Sarah Kieffer’s secret to fruit-filled scones

My initial encounters with scones were all tasteless affairs: coffee-chain-store scones that crumbled all over my lap when I bit into them and left me frantically guzzling down coffee as I tried to swallow the dry, sugary pieces.

All that changed one crisp fall day, when I was working the morning shift at the Blue Heron Coffeehouse in Winona. A baking tray was pulled from the oven, full of beautiful, creamy white triangles that glittered with sugar. Flaky, buttery layers peeked out from under those sugar tops, and I decided to give scones another try. I was immediately addicted.

Over the years I have made hundreds upon hundreds of scones, and have slowly evolved my working recipe. I have settled on a buttery scone, with crème fraîche and an extra egg yolk for rich flavor and a tender base, and gently folded layers to keep the scones flaky. However, as much as I love adding fresh fruit to my dough, especially in these summer months, the extra juice can sometimes cause problems when baking.

My yard is currently crawling with unruly raspberry bushes, and I wanted to make a scone bursting with fresh picked berries. Throwing them straight into the dough made it watery and difficult to roll and fold, and as they baked they spread all over the pan in gray doughy blobs. My family ate them with some disappointed side-eye aimed in my direction.

I started over, deciding on a new approach.

I took advantage of the folds: I spread a thin layer of raspberry jam across the surface and sprinkled the top with fresh berries. The jam boosted flavor and helped the berries adhere, and the scones baked up tall and lofty, with beautiful strips of purple and juices contained. Drizzling icing over the scones while still warm helped tame the tartness of the berries and also helped keep the scones tender for hours after baking.

My family gobbled them up immediately, and declared them a new house scone favorite (which is high praise).

After decades of making scones in all shapes and sizes, I have finally settled on my “best” way of making them. These scones are American in nature, with a little extra sugar and butter. They also involve a folding method: the dough is folded over several times to create multiple flaky layers. From Sarah Kieffer.

Icing:

Directions

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the crème fraîche, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Set aside.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a spatula to fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead four to six times, until it comes together, adding more flour as necessary if the dough is sticky. Pat the dough gently into a square and roll it into a 12-inch square, dusting with flour as necessary. Fold the dough into thirds, like a business letter. Fold the dough into thirds again by folding in the short ends, making a square. Transfer it to the prepared sheet pan and put it in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Return the dough to the floured surface, roll it into a 12-inch square, and spread the jam evenly over the top. Sprinkle evenly with the raspberries, gently pressing them into the jam. Fold the dough into thirds. Turn the dough over so it’s seam-side down, and gently roll out the dough into a 12- by 4-inch rectangle. With a sharp knife, cut it crosswise into four equal rectangles, then cut each rectangle diagonally into two triangles. Transfer the scones to the prepared sheet pan and freeze the scones while the oven is preheating (freezing the scones helps them retain their shape; scones can also be frozen for up to two weeks before baking).

Meanwhile, position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Stack the sheet pan with the scones on another sheet pan (double-stacking the sheet pans helps prevent the bottoms of the scones from browning too quickly). Brush the tops of the triangles with a little heavy cream, making sure it doesn’t drip down the sides. Bake until the tops and bottoms are light golden brown, rotating the pans halfway through, 18 to 25 minutes.

For the icing: While the scones are baking, in a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, vanilla and salt until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix together, then whisk until well combined and smooth. Add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin the icing to your preferred consistency; the icing should be thick but pourable.

Transfer the top sheet pan to a wire rack and ice the scones immediately, using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. Scones are best eaten the same day they are made.