Lemon Scones with Raspberries and Blueberries

What to cook first?  The recent Nashville ice storm has unleashed a variety of touching stories, some sad, some hopeful, and some (that in a little time) may be humorous. We stayed in our house for 11 days, powered by a gas generator.

We had some damage but considered ourselves lucky to be alive. Here’s the thing about a gas generator: you learn what watts are and how to count them. Even with my math skills, it was obvious that I would not be using the oven or microwave on that amount of power. One eye on the stove top for less than 10 minutes was the thrill of the day. Our grill was smashed to pieces, and we couldn’t have gotten to it through the fallen trees anyway. We were lucky that a few days later, good friends trekked up our frozen hill of a driveway with a mini grill. That helped lots.

Eleven days later, when NES hooked a line to our house (yes, I hugged them both) I ran inside to see if the stove was working, and hallelujah it was. I wanted to bake immediately, and so without much fanfare, I made my very favorite Lemon Scones with Raspberries and Blueberries. Every time one of us got out to the store we stocked up on fruit – no cooking required, so I had all the necessary ingredients.

If you’ve ever tried my trick for buttermilk biscuits, you’ll know how simple this is. I melt the butter and put the – cream in this case – in the freezer for 15 minutes. When I stir them together, I get those lovely little pieces of butter that incorporate into the flour mixture in seconds. I got the scones in the oven and have never been happier to smell the delicious scent of baking. It made me realize how many luxuries I take for granted. However, you can be assured no one took these delicious scones for granted. They lasted 24 hours. I am so happy to be sharing a treasured recipe with you. This would be a lovely treat this Saturday for a Valentine’s surprise for someone. It would be a lovely treat anytime. Make these soon. Enjoy!

Lemon Scones with Raspberries and Blueberries

Ingredients

1 cup cream

1 stick butter

2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 Tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

Zest of one lemon and juice

¾ cup mixed blueberries and raspberries

Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

3-4 Tbsp cream

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put 1 cup of cream in the freezer.

Melt butter in the microwave and allow it to cool slightly.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest.

Mix melted butter into cold cream and add to the flour mixture along with the lemon juice, stirring until the flour is just incorporated. (Dough will be very thick.)

Add the berries, breaking up the raspberries a bit. Stir just a couple of times.

Using a spoon, place rounded spoons of dough on the prepared baking sheet. (It made 15 for me.)

Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, checking for browning.

Allow to cool slightly while you make the glaze.

Glaze: combine powdered sugar, cream, and lemon juice, adding more cream if necessary.

Spoon glaze over the scones and allow to set for 15 minutes if you can!