly moist! 
• Expect to use more than a ½ cup of heavy cream! Add more in increments, or you may end up with more of a batter.
• When ready to cut the dough discs, I recommend either using a pizza cutter or a large knife.
• When transferring the triangles to baking sheets, I recommend using a cake slicer — the dough is sticky, and this will also ensure they retain shape.
• If unsure whether the scones are finished baking, poke a skewer in the center of one to see if any dough sticks on it. If it comes out clean, they’re ready.
• Serve warm or at room temperature. They will keep fresh in a container for two to four days and can also be frozen.