Intro
It seems fitting that the first thing I would bake in our new house would be these scones. It’s a recipe that has hung on the inside of the cupboard door at our old house – a place where I keep all our frequent recipes for easy access – and soon it will find a spot in the new cupboards.
I seek comfort in a place that feels new; almost like we are on vacation. In a shaky attempt to make us feel at home I reach for a recipe that we know, that we crave, and that reminds us that we not just hanging out here for awhile.
In fact more than any other house we have lived in this house is our home. This is the sort of house we can imagine raising teenagers in. It’s the sort of place I can see myself living in with just Gabe, as our kids go off on their own grand adventures. And as far off as this seems I can even imagine seeing the little feet of our grand children bounding down the hallway and into the kitchen where they lured in by the smell, most likely, of scones.
We are settling in, unpacking boxes, finding places for our things and finding new rhythms. It feels like a fresh start. A chance for me to throw away the things I feel as if I could have done better in the old home; more laundry, organized my cabinets, make a mess on the floor with my kids and not be concerned about the mess in the process – and start again. Establishing a sense of what this place is; our home. It’s comfort, ease, imperfect and inspiring. At least that’s what I hope it will be once the boxes are all out of my sight, I stop worrying about all the sand getting tracked all over the house, and I can look at the space and think about something other than all of the things we still need (a couch!!).
Isn’t that always the case though? We have grand ideas for what we want reality to be and then reality actually shows up in its clunky, awkward ways.
Like our first meal in the new home. I set out to make gyros – a new family favorite. I fumbled around the kitchen trying to find my loaf pan and where did I put the pita? Why the hell did I buy non-fat yogurt when I meant to buy whole milk yogurt? Should the spices go in that drawer or the cupboard above? Soon enough the kitchen smelled of toasted spice and fresh mint and things started to feel right.
“Hummus!” I shouted at Gabe. “I really want hummus but I haven’t unpacked the Vitamix.”
Determined I tore through a couple of still packed boxes until I found it. Somehow the lid ended up in another box so a plate had to stand in. Feeling a bit of satisfaction I reached into our pantry (we have a pantry!) to grab a can of chickpeas which reminded me that I had not yet seen the can opener.
Gabe saw my frustration and grabbed the can. He could tell that this was about much more than hummus. It was me trying to find our home but was constantly reminded of how unsettled we really are.
Determined, he ripped into that can of chickpeas with his leatherman and handed me a jagged edge can that could have easily maimed me with one wrong move. The chickpeas, one by one, landed into the lidless Vitamix and then whirred into delicious hummus; tart, spicy and heavy on tahini – just how I like it.
Even these scones; they are not real lookers. They flattened in the oven and are perhaps a bit burnt on the bottom but their imperfection didn’t matter as we plucked fresh raspberries in our newly acquired garden and brought a plate of our misshapen scones down with us to the beach. We ate them in between crab hunting sessions and squishing soft sand between our toes. We shared them with new neighbors as I bit my tongue trying to fight the urge to apologize for their appearance.
Reality isn’t perfect but beauty abounds if we have the eyes to see it. This is our new reality in all its imperfect glory. I want to strive to see the joy in the mundane, find its beauty amid the mess and care more about loving the people who walk through its doors than the house itself.
This is our new home. We will laugh here, cry here, grow here and share countless meals here. It will be beautiful, messy and imperfect. Just as a home should be.
Fresh Raspberry Scones
adapted from Date Night In
This recipe has been made no fewer than a hundred times in our house. These shortcakes are our scones, the cobbler on top of our baked fruit, and sometimes, with the addition of herbs or cheese, savory biscuits to accompany dinner.
The trick here is not to overwork the dough. It’s a very crumbly mass once it comes out of the bowl, but that’s why the finished texture is so light and tender. Don’t knead the dough together, but rather press it until it just holds.
This dough can be made by hand, in a food processor, as it is written, or in a stand mixer.
MAKES 8 SHORTCAKES
2 cups / 270 g all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (optional)
1⁄2 cup / 115 g unsalted butter, diced into 1⁄2-inch cubes, chilled
1 cup / 240 ml plus 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, divided
1 – 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
3 tablespoons Turbinado or granulated sugar
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, granulated sugar, and vanilla bean seeds, if using. Pulse a few times to combine and break up any clumps.
Add the butter, scattering it over the flour. Pulse 15 times to break up the butter. The mixture will look sandy, with some larger pieces of butter throughout.
Pour 1 cup / 240 ml cream over the dough and pulse an additional 20 times. Add the raspberries and pulse just a couple more times to combine. The dough will look crumbly and dry.
Dump the dough onto an unfloured work surface and use the palm of your hand to work the dough just until it holds together. You don’t want to overwork the dough, as this can make it tough. Gather the dough together into a 6- to 8-inch round (for making wedge-shaped scones) or a rectangle (for cutting out round biscuits).
Use a brush or your fingers to spread the remaining 2 tablespoons cream in an even layer on top. Sprinkle the extra sugar, if using, on top of the cream. Chill the dough for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the dough into the desired shapes and then place them on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until deep golden along the edges.
Cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
These are best served the day they are baked. Unbaked dough can be wrapped and frozen for up to 1 month.
Note: Often I make these by hand and simply grate the chilled butter into the dry ingredients with a cheese grater. From there I toss the butter and dry ingredients together, breaking up any large clumps with my hands, and then stir in the cream.
For extra flaky layers, give this dough 1 or 2 turns as you do in the Quick Puff Pastry recipe (page 19).
Once again you capture moments perfectly and I think they look really yummy, the tart berries look like they’d just burst in your mouth. Do you live by the beach now?
There’s nothing like the possibilities when you first move in to your home- such an exciting time! Hope your new space brings you lots of joy and pleasant memories. These scones looks like absolute perfection, thanks for sharing!
Fresh fruit in scones is the best. These look perfect for the weekend!
Those look divine! Perfect use for fresh raspberries 🙂
These scones look so lovely, and I can completely relate to that feeling of imagining how awesome you want things to be, and them turning out completely different. I, too, am about to become a homeowner for the first time, and I’m trying to caution myself into thinking everything has to look perfect and full of furniture immediately. Good luck on the couch search- I’ll be doing the same! Crate & Barrel seems to have a few cute ones.
Not many times to I feel the prick of tears when I read blogposts, but this one hit home. We are entering our 4th year in a new home after 20 years (and almost finishing raising the kiddos) in the old one. I can relate to the feelings you describe here – but mostly with this: “We shared them with new neighbors as I bit my tongue trying to fight the urge to apologize for their appearance.” It was as if I took a few giant steps backward in my cooking skills! Mostly it was about the workflow and also learning my new appliances. lol. It gets better, as I know that you know.
I will be trying these scones, but most likely with blueberries, as they are in season here and raspberries are not as common (and therefore are way more expensive!). They look wonderful!
Oh man, yes. I am feeling so clunky – like a toddler learning how to walk. But this space is our home for awhile so I’m excited to learn it and know it well.
So lovely <3
Yes yes yes! So over the moon that you can see forever in your new house. What a wonderful feeling. Wish I could be there to help you unpack but I do hope it is going well and the excitement is carrying you through. Can’t wait to visit!!
I can not wait to have you guys over. Your room is all ready for you. 🙂
Yay! So glad you are settling into your new home and cooking in your new kitchen and walking on the beach. I can’t wait to see it!
Come on over!
Your words are heart felt and genuine and I am excited for this new beginning and chapter called home. (ps-what gyro recipe do you use?)
Your words are heartfelt and genuine and I wish you all the best in this new beginning and chapter called home. (p.s.-what gyro recipe do you use?)
Thank you so much. I follow the basic Alton Brown recipe and change up the spices and meat choice.
The scones look absolutely gorgeous. Perfectly, imperfect.
Such a lovely post! I’m glad you’re settling into your new place; there’s nothing like that scramble to find kitchen equipment and ingredients so that you can prepare your first meal in your new place. I remember once making a cake in a saucepan just after we moved because I couldn’t find any of my mixing bowls! Such beautiful scones too.
A cake in a saucepan?! That’s amazing.
Congrats on your new home! I am moving myself in a few weeks into our first house and am having such similar feelings and thoughts. I need to think about what I’ll cook first in our new house! So incredible that you have raspberries in your yard. I was just looking at your recipe for chocolate pecan ice cream pie last night – gonna make it for my birthday. Can’t wait!
That pie is perfect for a birthday! So perfectly indulgent.
They looks pretty to me! Besides, I love food that’s mmore on the rustic side. I leave the fiddly stuff to pasty chefs!!!
Me too! Even when I was a pastry chef.
or, pastry chefs!
Ashley, settling into a new home is so exciting – like the beginnings of a friendship with a new friend that you already know will be one for a long, long time. There will be moments of feeling unsettled, because you’ve yet to figure out all the nooks and crannies and haven’t yet settled into a routine – but soon those new cupboards in the kitchen will be filled with your familiar cutlery, jars, and the house will be lived in and filled with the memories you and your beautiful family will create.
Enjoy your new space; and those raspberries!
I love the imagery of this. Thank you so much for the encouragement.
Those scones look beautiful! I love that they are jam packed with raspberries:) I just love reading your posts…your writing makes me feel like I am right there with you.
It looks amazing!
If anything, a garden where I could grow my own raspberries would be the sole reason to move into a new house.
Congrats on your new home! I know they don’t look good to you but to me the scones-they look absolutely divine. I’m definitely bookmarking this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Hi. I used your scone recipe. Only, I added fresh Blueberries that I had soaked for several hours in a little Balsamic Vinegar with a splash of Madagascar Pure Vanilla with Bourbon & a splash of real Maple syrup. Also, I added a pinch or 2 of Vietnamese Cinnamon to the cream before mixing it into the dough. The Scones were WONDERFUL… Thanks for the recipe. I love using my parmesean micro cheese grater to grate the butter for the dough. I love mixing the dough by hand… it seems like a form of meditation.
I post my favorite recipes inside my cupboards, too. It’s just the perfect place. 🙂
Your pictures are making me super hungry. Great blog and awesome recipes!!!
This was my first attempt at making scones and the dough turned out perfect. I couldn’t believe how easy it was, however I found the salt overbearing and it completely killed the taste of raspberries which was really disappointing. I wonder of this could be made with less or without the salt.
You could absolutely make it with less salt. I wonder too if you used salted butter?
After similar thing happened to few other recipes, I finally figured out what the problem was.
It was the kosher salt I was using. Comparing to Diamond Crystal, which I use now, the No Name brand had much bigger and denser chunks of salt which I assume equaled more salt per teaspoon.
I’m so glad you figured it out!!
I made these today and they were incredible! The texture is amazing. I always thought scones were complicated so when I made these, I was suspicious at how easy it was. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi! I am making these scones now! I followed the recipe exactly including how many pulses and all that, but I do have a question. My dough ended up really wet. So wet that I couldn’t cut the dough into scones. I just ended up putting the whole big wet circle into the oven as is. What can I do the next time I make these so that my dough is dry enough for me to cut it? Thank you!
Sorry to hear this! I would fold in the raspberries next time. The dough should be very shaggy and not wet once it’s been pulsed. I usually end up folding the dough similar to how you would make puff pastry. The berries could be folded in at this stage.
I made these this past weekend on a very hot day and they flopped on me! Haha. I think I may have pulsed the raspberries a couple pulses too many because the dough was very wet and the scones came out dense and spongy. My three year old daughter who will eat anything even remotely sweet and who once mixed applesauce, non fat greek yogurt and lime juice and ate it with joy, would not eat these scones. Sadly most of it ended up in the trash. I’ll try them again and maybe pulse the raspberries literally two times. Hope you’re having a great week!
Also, if making them on a hot day make sure all your ingredients are very cold. If the butter starts to melt throw the dough into the fridge. I usually freeze the scones before baking.
Thanks! I’ll give that a try! Last night we had a dinner with several of our neighbors since we have a mix of new neighbors and ones who have lived in on our street for 50 years and I made your Smoky Potato Salad and the Caribbean Chicken from Date Night In and they were a hit!
Oh yay!! THank you for sharing that with me. I absolutely love hearing that.