Oatmeal Raisin Scones

Once you master the art of a good basic scone recipe, you have a world of flavour and texture possibilities at your fingertips. Using my basic recipe, I’m able to create flavoured scones to match whatever mood I’m at that time. Today, I was craving the heartiness of oatmeal with the sweetness and chewiness of raisins. This scone is best smeared with butter and served with a hot tea!

I begin to crave scones as soon as the weather starts to warm up.  There is nothing I enjoy more than a hot coffee, and a freshly baked scone. The flavour I crave is always different, but today, I was craving these Oatmeal Raisin Scones. Even though it’s springtime, which is when I crave scones the most, I was still in the mood for one that was rather fall-ish, which is when raisins are mostly used in baked goods.

This past weekend, the temperature outside was so mild and the sun was shining so brightly. We had some company coming to visit and I love to have freshly baked scones at the ready whenever we have company. Gloria and Michael drove for over three hours to get to our house, so lots of goodies were in order!

I ended up making a few batches of scones. A plain scone is always a good idea, especially if you want to serve different jams or even clotted cream with it. McKenna was visiting too, and I always make sure that there’s a batch of chocolate chip scones for her. That’s the great thing about this basic scone recipe. You can add in just about anything you wish and make a flavour that’s all your own.

A SCONE RECIPE WITH VERSATILITY

For the basis of these Oatmeal Raisin Scones, I used my Basic Scone Recipe. I wanted to make a few versions of that recipe so that I could show you how easy it is. My Basic Scone Recipe is perfect just the way it is, especially if you are looking for a simple scone that can be slathered with butter and jam.

Actually, I put butter on all of my scones before I eat them! It’s the way I was raised. Butter goes on bread, scones, and also cinnamon rolls! (But, not the cinnamon rolls with icing!)

If I’m being completely honest, I think jam belongs on almost every scone as well. I love to slice the scone in half and smear on a bit of salted butter. Next, I add a good layer of my homemade jam, and fetch that hot coffee. Depending on the time of day, I might have a little bit of sharp cheddar cheese with it. I think all of that makes for a great lunch or an afternoon snack.

HERE’S WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• Flour – Any all-purpose flour will do just fine. I have not tested this recipe with any other types of flour.
• Butter – I used salted butter. If you’re using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to your flour and whisk it through.
• Sugar – Can you believe there are only three tablespoons of sugar in this recipe? It’s just the right amount of sweetness.
• Baking Powder – Quite a lot, like in most scones, to get that rise.
• Egg – Just one egg, but if you want a more golden, brown top, whisk one egg yolk with a tablespoon of water. Brush the tops with a pastry brush before baking.
• Milk – This is the liquid that binds it all together.
• Vanilla Extract – One whole tablespoon, which is a lot, but it works perfectly!
• Raisins – You can use light or dark raisins.
• Oats – Use quick-cook oats, which are sometimes called instant oats.

HOW TO MAKE OATMEAL RAISIN SCONES:

This really couldn’t be easier! Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Starting with the dry ingredients and butter first, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and butter, to a mixing bowl. Use a hand-held mixer to beat the butter into the dry ingredients until the combined ingredients resemble coarse sand. Add 1/2 cup of raisins and 1/2 cup of instant or quick-cook oats. Mix them through with a spatula.

Next, in a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and vanilla extract. Pour into the butter and flour mixture and fold together. Don’t overmix – the dough will form quite quickly and shouldn’t be one complete, perfectly round ball of dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to push the dough together, gathering up the bits into a mound. Sprinkle the top lightly with flour and push the dough into a round shape about 1 inch thick. Use a knife to cut the dough into 8 wedges. Transfer those to the baking sheet.

Use a pastry brush to dust off any excess flour. Top the Oatmeal Raisin Scones with sanding sugar, if using. (I did not for this particular scone.) And you can brush with the egg mixture if you want a deep golden colour. Bake for 10-12 minutes depending on your oven, until the top is just slightly golden in colour. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack immediately. Now, wasn’t that easy? You can dig in while they’re still warm too!

OATS – WHICH TYPE TO USE

For baking, regular rolled oats and quick cook oats are usually interchangeable in a recipe. If your recipe calls for quick-cook oats and you only have old-fashioned rolled oats, pulse the old-fashioned oats in the food processor a few times. If quick cook oats are used in a recipe in place of old-fashioned rolled oats, the texture will be different, but that will probably matter very little in most recipes.

In contrast, steel-cut oats, which are sometimes referred to as Irish oatmeal, most closely resemble unprocessed oats. To produce steel-cut oats, the groats are chopped into pieces with large steel blades. Steel-cut oats have a coarser, chewier texture and nuttier flavour than rolled or quick oats. They also take longer to prepare, with average cooking times varying from 15–30 minutes. When baking, I always stick to quick cook oats.

LET’S TALK RAISINS

My mom used to refer to raisins in two basic terms – light and dark. But, there’s more to raisins than just the colour difference. Not only are different grapes used in the making of raisins, but there are different processes that can be applied too.

In most baking recipes, you’ll see just the word raisins. The most common raisins that can be found in North America and either light in colour or dark in colour. Sometimes, they might be called Golden Raisins or Sultana Raisins.

Brown raisins are sun-dried by laying them out in the sun for two to four weeks. Golden raisins (with the exception of sultanas) are typically oven-dried and often treated with sulphur dioxide to preserve their colour.

To be honest, I don’t find much of a difference in the taste. The texture is different though. The golden raisins are more plump and juicy, while the brown raisins have less moisture content. You can use both interchangeably.

STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING

If you plan to eat all eight scones in the next two or three days, you can leave them sitting in a covered container on your countertop. Otherwise, you can freeze them. Once the scones are fully cooled, pack them into a food-safe, freezer-friendly container and set them in your freezer. They will stay fresh for about four to six weeks. To thaw, remove from the freezer and place in a single layer onto a wire cooling rack. Once thawed, they will taste just as good as the day you took them out of the oven!

Personally, I think life with a freshly baked scone and a cup of tea or coffee cannot possibly get any better!  When the weather gets a little warmer, there’s nothing more satisfying and relaxing than a scone smeared with butter. The question remains though, will you retreat to your spot on the couch? Or will you find a quiet place outside and soak up the beauty of spring?