Whole-Wheat Raspberry Ricotta Scones

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Makes 9 Square Scones

Husband-Tested in Marimar’s Kitchen (Alice’s Daughter-in-Law)

Our daughter-in-law made these beautiful scones during our family vacation this spring.  They were so yummy with our morning coffee.

1 cup (120 grams) whole wheat flour

1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

6 Tablespoons (85 grams) cold unsalted butter

1 cup (136 grams or 4¾ oz.) fresh raspberries

¾ cup (189 grams) whole milk ricotta

1/3 cup (79 ml) heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425 F.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  In the bottom of a large, wide bowl, whisk the flours, baking powder, sugar and salt together.  With a pastry blender, add the butter (no need to chop it first) and use the blender to both cut the butter into the flour mixture until the bigger pieces are the size of small peas.  Toss in the raspberries and use the pastry blender again to break them into halves and quarter berry sized chunks.  Add the ricotta and the heavy cream together and stir them in to form a dough with a flexible spatula.  Using floured hands, gently knead the dough into an even mass, right in the bottom of the bowl.  Don’t fret if the raspberries get muddled and smudge up the dough. This is a pretty thing.  With as few movements as possible, transfer the dough to a well-floured counter, flour the top of the dough and pat it into a 7-inch square about 1-inch tall.  With a large knife, divide the dough into 9 even squares.  Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet with a spatula.  Bake the scones for about 15 minutes, until light golden at the edges.  Cool in pan for a minute and then transfer to a cooling rack.

To do ahead:  Scones are always best the day they are baked.  However, if you wish to get a lead on them, you can make them, arrange them on the parchment paper and freeze them.  When frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag or container.  No need to defrost them.  Bake them 2 to 3 minutes longer.

Nutrition Info: (Per 1 of 9 servings) 215 calories; 13.8 g fat (8.6 g sat. fat); 43 mg cholesterol; 205 mg sodium; 19.4 g carbohydrates; 1.5 g fiber; 6.8 g sugars; 4.2 g protein; 128 mg calcium; 1 mg iron; 223 mg potassium

Cranberry Scones

Makes 10 scones

Recipe from Annie’s Eats

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I thought these were just "scrummy" as Mary Berry would say.  I love that I can make and freeze the dough and then pop them in the oven when hunger strikes.  

1 ½ Tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup plus 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

1 Tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces

1 ¼ cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped

1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

1 cup heavy cream

Sparkling sugar or granulated sugar for sprinkling over the top

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.

In a food processor, combine the lemon zest, flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Pulse briefly to blend.  Add in the cold butter pieces and pulse again briefly until the mixture resembles coarse meal and the butter pieces are no larger than peas.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl. (You can do this part using pastry blender or two knives if you don’t have a food processor.)

In a small bowl, toss together the chopped cranberries with the remaining 3 Tablespoons sugar.  Stir this in to the flour-butter mixture.

In another small bowl, combine the egg, egg yolk and cream; whisk to blend.  Add the liquid ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir gently with a spatula or wooden spoon just until all the dry ingredients are moistened.  Be careful not to overwork the dough. 

Using a 2 ½ to 3 inch dough scoop, scoop out the batter and drop onto the prepared baking sheet 2-3 inches apart. Sprinkle lightly with the sparkling sugar.

To freeze before baking, flash freeze at this point.  Place the baking sheet with the shaped scones into the freezer and chill until frozen.  Transfer the frozen scone dough to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag and store until read to bake.)

Bake in the preheated oven until light golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.  If baking from the freezer, bake the frozen scones for 20-25 minutes.)

By my calculations, one of 10 scones is 367 calories.

Lemon-Ginger Scones

Makes 6

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine

Husband-Tested in Marimar's Kitchen (Alice's Daughter-in-Law)

While on vacation with family, our daughter-in-law made these delicious scones for a special breakfast.  Serve these with hot coffee or tea and some fruit and yogurt for a great start to any day!

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cold heavy cream

1 large egg

2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for work surface

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup crystallized ginger, diced small

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Sanding sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together 3/4 cup cream and egg. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Stir in ginger and lemon zest. With a fork, stir in cream mixture until just combined. (The dough should be crumbly; do not overwork.) Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and pat into a 6-inch circle. Cut into 6 wedges and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush tops with 1 tablespoon cream and sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired. Bake until golden, 16 to 18 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through.

Notes:

Scones are best eaten the day they're baked. To work ahead, freeze unbaked scones in a single layer, then store in a zip-top bag, up to 2 months; brush frozen scones with cream, sprinkle with sugar, and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.