blueberry scones
Sharing a sweet recipe this Tuesday because I fucked up my savory concept and, thus, had nothing to offer ya’ll. My bad.
Hopefully, though, a solid baked treat will make up for the algorithmic snafu.
Yesterday, I attempted a baked rigatoni that in my head would come out way differently than it wound up doing. Happens sometimes. While the taste was pretty good, I got some of the roasting time wrong (despite having roasted tomatoes 5000 times last summer) and the aesthetic was just off. Worth reimagining eventually, and I did like some of the process photos, but not quite there yet for me to feel comfy showing you guys.
So, we’re starting with brunch. File this away for the weekend, so you have something to look forward to. Blueberry Scones are delightfully simple, and these puppies boast a soft texture unlike the ones you might get from a popular and overpriced chain near you.
I was hyped to bake these last week, and they ended up being part of the reason last Thursday was so lovely (if you read my Sidebar, you’ll know I went kayaking that day, which was soul-enlivening, and had some quality friend time later on). I’ve been munching on bits and pieces of scone pretty much whenever I stroll through the kitchen.
My recommendation, though, instead of picking like a vulture? A good mug of coffee and some salty butter. Mmmm. Mindful snacking at its finest.
Scones, Dough
These be a breeze, but a couple tips before we begin.
First…COLD butter and heavy cream. Ensuring these ingredients are especially chilled helps create that flaky texture a quality scone should have. We also put the formed scones in the freezer before baking for that same effect.
In addition, I prefer grating the butter instead of cubing. Grated butter incorporates much more quickly into the batter. Once you’ve got your butter shredded up like cheese, pop in the fridge until you’re ready to use it in the recipe.
Second…Fresh or frozen blueberries. I suppose this is the case in most recipes. Dried blueberries also just wouldn’t do. Obviously. But don’t sweat if all you’ve got is frozen bloobs, those work just fine here.
Now, let’s commence.
Grab a bowl, stir together some flour, sugar (a minimal amount, I don’t like an oversweet scone personally), baking powder, and salt.
Cut in your butter with a pastry cutter or your handy dandy fingers, until evenly distributed and no pieces are larger than a pea. Toss in your blueberries.
Stream in the heavy cream and stir gently until a shaggy but cohesive dough forms. You may need an extra couple tablespoons depending on what kind of mood the baking gods are in. If they’re pissed, well, preheat your oven and hope an implied sacrifice by fire appeases them.
The Circle of Life
Referring to the next shape into which you’ll form your dough. A circle. Woowee.
Spread a little flour onto a clean, dry surface. Press your dough into a circle about 3/4 inch thick, then slice out 8 triangles. Or, 6 humongous ones, but I prefer 8. Gently wriggle them apart so an inch or so lies between each scone.
Pop the tray into the freezer while the oven preheats to 425. This resolidifies the butter fats (which inevitably softened while you worked with the dough) to lift and lighten those scones once we bake them up.
Pull the tray from the freezer, brush with a little heavy cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. For a nice little sparkle. Bake 18-20 minutes until the scones are golden and puffed.
Let them cool a few minutes before diving in. I love a warm scone with a slab of butter and a coffee for dunking, like I said. A quick reheat in the microwave of 15-20 seconds or so will do the trick for a next-day scone.
I prefer freezing leftover scones to refrigerating: I find this preserves the sanctity of the scone’s texture best. Plus, emergency scones for months? Yes please.
Print this badboy of a recipe and hang it on the fridge to remind you of the weekend, which may seem so, so far away, but will probably pull up like an unexpected gas attack in your gut.
Jesus, great metaphor, Kellie. Real appetizing.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
More brunch ideas for ya’ll:
Baked Strawberry Glazed Doughnuts
blueberry scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 stick butter, grated, COLD
- 3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 3/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing
- 2 tbsp turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Cut in the COLD butter until no pieces larger than a pea remain. Toss in the blueberries.
- Pour in the heavy cream and, with a wooden spoon, stir until a tacky but cohesive dough forms. If needed, add an additional 1-2 tablespoons until desired texture is reached.
- Flour your hands and place the dough onto the baking sheet. Pat into a circle about 3/4 inch thick. Slice into 8 triangles and gently separate so there's about 1 inch of space between each scone. Place the tray in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- When ready to bake, brush the tops of the scones with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake 18-20 minutes until golden on top. Let cool 5 minutes, then serve, or let cool completely and store for later.
