This Glazed Raspberry Scones recipe has a sentimental history in our family. My father used to take me to the Oregon State Fair every year when I was a kid. There were two things I remember most: (I added a colon here and parenthesis after “ride”) the hammerhead ride (that was scary just to look) at and raspberry scones. We always made a beeline for the scones vendor right as we passed through the gates.
The annual fair was the only time I ever ate scones. Mom never made them. Grandma never made them. And I never saw them anywhere except at the fair. Maybe because they were so scarce and my dad loved them so much that I developed an emotional soft spot for them. Or maybe it is because they are a perfect combination of many qualities I like. They are moist and cake-like on the inside, laced with tasty berries, a little crunchy on the outside and coated with a slightly tart sugar glaze.
When I went vegan I had concerns about the loss of many family heirloom foods like this. I first published my original recipe in “The Good Home Cookbook.” To make it plant-based I replaced the egg with a “flax egg,” swapped the butter for shortening and tweaked the leavener. I was shocked and excited how well it worked; they are almost identical in every way. This recipe reinforced what was possible with plants and kept me hungry for more conversions of classic recipes.
This is not low a calorie scones recipe which is why I don’t make them every Sunday. When I do make them they last about 20 minutes—10 of which are cooling time. They fall into the binge category.
Just about any berry will do, but raspberries have a natural tartness that works well. It is no wonder that was the berry vendors used at the fair. Blackberries and blueberries are also very good. No doubt this scones recipe could be made with spelt, oat or other flours and be gluten-free, but I have yet to experiment with them.
If baking has been a challenge for you or you want to show your kids how to bake this scones recipe is perfect. It incorporates sifting, whisking, folding, rolling, cutting and glazing all within a relatively short time span compared to other more complex recipes. And scones themselves are very kid-friendly.
- 2 tablespoons ground flax
- 6 tablespoons hot water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- ½ cup soymilk or almond milk
- 1 cup berries, fresh or frozen and thawed
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Zest of half a medium lemon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoons water, plus more as needed
-
Combine the flax and hot water in a small dish and set aside.
-
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a baking sheet.
-
Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Cut in the shortening using a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.
-
Mix the soymilk and the flax mixture together in a small bowl. Add to the flour mixture along with the blueberries. Stir lightly with a fork until the dough clings together.
-
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead gently a few times until the mix just comes together; don’t over mix so the dough is all one color. Pat down into about an 8 x 8-inch square, about ¾ inch thick, and cut in half. Cut in half again to make 4 equal squares. Cut each square diagonally to make 8 total triangles. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until lightly browned.
-
Meanwhile, to make the glaze whisk together the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and water. Add more water as needed to make the thickness of heavy syrup.
-
When the scones or finished baking, remove them from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Drizzle drizzle the glaze over each scone. There should be enough to glaze twice.
This recipe can make 16 smaller scones by cutting the 8 triangles in half. Just be sure to reduce the cooking time by about 3 minutes as they will cook faster.
