The Perfect Scone...

I don't know about you but a good scone hot from the oven on a cold day is one of my favorite treats, especially if that scone is a white chocolate raspberry scone. I made up this recipe on a whim, and now make it fairly regularly at the Lodge. One guest said that "this scone puts other scones to shame, it was out of this world." I think he liked it a little bit... LOL. My favorite kind of scone is one that is crusty and golden on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. Now with this recipe I recommend using a food processor as it saves tons of time but if you don't have one your hands'll do. One thing I like to do is to brush on a little left over buttermilk (or milk is fine) on top of the scones and sprinkle on a layer of large crystaled sugar (you can usually find this in the cake decorating section of your local store). It gives it a nice little crunch and added sweetness with out it being overpowering. Hope you like this recipe just as much as we do!


Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup frozen chopped raspberries
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup chilled buttermilk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda into large bowl. Add flour mixture and butter to a large food processor and pulse (or rub in with fingertips) until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in raspberries and white chocolate chips. Gradually add buttermilk, tossing with fork until moist clumps form. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead briefly to bind dough, about 4 turns. Form dough into 1-inch-thick round. Cut into 8 wedges. Transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until tops of scones are golden brown, about 18-25 minutes. Let stand on baking sheet 10 minutes. Serve scones warm or at room temperature.