Raspberry Scones with Toasted Almonds

Instructions

Prep:

1. Position an oven rack to the center position. Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C. Make sure you give the oven ample time to preheat as the scones will spread too much if it isn’t hot enough. 
2. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. 
3. Cut up the butter (113 grams/ ½ cup) into small pieces and put it back in the refrigerator to stay cold. Measure out the rest of your ingredients. If you are using frozen berries as a mix-in, keep them in the freezer until you add them to your dough. They need to be completely frozen or they will release too much moisture, making the dough unmanageable.

Make the Scones:

1. In a large bowl whisk together the flour (240 grams/ 2 cups), sugar (100 grams/ ½ cup), baking powder (10 grams/ 1 tablespoon), and salt (½ teaspoon).
2. Add the pieces of cold butter to the mixing bowl and cut it into the flour mixture. To do this, press down on the fat with the wires of the pastry blender or the tines of a fork as you move it around the bowl. Continue cutting the fat into the flour until most of the pieces of fat are about the size of peas with some pieces being about the size of a walnut half.
3. Gently toss the fresh or frozen raspberries (120 grams/ 1 cup) in the mixture.
4. Lightly whisk together the cold egg (1 large), almond extract (¼ teaspoon), and heavy cream (117 grams/ ½ cup).
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a silicone spatula just until the liquid is absorbed. This should only take a few turns. The dough will look in-cohesive but it will come together on the counter. It's ok if the raspberries become mushed and release pink color into the dough.
6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and flour the top of the dough. The dough is typically very crumbly at this point, this is normal. Use a bit of pressure to press the dough together into one mass.
7. Press the dough out to about a 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick rectangle.  
8. Using a bench knife (or a metal spatula can be helpful if you do not have a bench knife), fold the dough in half and then turn it 90 degrees. Pat out and fold again for a total of 6 times. The dough will likely crumble during the first few turns. Be very gentle and keep patting it back together. This process is creating layers which will create flaky scones. If you use frozen berries, it can make this dough more moist and tricky to work with. Dust more flour on top of the dough as needed to make it manageable. 
9. Pat the dough out to about a 7-inch (18 cm) circle (about 1.5-inch, 4 cm thick). Cut into 8 triangle-shaped pieces. I like to use a bench knife for this, but a sharp knife also works. Alternatively, use a round cutter to cut out round scones. Transfer the scones onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Brush the tops lightly with cream and sprinkle with almond slices(43 grams/ ½ cup).
10. As an optional step, place the sheet pan in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking. This will ensure that your scones will not spread too much and will allow your oven to fully pre-heat. 
11. Bake at 425°F/220°C for 14-18 minutes until golden brown and firm when gently pressed on. Transfer to a cooling rack. While the scones are cooling, make the glaze if using.

Make the Glaze (optional):

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the powdered sugar (120 grams/ 1 cup) and salt (one pinch) together. Add the smaller amount of milk (28 grams/ 2 tablespoons) and whisk until smooth. If it's too thick, add a splash more milk. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar.
2. When the scones have at least slightly cooled, drizzle the glaze over the tops. The scones can be slightly warm or completely cooled but not hot otherwise the glaze will run off.
3. Store leftovers completely cooled at room temperature wrapped in foil or plastic wrap for up to 2 days.