Buttermilk Oatmeal Raisin Scones

i don’t get why oatmeal raisin gets so much crap. yeah, it sucks when you bite into a raisin despite thinking it’s a chocolate chip, but if you’re familiar with cookies, chances are that they look different to begin with (oatmeal raisin cookies look so much more craggy and textured than chocolate chip cookies, and if you poke a dark chunk and nothing sticks to your finger, it’s probably a raisin). oatmeal raisin cookies are heartier, and while i hate eating plain, shriveled raisins, plumped up ones burst in your mouth like a natural gusher (okay i’m lying, but still). half the time i pick oatmeal raisin cookies over chocolate chip; i liked nyc’s levain bakery’s oatmeal raisin cookies better than their uber-hyped chocolate chip! so here’s attempt #2 to inject more oatmeal raisin into the world (click here for #1 on the blog, these oatmeal cookie pancakes a la rachel ray).

these are so easy, and very forgiving. you can make a half batch (the recipe typed out at the end is a half batch, but the measurements for the full batch are on the NYT cooking website linked below). you could increase the amount of oats and/or raisins, and correct the dryness with a touch more milk. you could make your own buttermilk using white vinegar and vanilla soy milk. you could overmix it a bit, and still have tender scones with delicately crunchy exteriors thanks to the oats and the scones doing their thing in the oven (aka maillard reaction). they’re lightly sweet, and could therefore benefit from a tiny bit more sugar if that’s your thing, or maybe from a powdered sugar/milk glaze, or a swipe of jam.

tl;dr: join me on my oatmeal raisin voyage. #teamoatmealraisin #butyesistilllikechocolatechip

last thing: posts will probably be every other week instead of weekly until mid-june. hello, this quarter's coding class. i'll be busy hoping and trying not to fail (c's get degrees!!).

1 year ago: Chocolate Cake with Whipped Ganache and Raspberries
2 years ago: Mini Brown Butter and Coconut Raspberry Cakes

Buttermilk Oatmeal Raisin Scones
adapted slightly from Martha Rose Shulman for NYT

¾ cup + 2 T flour (Shulman used a combo of whole wheat and all-purpose flour; I stuck with AP)
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1-2 T turbinado or granulated sugar, to taste
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅙ cup rolled oats
2 ½ T unsalted butter, cold
¼ cup buttermilk, cold (I had to use an extra splash)
¼ cup raisins

1. Mix together the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter (I like using a pastry blender, but a fork and knife work perfectly fine too) until it's broken down into pea-sized crumbs. Add the buttermilk and raisins; mix just until the dough comes together. My dough needed an extra splash of buttermilk to help it along.
2. Transfer to a lined (parchment or Silpat) baking sheet, and shape into a ½" thick square. Cut in half (lengthwise, crosswise, either way since it's a square), then cut each half on the diagonal so that you have 4 triangles total. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes, or until browned all over (including the bottom). Serve warm (or if you have leftovers, toast em up).