Super simple cream based scones, filled with raspberries and macerated rhubarb, these Raspberry Rhubarb Cream Scones are perfect for brunch. Plus I made a little hibiscus cream to go with them and it’s now going on EVERYTHING.
Why aren’t my scones puffy?
The puffiness of scones usually comes from the baking powder. This recipe uses 1 full tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of baking powder to ensure ultimate puffiness but it is important to make sure that the baking powder hasn’t expired.
Cream Scones vs. Butter Scones
At the beginning of this year I made a recipe for butter and cream scones, and they’re delicious! But for this recipe I wanted to keep it a little simpler. I LOVE a cream scone, they tend to be slightly more bready but I love that for breakfast and these are anything but dry.
What is the secret to making good scones?
There are a few secrets to making good scones. It’s very important that the ingredients are cold and the actual scones are cold before baking them in a hot oven. The temperature of everything is very important for the scones to keep their shape and rise.
Can I make scones the night before?
Yes! But honestly I would just macerate the rhubarb the night before and bake the scones in the morning because they take under an hour from start to finish and taste so yummy straight out of the oven!
Why do you macerate rhubarb?
Personally I like to let the rhubarb sit, coated in sugar for at least 30 minutes or ideally over night. Macerating it, allows the rhubarb to hold it’s shape when added into the scone dough but it sweetens it just enough so it isn’t too tart.
Tips for making Cream Scones
- Keep everything as cold as possible but don’t stress about it.
- If you can’t find any rhubarb you can simply sub with any other berries or just make them entirely raspberry.
- Make sure the rhubarb is prepped before you start on the scone dough.
- Once you add the heavy cream, just give it a quick stir with a fork, it shouldn’t be completely mixed through or you will over work the dough.
- Scones are better under mixed rather than over. So when in doubt of whether or not you’ve mixed enough, stop and just press it together in a disk and move on.
- Make sure the oven is hot and the scones are cold! I like to put the scones in the freezer for 30 minutes before baking and make sure my oven is HOT. Like 425 F when the pan goes in.
- Allow the scones to bake until golden brown! This gives them that classic crunchy outside but don’t worry they won’t dry out inside!
- These taste best freshly baked but they can be stored in an airtight container for a day or two. I like to microwave them for a few seconds to give them a little refresh if eating the next day.
Additional Recipes to try!
Cream Scone Ingredients
Dough
- Rhubarb: The pinker the better but rhubarb can be tricky to find so whatever you can get is great! If you can’t find any you can simply sub with any other berries or just make them entirely raspberry.
- Granulated White Sugar: Sugar softens and sweetens the rhubarb and is in the scone dough to sweeten and help with texture.
- Flour: I used a combo of whole wheat and regular all purpose flour but you could use only all purpose flour.
- Fine Sea Salt: Salt needs to be added to enhance the flavors in the scones.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder is what makes the scones puff so make sure it isn’t expired.
- Heavy Cream: Using just heavy cream makes these scones so quick and easy and surprisingly light and delicious!
- Vanilla Extract: vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste will work to help sweeten and enhance the flavors of the scones.
- Raspberries: I like using frozen raspberries because they are a bit more stable when mixing with the dough and help keep the dough cold but you can use fresh too!
Toppings
- Heavy Cream: Brush the tops of the scones with heavy cream to help them get that golden brown color and to help the turbinado sugar stick.
- Turbinado Sugar: turbinado or demerara sugar will work on top of these scones to give them that crunchy sugar topping.
How to make Raspberry Rhubarb Scones
Macerate the Rhubarb
- This can be done the night before or anytime up to 30 minutes before making the dough.
- Rinse your rhubarb and then chop off the ends. Cut the rhubarb into 1″ or smaller pieces.
- Add them to a bowl and toss with 50 grams of sugar. Set aside at room temp if doing it same day, or in the fridge overnight if prepping ahead of time. Stir as needed to keep the rhubarb coated with sugar.
Hibiscus Cream *OPTIONAL*
- This makes more than you need but it’s hard to heat such a small amount of cream. BUT you can use the extra for literally anything!
- Pour the cream into a small pot and add in two hibiscus tea bags. I use the tazo passion tea but any tea should work!
- Heat over medium low until just about to simmer. Stir as needed to keep it from burning.
- Once hot, turn the heat off and cover with a lid. Leave to steep for 20 minutes.
- Then, I like to add all the tea into the cream so once it has steeped, tear the bags open and squeeze everything into the cream. The tea softens so it isn’t hard in the cream. If you prefer, you can just firmly squeeze the tea bags to get all the color, flavor, and cream out.
- Pour the cream into a large shallow bowl and place it in the fridge to chill.
- Once cold add 50 grams of powdered sugar and a 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Whip until medium peaks form.
- Leave in the fridge until the scones are ready.
Make the Scone Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, add in the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Pour in the heavy cream and vanilla and stir with a fork to just barely combine.
- Add in the frozen raspberries and rhubarb chunks. If a syrup has formed at the bottom of the rhubarb bowl, don’t pour it into the dough, rather just take the pieces of rhubarb out and add them in.
- Once the fruit is added in, work quickly, the raspberries should hydrate dough but you don’t want them to defrost fully if frozen.
- Use the fork to quickly toss and cut the dough until mostly combined. It will still be a bit crumbly but you don’t want to over mix the dough.
- Dump the very crumbly dough onto your work surface and pat it together into a 2″ tall disk. Continue to bring the dough together by hand until it holds together. There shouldn’t be any need to add more heavy cream.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Assemble & Bake
- While the dough freezes. Preheat the oven to 425 F and place a rack in the center.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour 3 tablespoons of heavy cream into a small bowl.
- Once the scone dough has chilled and the oven is hot, remove the dough from the freezer and unwrap it onto the lined baking sheet.
- Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the disk into 8 wedges.
- Brush the tops of the scones with the heavy cream and then sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
- Spread the scones out evenly over the baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for another 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
- Once baked, allow them to sit and cool for 5 minutes and then enjoy warm with hibiscus cream.
Raspberry Rhubarb Cream Scones
Ingredients
Add-Ins
- 180 grams rhubarb
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- 75 grams frozen raspberries
Scone Dough
- 80 grams granulated sugar
- 170 grams all purpose flour
- 100 grams whole wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 180 grams heavy cream cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Toppings
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 30 grams turbinado sugar
Instructions
Macerate the Rhubarb
- This can be done the night before or anytime up to 30 minutes before making the dough.
- Rinse your rhubarb and then chop off the ends. Cut the rhubarb into 1" or smaller pieces.
- Add them to a bowl and toss with 50 grams of sugar. Set aside at room temp if doing it same day, or in the fridge overnight if prepping ahead of time. Stir as needed to keep the rhubarb coated with sugar.
Hibiscus Cream *OPTIONAL*
- This makes more than you need but it's hard to heat such a small amount of cream. BUT you can use the extra for literally anything!
- Pour 200 milliliters of cream into a small pot and add in two hibiscus tea bags. I use the tazo passion tea but any tea should work!
- Heat over medium low until just about to simmer. Stir as needed to keep it from burning.
- Once hot, turn the heat off and cover with a lid. Leave to steep for 20 minutes.
- Then, I like to add all the tea into the cream so once it has steeped, tear the bags open and squeeze everything into the cream. The tea softens so it isn't hard in the cream. If you prefer, you can just firmly squeeze the tea bags to get all the color, flavor, and cream out.
- Pour the cream into a large shallow bowl and place it in the fridge to chill.
- Once cold add 50 grams of powdered sugar and a 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Whip until medium peaks form.
- Leave in the fridge until the scones are ready.
Scone Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, add in the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Pour in the heavy cream and vanilla and stir with a fork to just barely combine. It should still have quite a bit of dry bits.
- Add in the frozen raspberries and rhubarb chunks. If a syrup has formed at the bottom of the rhubarb bowl, don't pour it into the dough, rather just take the pieces of rhubarb out and add them in.
- Once the fruit is added in, work quickly, the raspberries should hydrate dough but you don't want them to defrost fully if frozen.
- Use the fork to quickly toss and cut the dough until mostly combined. It will still be a bit crumbly but you don't want to over mix the dough.
- Dump the very crumbly dough onto your work surface and pat it together into a 2" tall disk. Continue to bring the dough together by hand until it holds together. There shouldn't be any need to add more heavy cream.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Assemble & Bake
- While the dough freezes. Preheat the oven to 425 F and place a rack in the center. It's very important that the oven is hot enough so make sure to use an oven thermometer.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour 3 tablespoons of heavy cream into a small bowl.
- Once the scone dough has chilled and the oven is hot, remove the dough from the freezer and unwrap it onto the lined baking sheet.
- Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the disk into 8 wedges.
- Brush the tops of the scones with the heavy cream and then sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
- Spread the scones out evenly over the baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for another 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
- Once baked, allow them to sit and cool for 5 minutes and then enjoy warm with hibiscus cream.
Notes
- Keep everything as cold as possible but don’t stress about it.
- If you can’t find any rhubarb you can simply sub with any other berries or just make them entirely raspberry.
- Make sure the rhubarb is prepped before you start on the scone dough.
- Once you add the heavy cream, just give it a quick stir with a fork, it shouldn’t be completely mixed through or you will over work the dough.
- Scones are better under mixed rather than over. So when in doubt of whether or not you’ve mixed enough, stop and just press it together in a disk and move on.
- Make sure the oven is hot and the scones are cold! I like to put the scones in the freezer for 30 minutes before baking and make sure my oven is HOT. Like 425 F when the pan goes in.
- Allow the scones to bake until golden brown! This gives them that classic crunchy outside but don’t worry they won’t dry out inside!
- These taste best freshly baked but they can be stored in an airtight container for a day or two. I like to microwave them for a few seconds to give them a little refresh if eating the next day.
Nutrition
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Hey! Love you + your work. In this recipe, I felt unsure as to how crumbly my dough should be before freezing — some more description on this could help. Further, I’d like to know whether the scones should still be soft after baking, or if they should be baked until solid.
Hi Libby! Thank you so much, I can definitely add in more notes about this. Just to clarify, did you have any issues with the scones or were you just unsure during the process? Thanks again!