New Orleans Rum Raisin Scones

About: I developed this recipe a few years ago as a compromise between cream scones and butter scones—by adding both cream and butter. The resulting texture is delicate yet crumbly, rich, moist and cakey. Of course, I make these scones with our freshly stone milled pastry flour. Fresh flour adds further richness in aroma and texture; its notes pair perfectly with the rum-soaked raisins. (We use New Orleans Rum to soak the raisins, as well as orange blossom water, for an extra flavor.) Feel free to increase (or decrease!) the rum according to your taste, after all this recipe was written in New Orleans. Lastly, a nice final touch is adding a splash of orange blossom water to your glaze before baking the scones. Serve with Chicory coffee, compote, or fresh fruit.

Mixing:

Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add cubed butter to bowl and toss together. Pinch butter into dry ingredients until it’s the size of peas. Add raisins (soak ahead at least one hour.) Make a well in this mixture and pour in cream. Gently fold with a spatula, until dough holds together. Turn dough to a floured surface and press into 2” disk (use a rolling pin to lightly press the dough if you’d like.) Cut into about 9 wedges or squares; brush tops of scones with cream and sugar before baking. Bake in a 400* oven for about 25 minutes, on a baking sheet, until golden.