I use Ricky's (Fawnridge's) adaptation of ann_t's recipe, in which you just fold in the berries when the cream is almost incorporated and don't work the dough at all. They aren't nearly as pretty as hers, much more rustique, but they still taste really good. He suggests frozen berries, but I haven't had any problem using fresh ones.

ETA I don't use a food processor for them, either. They don't need that much mixing.

I use a food processor most because I have carpal tunnel syndrome and find cutting in butter by hand too hard.

But I never thought of grating it. Frozen butter?

You could still use the FP (or the grater attachment on the FP for the frozen butter). The real trick is not to handle the berries much. If you're not folding the dough over (though changing to Ann's way wouldn't set you wrong), you can just pat it into place, and use the handle end of a teaspoon or an icepick something to worry holes to put the berries in. Worry rather than poke so you don't have smooth edges to the hole, which will want to stay open more. Then kind of use your thumb to squish the dough back together a bit. The distribution may not be as random, but the berries should survive.

I think it's a lot easier to use dried fruit in scones, instead of fresh.

It is definitely easier to mix in dried fruits which are very good. There's just something about fresh berries in scones that I love. I've done the exact same thing as ann_t which works great. I've also just gently mixed in frozen berries with nice results. I never use my food processor for scones or pastry dough. I just enjoy the process without it. Kind of therapeutic, I guess.

I always toss fresh berries for any 'baked' thing in a bit of flour...almond, coconut, a tsp cornstarch mixed in and/or powdered tapioca. Keeps berries in muffins or many corn cake, pancakes, baked goods from bleeding. Pulse any of the flours even oats in a spice grinder to grind them fine. Absorbs any excess moisture....but I'm not a baker much, just learned that somewhere.

I do like ann_t's method. Always a good source of info and method.

I did not know that, sleevendog! I've done that with blueberries in muffins to keep them from sinking. I did not know it would help keep them intact. That would be SUCH an easy solution!

Is there any kind of advantage to using a particular flour? The scones themselves use all purpose. But I always have cornstarch too. If the others work better I'd have to get them.

You can also reconstitute dried berries in some juice or water for a bit. Works wonders.

I always save a little bit of the flour mixture for cakes to toss the berries with. Just something I've always done. Not sure where I learned it either, but I think that hint has been around for many years.

I thought the flour was to keep the berries from sinking so fast. I'd guess that if it keeps them from smooshing, it's only to the extent that the smooshing is from the batter/dough, rather than the delicacy of the berries. I'm not 100% on the science, but I think it's supposed to be that the flour or sugar you toss the berries with is supposed to cling to them well, and then create more friction to keep them from sinking (via gravity) so fast.

I too add the berries while the dough is still very loose, turn it out on the floured counter and more pat it together gently until it's shaped enough to cut. I think the key is gentle handling and having the blueberries frozen as rock hard as possible...I leave them in the freezer until the last minute to measure and add to the dough.

As an aside, when I make pancakes, I pour the batter into the pan and then sprinkle the frozen blueberries on top...it keeps the batter from turning blue.

You can use fresh berries in pancakes that way, Annie, and it works every bit as well.

Sinking has been an issue with muffins and quickbreads, but not with the stiffer dough of scones. With scones it has seemed like any manipulation of the dough after the berries are in was too much. Even though the berries were frozen (maybe I am too slow at mixing and they thaw? ). I will have to try these 2 ideas.

linnea, I agree sinking doesn't apply to stiffer doughs. It's definitely more manipulation that causes the crushing and bleeding. I think you might be happy if you try what ann_t mentioned. It's really what works best for me.

Linnea is speaking of frozen berries. I have garden blueberries, raspberries, cubed asian pears, apples, rhubarb, in the freezer. If I take out a cup of any frozen fruit it will start to sweat in a mater of minutes. I toss them in any flour I am using and set aside or back into the freezer if not ready for them. The flour choice is up to the recipe. I have many choices in my kitchen freezer drawer. Coconut, almond, corn flour. If you have a spice grinder you can take a 1/4 cup of any flour with a tbsp of brown sugar and toss. It adheres to frozen fruit like concrete.

Just keep your frozen fruit frozen no more than 5-10 minutes out of the freezer or it will thaw quickly well ahead of hitting the heat of your recipe. And bleed.

My flour choice is really about if I\'m keeping gluten free/dairy free. Like my summer favorite corn cake.

Using dried fruits in my granola I chop the sticky ginger and various fruit but toss in some oats that I put through the spice grinder and some coconut flour to make a mixed flour so they do not clump. Even add a tbsp to the chopping board and over the sticky fruit is an eye-opener. No sticky clumping. We love chopped dates I keep in the freezer for many salads...a hint of sweet being so savory for the most part....so I just add some corn or coconut flour to the chopping chore.

Fresh fruit I often toss gently in a bit of maple syrup, then some dry flour, before adding to waffles, pancakes, etc.

Like ann mentioned it is something I saw years ago from Julia, Martha, Ina?

Very good tips, thank you. Now I just need to get to the store for some frozen fruit! Love blackberries.

I wish I’d saved some rhubarb! That would have been great in scones. Maybe with a sweet fruit as well. Oddly enough, my largest rhubarb plant has not gone dormant yet. It did not bloom this year, maybe that’s why. There are only a couple of short stalks, though. I’m tempted to cut one just for scones, but don’t want to risk killing the plant if it is still storing energy.

I don’t have a spice grinder. Closest is my food processor or coffee grinder.

I made Red Currant scones early this morning to have with our cappuccino.

I didn't take the currants out of the freezer until the dough was patted out, and folded twice. After the second fold, I pushed a few frozen currants into the dough and folded over 1/3rd, added some more currants to the top, and then brought the other 1/3rd, up to cover the currants and then shaped into a ball and patted out and cut into triangles.

You have to work quickly with red currants, because they will defrost quickly. But I had very little bleeding.

I'll have to practice the folding trick. I was having a little trouble visualizing but I'm sure it will become clear once I have the dough in front of me and do it. Thanks for the folding details.

The brown butter glaze sounds good! Would give the glaze some depth.

Those look great Ann. Your method in the fold and kept frozen works. I don't mind minor bleeding actually. Adds a bit of flavor/moisture. And keeping the berry count down to just a layer in the fold.

I had a currant scone in the city yesterday. Just a taste from a co-worker....I just wanted tea being so cold out. Lovely bakery and many varieties of everything, not just scones. Not busy being after the morning rush I asked about methods. Bakers love a good chat. They use fresh and dried fruits/berries. Tiny dried currants they soak overnight in lemon juice and a sweet. Pomegranate molasses or balsamic, drain, and confirmed the tossing in a flour/sugar dust. Fresh berries are gently washed in lemon/salt/sugar water, then drained, and also tossed in their flour 'dust'.

I prefer a savory scone usually but this one was a bit salty, lemony and had a bit of fresh thyme. They do their own recipe 'classics' by customer demand but always try new combinations using what their market supplier has fresh/seasonal.

Good to look for an extra coffee/spice grinder at a yard sale or HomeGoods type store. I have a few that were only 5-10 bucks. A cuisinart will easily flour a soft oat or grain. A cheap inexpensive coffee/spice grinder is so handy for so many things. Especially gluten/dairy free baking. Grinding a Tbsp of raw rice will clean it but I would not use the one I grind coffee beans.

It's raining today. Can't work in the yard. So it's a good day to make scones! Ann_t, just found your recipe. But I'd like to know more about the brown butter glaze. So you prefer that to brushing with cream and sugar on top?

Take fresh berries and freeze them overnight. Add them at the last possible moment and don't squish them.

Unfortunately, my first try at the folding technique did not turn out.

I also found cutting in the frozen butter with a grater very hard to do. 4 times I stopped and scraped the butter into the bowl of dry ingredients. I’m sure most of the butter was soft by the time I got it grated.

I added only 2/3 of the cream and the dough was so wet I had to keep adding flour just to get it off the board. I should have started with 1/3 of the cream. And it could not be folded. I eventually got it patted out, then added some of my frozen berries (raspberries and tiny wild blueberries). I had to just take a glop and pat it on top, add more berries, take another glop and pat that on top. The berries were all defrosted by the second glop-pat. All the while having to more flour just to be able to manipulate the dough. I make a fair amount of scones, so knew this was not right.

Again got it patted out, cut up, and put on the baking sheet. It was all blue/pink by the time I got that far.

I have not tasted them, but they don’t look very nice. I am sure they are very tough from too much handling and having to add so much additional flour.

Next time I’ll start with much less cream, pat out in a circle, then poke frozen berries in and pinch the holes closed. That would avoid the excess manipulation.

Linnea56, I always brush the scones with the cream and sprinkle with sugar. Even if I am doing the brown butter glaze. The glaze is simple , just brown some butter, about 1 tablespoon or so, and add it to the powdered sugar, with a little splash of cream or milk and some vanilla. I never measure when making an icing or a glaze.