Whole Wheat Buttermilk Raisin Scones

In a busy world, where more and more families spend increasing amounts of their budgets on eating out and commercial food, sometimes you just want home baked goodness. It is a form of love embodied in flour, sugar and butter. It can be self-love when you deserve a treat, love for your neighbors, or love for a friend. But no matter how you slice it or slather it in butter, baked goods are always welcome.

In our department we have a lovely tradition of rallying to help cook meals for the new parents in our department. One of my good friends, Berit, is set to give birth any day now. Unfortunately, all the sociologists are heading out of town for our big annual conference (which has also been keeping me busy at the laptop and out of the kitchen). So before we all head out, I decided to make her a few treats to have on hand so that if the baby comes, she'll have tasty, nutritious, homemade food easily available.

I whipped up a pot of my to-die-for chicken tortilla soup (post forthcoming), and then decided to do something that could cover that breakfast/midnight snack territory. It didn't take me long to decide on scones...they've been practically an obsession since late spring (Old Fashioned Irish Raisin Spice, my new fave Lemon Cherry and an attempt at Margarita Lime scones that wasn't good enough to warrant your attention, but wasn't bad enough to qualify for the follies). I knew I wanted something hearty, so whole wheat was definitely going in the mix. I also knew that I had some buttermilk in my fridge that I wanted to use up, so I decided to hunt around for a good buttermilk-based scone recipe.

The result is a delicious, satisfying, and hearty snack with a good hint of sweetness. An indulgence that won't break the caloric bank, this recipe is great for expectant mothers and regular folk alike.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Raisin Scones

This recipe is modified from Baking Sheet's Buttermilk Scones

Makes 6 medium scones.

1 cup + 1 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp butter, very cold
5 tbsp buttermilk
2 tsp Mexican vanilla
1/4 cup (packed) raisins
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves

For topping:
1 tbsp buttermilk
1 tbsp sugar in the raw

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar and stir well to combine. Remove the cold butter from the fridge or freezer (I use mine directly from the freezer). Using a knife, cut or shave the butter into small pieces. Then rub the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles very coarse sand. Add the buttermilk and vanilla, stir to combine. It will come together into a wet dough. Add the raisins and stir to distribute well. The dough should be sticky and wet, but firm enough to hold its shape and not runny.

Roll the dough into a ball and then press gently into a disc about an inch thick. Place the disc of dough onto a well seasoned baking stone or a parchment lined baking sheet. Cut the dough disk into six wedges. Separate the wedges so there is at least an inch between each of them. Working with your finger or a pastry brush, brush the tops and sides with 1 tbsp buttermilk (total for all) and sprinkle generously with the coarse sugar.

Bake at 400F for 15-18 minutes, until lightly browned.
Remove to a wire rack and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve warm with butter.