Scones are probably my most cherished baked good. I just absolutely love them; that is… a traditional English scone with the perfect amount of butter, not too much sugar, and the best dry but yet soft texture. It is rare to find a good scone around here though, so I tend to be a tough critic!
These scones however, are not like those traditional English scones that I love so much. I’m just going to be really honest. There’s a minimal amount of butter, and the main wet element is greek yogurt, creating quite a unique consistency. If you are truly chasing a classic scone, I maybe wouldn’t choose this recipe. Though if you are chasing a lighter in calories and fat alternative that somewhat satisfies the craving… I would give these a shot! When I really want a scone, I make real scones. But I find these delicious in their own way, and a great lighter alternative-I often find myself craving these instead!
What You Will Need
Scone base:
- All purpose flour
- Coconut sugar
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Unsalted Butter, chilled
- Vanilla Greek Yogurt
- Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
Inclusions:
- Cinnamon
- Raisins
Tips On How to Make These Cinnamon Raisin Scones
Oven Temperature: Scones are best baked at a high heat. This is because the high/hot oven temperature meets the cold ingredients within the scone base (butter), causing the butter to quickly turn into steam and result in a quick rise.
Butter: When “cutting” the butter in to the dry ingredients, I much prefer to use my hands. I cannot seem to figure out the pastry cutter. Just simply rub the butter into the dry mixture using your fingers. The result should look a lot like the dry ingredients did before, just with a few crumb like crumbles due to the butter.
I especially recommend grating the butter using a hand grater to make this process even smoother and ensure the butter stays as cold as possible
Refrigerating: It is very important to refrigerate the dough after it comes together. This allows the scones to return to a cold temperature in order to be able to maintain their shape and rise in the best way possible.
Shaping: It is okay if your scone base has not completely combined. Frankly, when scones are worked too much they become rubbery. Just simply pour out your dough onto a floured surface (I typically do parchment paper) and gently press it together.
At this point, add the final cinnamon layer and gently fold each side over the other, similar to wrapping a present. Try not to harp on this step too much though, you do not want the dough to be too overworked.
Dish Consolidation: I’m a big fan of using as few dishes as possible, therefore I like to mix and prepare everything in the same bowl… It has always seemed to work out for me!
Other Variations
I use this scone base recipe as a base for various other scone flavors!
Just a few Ideas include:
- Blueberry Scones (2/3 cup blueberries)
- Cranberry Scones (2-3 tablespoons dried cranberries, cut in half)
- Chocolate Chip Scones (1/4 cup chocolate chips
The list could go on and on… Just simply remove the raisins and extra 1 tsp of cinnamon and add my recommended about of whichever other inclusion you desire.
Cinnamon Raisin “Scones”
Course: Desserts, Breakfast, Tea9
servings20
minutes10
minutes130
kcal25
minutesIngredients
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon (divided)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt
3 tablespoons unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 tablespoons of raisins (+ more if you prefer)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and 1 tsp of cinnamon in a large bowl.
- Dice up the cold butter and work it into the dry ingredients, using either a pastry cutter or your hands (I always prefer my hands). The mixture should be soft a semi crumbly, resembling dry sand.
- Add in the raisins and mix until they are evenly distributed.
- like to cut about 2/3rds-all of the raisins in half
- Add the yogurt and almond milk, then mix until a cohesive but still a little crumbly dough ball forms.
- At this point, you can choose to refrigerate the dough for about 10-15 minutes, though I don’t think its necessary unless your dough is sticky or soft.
- Remove the dough “ball” from the bowl and place it on a clean surface. It shouldn’t be necessary to flour your surface, however you certainly can if you desire. Flatten the dough with you hands a little bit, until its about 1 1/2 inch tall. Add the remaining 1 tsp cinnamon evenly across the top surface of your dough.
- Fold each side of your flattened dough over the other (like wrapping a present), then slightly flatten it down again to your desired height.
- Cut the dough using a decently shard knife into whatever shapes you would like (I typically do triangles but I think circles or any cookie cutter shape could be cute too!). I like smaller scones so I typically get about 10 scones!
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the scones on the lined baking sheet, about 1-2 inches apart. Bake at 425 for 10-13 minutes, until the tops look slightly brown and the inside appears to be fully baked!
