Scones with Fresh Summer Berries

Summertime this year in the Northwest has produced an incredible amount of berries to pick to my heart’s content. But what to do with them became a question in my head and even entered my dream state. So many berries, how do I use them all in something different and delicious?? There is only so much sorbet I can make considering we don’t have an extra freezer in the garage.

I posted a Citrus & Fruit Scone recipe over the holidays that had lemon juice and zest.  In order to cut some fat calories, I also used plain non-fat organic yogurt.  So, for this batch, I changed things up a bit. The half cup of yogurt is now low fat vanilla flavor and a heaping measuring half cup full. I did add a teaspoon of lemon curd but that is because I am a bit addicted to anything citrus. If you don’t have it on hand, I am sure it won’t be too missed. It’s the fresh berries that matter!

Oh, and one more thing: freeze the berries. When you toss them in to the flour mixture, it will help them to not “bleed” so much juice. My raspberry scones bled a bit too much but to be honest, it was the consumption of a new Pinot Noir that caused me to forget a step.

Ingredients

2 cups quality flour

1/3 cup raw sugar

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 stick frozen, unsalted butter

1 cup frozen fresh berries

1 teaspoon lemon curd, optional

½ heaping cup vanilla lowfat yogurt

1 egg

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and adjust oven rack to middle portion. Pull butter stick from freezer as you gather your ingredients to your work surface. I have found that pulling the stick directly from the freezer is more difficult to grate. You want the stick firm but not hard.

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater. Use your fingers to work in butter until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Stir in fruit.

In a small bowl or large measuring cup whisk yogurt, lemon curd and egg until well blended.

Using large fork, stir in the yogurt mixture in to flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands if you have to in order to press the dough in to a ball. The dough will be sticky – this is okay! Don’t worry…..Just make sure it is not too wet. I did use a large fork so that I would get every bit of dough for my scones.

Place dough on lightly floured surface and roll gently until dough is covered lightly in flour. Pat dough in to a 9” cake pan to form a round, making sure your dough is just about an inch thick. Flip cake pan on floured surface. Sprinkle with raw sugar and press lightly into dough. Using a sharp knife, cut into 8 wedges. Place wedges on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes in a gas oven, about 17 minutes in an electric oven.

Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm. Bring to room temperature or microwave 15 seconds the next day. Or two days. Depends on how long they last! #scones #summerberries #blackberries #blueberries #raspberries

PS please forgive the poor pictures. I am seriously looking in to switching my iPhone to a Samsung.