Mini Raspberry Almond Scones

I realize it has been over a week since I posted any new recipes, but you guys, my mom was visiting me last week!

Before this latest visit, I hadn’t seen her in two years. That’s just stupid. So I was a little busy and distracted last week. It was fantastic.

We ate a lot of food, went bowling, saw some waterfalls, ate, went shopping, ate, visited the Oregon coast, ate and went shopping, hit up the salon together, went shopping some more, took a day trip to Seattle where we ate and shopped a lot…especially ate, then shopped some more, and finally, we ate.

It was a good great week.

The day she arrived, she wasted no time requesting two things for me to cook for her while she was here. I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I was that she had special requests.

The first thing she wanted, and I was more than happy to make, was my Mulligatawny Soup. Like I’d ever say no to that! It’s simple and delicious, and one of my all-time favorite foods, so yeah…easy choice.

Secondly, she requested scones. She didn’t care what flavor or variety I made, she just asked if I’d make some scones. Considering the fact that I actually have a secret obsession with scones, this wasn’t an issue at all. I decided it would be stupid not to make something I could share with you guys, as well, so I came up with a new flavor. I wanted something summery, but not too much like other recipes I’ve already made.

I already had plenty of raspberries on hand, and since I had a bag of almonds waiting around to do something tasty, I threw them in, too. It was a wise choice, and I don’t regret my actions one bit.

Every time I bake with fresh raspberries, I always want to take lots of pictures of them all by themselves. They’re like the supermodels of the fruit world…so photogenic.

I’m weird. Whatever.

These scones were pretty crazy delicious straight from the oven, without any topping, but I always like a little extra zing to my scones, so I whipped up an easy raspberry simple syrup to go on top, then added a dusting of sugar and almonds.

It was the right decision.

Just look at how the syrup and sugar formed a sweet crust on top of the scones. How could that ever be wrong? With the combination of fresh raspberries and almonds inside, and the sweet topping outside, you don’t even need to add any butter or jam to these…

…but you should. Obviously.

These scones turned out so light and buttery, with just the right hint of almond flavoring and crunch perfectly complimenting the sweet-tart flavor bursts of the raspberries. They’re just the way a scone should be: lightly sweetened and fluffy, almost biscuit-like, allowing the flavorings and toppings to come through.

Plus, simple. And simple is always, always a good thing. Mix these up and shape them the night before you’ll be serving them to make your morning even easier, too.

Enjoy!

Raspberry Almond Scones
Makes 8 standard scones or 16 mini

Ingredients

FOR THE SCONES
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup heavy cream, cold
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (you can add more, as desired, but this is a strong extract, so use sparingly)
fresh raspberries

FOR THE TOPPING
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh raspberries (about 10 to 12 berries)

To make the scones: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or  Silpat mat.

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and almonds to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the ingredients 5 or 6 times to combine. Distribute the butter evenly over the top of the flour mixture and pulse another 5 or 6 times until the butter is cut to about pea sized. Pour in the heavy cream and pulse until the ingredients just come together as a dough, about 6 pulses. Pour the mixture onto a lightly floured surface, sprinkle the berries on top, and lightly pull the loose pieces together to form a more cohesive dough. Don’t worry abut smashing some of the berries, but be gentle enough that many are left whole (this will help achieve a very light scone.)

Once your dough is formed, shape it into a disk about an inch thick and 7 to 8 inches across (for standard scones). To make mini scones, divide the evenly in half, and shape each piece of dough into smaller disks. Using a sharp knife or a dough cutter, cut the disk(s) into eight equal wedges and transfer them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool on a wire cooling rack for 5-10 minutes before topping.

To make the topping: While the scones are baking, combine the 1/2 cup of sugar and the sliced almonds in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times, until the almonds are chopped finer and mixed with the sugar. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl; set aside.

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan set over medium high heat. Add the raspberries, and heat until the mixture just comes to a light boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring as needed. Pour the syrup through a fine mesh sieve to remove the raspberry solids, and allow to cool until ready to use.

Once the scones have cooled for at least 10 minutes, dip the top each scone into the raspberry syrup, allowing any excess to drip off. Dip the scones into the almond sugar, sprinkle with more almonds, as desired. Serve warm.

Recipe by Darla