BERRY SCONES WITH DARK CHOCOLATE

During an elementary-school field trip to a space museum, I bought a foil package of the freeze-dried fruit astronauts apparently eat in space and I was fascinated by the light-as-air, almost crisp berries. I forgot about that experience until many years later, when freeze-dried berries began popping up on supermarket shelves, sold as a healthy snack. They’re fantastic in scones, rehydrating in the dough without becoming soggy or chewy. This buttery dough is made even richer with almond flour. Eating these warm when the chocolate is still melty is a must.

TIP: Use raspberries if you like a hit of tartness with your chocolate or strawberries if you prefer straight-up sweetness.

makes 1 dozen

no eggs

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. Whisk both flours, the sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and toss to coat, then cut it into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until small crumbs form, with a few pea-sized pieces remaining. Add the raspberries and chocolate and toss until evenly coated. Pour in the milk all at once and stir and fold with a fork until the dough forms a shaggy mass.

3. Scrape half of the dough onto one side of the prepared pan and the other half onto the other side. Lightly flour your hands and pat each portion into a 5-inch round. Press the blade of a lightly floured dough scraper or knife straight down into the dough to cut each round into 6 wedges. If you’d like crisp edges all around, wipe the bench scraper, flour it again, and use it to nudge the wedges apart.

4. Bake until the scones are golden brown and cooked through, 17 to 20 minutes.

5. Slide the parchment paper with the scones onto a wire rack to cool, and cut along the original cuts to separate the wedges if necessary. Serve warm.

MAKE AHEAD

The scones are best the day they’re made but will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.