The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive. To him, a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death. Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create – so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, his very breath is cut off from him. He must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency he is not really alive unless he is creating.
– Pearl S. Buck
First of all, this little blog baby of mine has turned one! Wohoo! Happy birthday, blog! It still can't walk on it's own or talk or write posts but I'm proud of it anyway. It all started with my love for food and photography and my inner longing to share that passion with others. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined all the goodness that I would experience as a result of me finally finding the courage to start my own blog. Isn't it weird how one decision can have such a huge impact on your life?
Thank you for being here. Thank you for saying "hi!" and leaving encouraging comments. Thank you for making my recipes. You can't even imagine how exciting it is to hear that one of you has baked or cooked a recipe and loved it as much as I have! Thank you for your friendship. Oh, how many wonderful people I've met along the way! So many creative, inspiring, and strong souls. I've been welcomed to this community of food bloggers with such kindness and for that, I'm so very grateful. Thank you.
Now to these scones... They were a result of some serious battles. First, there was that raspberry picking trip where I had to fight against a whole mosquito army. There was blood. There was cursing and physical violence. And casualties. I came home with itching mosquito bites, some blood on my forehead, and a red knee cause I walked straight into a nettle bush and was so very clever to wear shorts (Don't do that. Just don't.). However, this all was worth it as my bucket was heavy with large and juicy raspberries.
Then there was the day when I made these scones and shot the post. Real talk: I almost had a breakdown cause I had such a hard time trying to get these babes look beautiful and do them justice. I spend several hours trying to get that perfect shot (yes, several hours). Trying different angles, lighting, props. Nope. This wasn't my day, and I and these scones would definitely not become friends anymore. I struggled with serious self-doubts. By that time I had already declared them as enemy. I walked away. However, the scones still lingered on my frustrated mind. "Okay, let's approach these in a whole new way", I thought. You see the results here. I like these shots. A lot. Sometimes it's good to walk away to get some distance, and come back later with new eyes and a clear mind.
These scones and pictures are a labor of a true wild raspberry scone warrior.
I really love these scones. Actually, the scones in the pictures aren't the most beautiful ones as I, in my frustration, ate the really pretty ones (sorry guys). They are light and tender but have a wonderful crust as well. They aren't too sweet and are speckled with pink raspberries. I decided to substitute part of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat spelt flour to make them a bit more wholesome. Furthermore, as I recreated the recipe a few times during last week I ended up making the scones a bit smaller and thicker to support the rising. I and these scones have made peace again. They are lovely little fellas.
They say that scones are best eaten while still warm and fresh, but I think potential leftovers are great on the next evening or even the next morning toasted in a toaster or pan. Add a knob of butter or enjoy with some brie (!!). I almost was turning these into some kind of French-toast-meets-scones thing but thought that it would be worth another post and story. Let's start with the basics and play wild and reckless another time. That said, the recipe can easily be halved as eight scones tends to be quite a lot unless you are feeding a whole family or hosting a brunch for a bunch of friends.
Raspberry Buttermilk Scones
makes 8 scones
There are two essential things to keep in mind when making scones: keep it cold and work fast. Make sure that your butter and liquids, such as buttermilk, are really cold. Never overwork the dough: just mix and fold until everything is incorporated. Be sure that you've preheated your oven, lined a baking sheet with parchment paper, and have all ingredients at hand (preferably already measured) before starting to make the dough.
The first time I made these, it was a hot summer day. On the evening before I was wondering if I should change my plans of baking scones in the forecasted heat. However, I was too eager to hide the harvested raspberries in scone dough... What I made to ensure that the dough would be as cold as possible despite the challenging circumstances was the following: the night before, I measured the flours, sugar and salt, added them to the bowl I was going to make the dough in and stored it in the freezer. I also weighted the required amount of butter and froze it as well. The following morning, I added the baking powder and baking soda to the dry ingredients. Using a box grater, I coarsely grated the frozen butter and stirred it into the dry ingredients. After that, I proceeded as depicted below.
The recipe can easily be halved. Baked scones can be frozen.
190 g (3 ½ dl; 1 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
100 g (2 dl; ¾ cup + 1 ½ tbsp) whole wheat spelt flour
45 g (½ dl; 3 tbsp + 1 tsp) granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
135 g (1 ¼ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed
2 dl (¾ cup + 1 ½ tbsp) buttermilk (if you are in Scandinavia, you can use filmjölk instead or make your own buttermilk)
130 g (2 ½ dl; 1 cup) raspberries
melted butter
Preheat the oven to 225°C (450°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter until the dough is crumbly and resembled small peas. Alternatively, you can do this by hand. Work quickly to ensure that the butter stays cold. Add the buttermilk and mix just until the dough comes together. At this point the dough should feel slightly sticky but still be easy to handle. If the dough feels too sticky add a bit more flour.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Pat the dough into an about 1,5 cm (0.5") thick circle and scatter the raspberries on top of the dough. Fold the dough over the raspberries 3 to 4 times. Because of the berries, the dough will probably feel quite sticky at this point. Lightly flour the work surface and dough to prevent sticking. Pat into an about 3 cm (2") thick circle. Cut into 8 wedges and place on the prepared baking sheet. Slightly brush with melted butter.
Bake the scones on the middle rack for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy while still warm.
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