Sweet Bites: Raisin Scones + Adrianne Lenker + The Oh Hellos

At one of my previous jobs there was a Breakfast Club tradition where interested parties would bring in breakfast on Friday for all the other members of the group. Most of the staff participated, so your turn rolled around only every 6 months or so. Meals ranged from bagels and cream cheese, to catered-in egg casseroles, to granola-yogurt parfaits and beyond – all were well-appreciated and usually scarfed down within an hour.

There were a few of us who really enjoyed cooking and put some genuine effort into the breakfast opportunity, hoping to surprise and delight our colleagues with something unexpected, homemade, and of course delicious. One of my most popular offerings was a batch of small raisin scones served with luscious strawberry jam and fancy butter. I’ve been dreaming about them ever since and finally made an encore batch the other day. Still worth getting up for!

---

These scones have just a little sugar in the batter, most of the sweetness comes from the raisins. A little zing comes courtesy of the lemon zest (be generous with it), or you could swap for orange zest if you prefer. In fact many swaps can be made to this basic recipe – dried cherry with or without white chocolate is frequently suggested, and blueberries instead of raisins is an obvious and tasty alternative. 

Ingredients

Add butter to flour, a few bits at a time ...

Rub the butter into the flour

Keep going, adding more butter and pressing it into the flour

When it becomes the texture of coarse meal ...

Then it's done!

Stir in the raisins

Mix the liquids separately, then add to flour mixture

Mix the batter into a stiff dough, turn out onto surface

Roll out dough on floured surface

Need a thickness of approx 3/4 inch

I use a pastry scraper to ensure I can get the dough off the counter

Use a biscuit cutter; this is approx 1-3/4 inches across

Gather the scraps and re-roll the dough; cut more scones

Scones in pans, ready for egg wash

Brush on egg wash. You can sprinkle a little turbinado sugar if desired.

Golden-brown scones, out of the oven

Scones side-view, bursting with raisins

---

Say, why not give a listen to these tasty sweet alternatives while you read on to the recipe. Adrianne Lenker and The Oh Hellos are delightfully quirky musicians that I found on BandCamp, a great site for sweet discoveries like these. 

---

Raisin Scones 

Yield: Using a 1-3/4 inch cutter gets @ 40 small scones

Via Epicurious - BON APPÉTIT | NOVEMBER 1999 | Originally from BON BONERIE, CINCINNATI, OH

 
Ingredients:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
  

• 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, diced
  
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
  
• 1/2 cup raisins or currants
  

• 1 cup whipping cream
  
• 3 large eggs
  
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
  

• 2 teaspoons water
• Optional: Turbinado sugar, just a sprinkle
  

 
Preparation: 

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with Silpats, parchment paper, or foil. 
  
• Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into large bowl. 
  
• Add butter, a few pieces at a time, and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. (AJ note: I used latex gloves. If preferred, you can do this step in the food processor, pulsing short bursts until the coarse meal texture is achieved – remove the lid and check frequently. ) 
  
• Stir in raisins and/or currants. 
  
• Whisk cream, 2 eggs, vanilla and lemon peel in medium bowl to blend. 
  
• Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir just until combined. (AJ Note: I had real difficulty doing this by hand – very thick dough, plus stiffness in hands. I would do this in the food processor next time.) 
  
• Gather dough into ball and knead lightly. Roll out dough on floured surface to 3/4-inch thickness. 
  
• Using 2-inch round cookie cutter*, cut out scones. 
  
• *You can really use whatever size cutter you like, mine were a tad smaller than 2-inches. Or you can skip the cookie cutter entirely by shaping the dough into one large round disk and cutting the scones into wedge-shaped pieces. You’ll need a few extra minutes baking time in that case.
  
• Gather scraps; re-roll and cut out additional scones. 
  
• Place scones on prepared baking sheets, spacing apart.
  
• Whisk remaining egg and 2 teaspoons water in small bowl to blend. Brush egg mixture over tops of scones. Optional: Sprinkle small amount of turbinado sugar over tops of scones. 
  
• Bake scones until golden brown, about 16-20 minutes. (Start checking on the early side if you use a small cutter, as I did.)
  
• Transfer scones to rack and cool slightly. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cool completely. Store in airtight container at room temperature. These will last just fine for a few days but they’re best on Day One.) Serve warm or at room temperature.