Mom is coming home today from being gone for one month -one month too long. She’s been in Spokane helping my younger sister, Grace, and her family adjust to the newest member of their family, sweet baby Emma. It’s funny, mom moves in with us and just when we get into a rhythm of sorts, she leaves us. Her absence was felt immediately and I was quickly reminded how much we appreciate all that she does for us. Her presence here makes the family environment so rich and wonderful. I’ve missed mom.
I spoke with my sister on the phone today and she is sad mom is leaving. I felt bad for her but would be lying if I didn’t tell you I am very relieved her plane will be landing in the next half hour.
It will be nice to have her home again, even if only for a little while. My other sister Janice is expecting her second baby next month and I’m told by her not to get too used to having mom around.
So today I baked scones in her honor. A welcome home treat just for her. It’s also a bribe to remind her which daughter has the homemade goodies you can’t get anywhere else. After all, there is no place like home.
I am very happy to share with you this recipe for Blackberry Honey-Wheat Cream Scones. They are so good, I really wish you were here to eat one with me. I had been thinking about making blackberry scones all week and decided to let my instincts determine the type of scones I thought would make me the most happy. The more I thought about the flavor and texture of the berries, I couldn’t help but think using whole wheat flour was the better way to go. However, my goal wasn’t to make the healthiest scones but the most flavorful ones. I wanted scones with layered flavors with a hint of sweetness. I wanted the same melt in your mouth texture I’ve become spoiled by when making regular cream scones. As a result, I used a little bit of brown sugar and a couple tablespoons of honey to compliment the flavor of the wheat. Oh my word, hold the butter. These scones are perfect with no need for any butter of jam. Eat them while they are still warm, preferably in a quiet house and by yourself so you can just enjoy every bite.
<update> She’s home. 🙂
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 egg slightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups frozen blackberries
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a food processor, add both flours, baking powder, brown sugar, and salt. Puslate the dry ingredients for a couple of seconds to mix everything. Add the butter. Pulsate again until a coarse meal forms. Transfer everything to a large mixing bowl. Add the heavy cream, egg, honey, and vanilla extract and knead the dough inside the bowl until it comes together. Add the frozen blackberries and work the dough with your hands and fast as you can into a large ball. -The less you handle the blackberries, the less purplish colored scones you'll have. Frozen blackberries also help the berries keep their shape instead of getting smoothed into the dough.-
- On a floured surface, flatten the dough ball into a disk one inch thick. Cut the disk into eight equal pieces. Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the scones for 15-18 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown. Transfer scones to a wire rack to cool.
I made these last night with wild blackberries. They are delicious! I love the whole wheat, and the fact that they aren’t overly sweet! Perfect! Thank you for sharing…I will use this recipe again with other types of berries.
Bless your mom. She looks as wonderful as she sounds.
Re the scones, have you ever used plain yogurt instead of cream? I used to make a wholewheat scone (British style) and used yogurt. I have lost the recipe. I have wild blackberries in my back yard and have been having them in the morning on cereal.
Made the scones today and they are wonderful! Super easy to make and they melt in your mouth.
I have made these 4 times so far and they are my favorite scone ever! They are also the only thing my husband asked for for Father’s Day! Reading that you lost your Dad recently, I was thinking about you as well on this day. I wish you well on this day filled with good memories and some laughs and some good tears with your mom. Thanks for the great recipes.
These look gorgeous and delicious! Glad your mom is doing well too. 🙂
I made these scones last night. Very yummy, thanks!
Hello Alice! I really enjoyed your recipe- the pictures are beautiful and the name and the taste is delightful. I do have some questions for you as my scones did not come out as yours did. 🙂
One explanation may be that I thought parchment paper was the same thing as wax paper… Besides making the oven smoke and perhaps making the scones toxic, by using wax paper would that be a reason as to why my scones were flat and were a “muffin texture?” What gives a scone thick & pretty solid & crumbly, opposed to a flatter, “light” form? Am I making sense?
Thank you! I really enjoy your blog. 🙂
Hi Kyla,
You never want to bake with wax paper because the “wax” will melt and do all sorts of funky things to whatever it’s touching including the baking sheet and whatever is on top. As for the texture, I don’t know what to tell you. It shouldn’t taste like a muffin though.
Hi Alice,
I make a raspberry scone regularly at my friend’s restaurant and have a few hints that work for me when using frozen berries. I mix all of the wet ingredients well, including the eggs, before I process the butter into the flour. I then process the butter into the flour, dump into a bowl, and add the berries to the dry mix and toss. Immediately I pour the liquid in and I fold and press the mixture. I find that using a large bowl and large spatula works well. I never stir. The berries seem to get less damaged and more integrated this way. I knead it just a couple of times at the end. I hope this helps anyone having trouble with pink or purple dough! Keeping ALL of the ingredients cold, including the flour, really does help here. Thanks for your wonderful blog.
This is really good information. You have done an excellent job of research and writing.
Thank you Alice for this delicious scone recipe, and we are so happy that you have your Mom back:)
Judit & Corina
mother & daughter
Simply amazing cant wait to eat them.
These look beautiful and delicious! I can’t wait for fresh summer blackberries.
Divine – these look just like my regular scones – half whole wheat, in wedges, and with blackberries whenever possible..!
Oh, I love that beautiful purple dough! These look absolutely amazing. Surely mom will have to stick around now! 😉
So sweet – I love this. They look delicious!
Your mother must be very happy to see you doing this for her. You are good girl. Scones look fantastic and delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Your mom looks so happy to be enjoying one of those delicious scones! 🙂 I want to surprise my mom with these for breakfast one morning this week!
delicious looking scones
I miss my parents so each time they leave after a visit, I know how you feel. They arrive next week for a month long stay and as usual we’ll be cooking and baking and enjoying each others company along with new and old recipes. These look perfect for tea on their first afternoon here, and lucky us the blackberries recently have been outrageously delicious. Can’t wait!
These look wonderful! My husband loves blackberries and I have plenty in my fridge right now — do you think I could make these with fresh, rather than frozen, blackberries? Would I have to alter the recipe in any way to account for it?
I made these last night for breakfast this morning and they were so good (I used strawberries instead)! I have never made scones before and these were the perfect start. Thanks so much for sharing!