My blackberries finally succumbed to the heat. I picked several pints but lost many times that due to dehydration in the 100+ temperatures. Luckily I froze a few pints and used about 175g of them to make scones this morning and have enough to make another couple of dozen scones later. Also Luckily, the scones freeze well and only need to come to room temperature to be as good as fresh.

Berry Drop Scones

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ½ cups (312g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup (67g) sugar
• Zest of 1 small lemon (or orange or lime)
• ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
• 150-175g berries. Use any berries that you like.
• 1 cup heavy cream + extra if required
• Coarse or turbinado sugar for topping

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and zest. Pulse a few times to incorporate.
3. Add the cubed butter and pulse to incorporate. The mixture should resemble very coarse sand.
4. Empty the flour mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the cream and stir until just barely incorporated. Add additional cream by the tablespoon to help the dough come together
5. Gently fold in the berries. It’s fine if the raspberries break up a little – it adds a nice pink stain to the dough. The dough should just be moist, not wet, but also not crumbly or powdery looking. If it looks too dry, add a tablespoon of cold water.
6. Spoon, or use your hands, the dough into 12 equally sized pieces on the parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle some coarse or turbinado sugar over the top, if desired.
7. Bake for 16-19 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The scones should be lightly golden and cooked through. I rotate the pan after 10 minutes
8. Cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes then carefully remove to a cooling rack.