Blueberry Scones

After a weeklong flurry of emails back and forth, my friends and I were finally meeting for brunch after an 18 month Covid-19 enforced hiatus. Sunday morning dawned warm and sunny as the five of us gathered in our hostess’ garden at the appointed time. We laughed in amazement at the indescribable pleasure of seeing each other again. We talked at the top of our lungs attracting side long glances from visiting grandchildren that were studiously ignoring the cackling, old, (ahem), I mean, middle-aged ladies on the deck, while quietly taking it all in.

Blueberry Scones

Appetites enhanced by dining al fresco, at least that’s what we told ourselves, we dug in to huevos pericos, fluffy, golden scrambled eggs topped with sautéed tomatoes and onions seasoned with basil, oregano, sea salt and cracked pepper, expertly prepared by our hostess. Each one of us added a personal touch to the gathering with our own contributions. Unwilling to play favorites, I heaped my plate with fresh, crisp, Greek salad, rich with tangy feta cheese and sweet, ripe tomatoes and nibbled alternately on a moist, tender whole wheat muffin and a freshly baked scone bursting with ripe blueberries, all in the name of honest reporting of course. Sipping on tall glasses of creamy, sweet, iced coffee, we caught up with each other and shared our lives. News of family members, political analysis, the undisputed but largely ignored cure for Covid-19 (?!) and exercises for painful, swollen calves (not the kind that moo) were exchanged. All too soon, family obligations called us away and we reluctantly parted, promising to reconnect again before long.

The recipe for these blueberry scones is from the talented Deb Perelman, published on her inimitable blog, Smitten Kitchen.

Assemble your ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This recipe calls for a mixture of all-purpose and whole wheat flour. Using whole wheat flour makes a sturdier scone. Measure out the flours. Remove 2 tablespoons of flour and mix with the blueberries. Set aside. In a large bowl combine the rest of the flours, lemon zest, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the cold butter and mix with a pastry blender, 2 knives or your hands and work the butter into the mixture until large crumbs form. The largest pieces should be the size of peas. I grated the butter by hand using a box grater and mixed it into the flour mixture. Don’t try this at home unless the butter is very cold (read: frozen). When the scones bake, the water in the butter becomes steam and evaporates, which helps trap air and creates flaky layers in the scone.

Stir in the blueberries and then the milk, mixing only until large clumps start to form. You want to see lumps in the dough. If you overwork the dough the scones will be tough. Dump the mixture onto the baking sheet lined with parchment. Push the dough together until it forms a disk 1 inch thick. Cut the disk into 8 wedges.

Using a spatula, lift and separate the scone wedges spacing them well apart on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of each scone with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse or turbinado sugar. Bake for 15 minutes until the scones are golden brown on top. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Scones taste best the day they are made but freeze well.

Print Recipe

Blueberry Scones

Breakfast, Bread and Muffins

By Deb Perelman, Smitten Kitchen – Serves: 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes – Cooking Time: 15 minutes – Total Time: 25 mintues

Tender buttery scones bursting with fresh blueberries.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (120 grams) whole wheat flour
• Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small bits or grated frozen butter
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 2/3 cup (150 ml) milk, (3% if possible)
• For the topping
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon raw (tubinado) or other coarse sugar for finishing

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 400 F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2

Measure out the flours. Remove 2 tablespoons of flour and mix with the blueberries. Set aside.

3

In a large bowl combine the rest of the flours, lemon zest, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the cold butter and mix with a pastry blender, 2 knives or your hands. You can also grate frozen butter into the flour mixture using a box grater. Work the butter into the mixture until large crumbs form. The largest pieces should be the size of peas.

4

Stir in the blueberries and then the milk, mixing only until large clumps start to form. Dump the mixture onto the baking sheet lined with parchment. Push the dough together until it forms a disk 1 inch thick. Cut the disk into 8 wedges.

5

Using a spatula, lift and separate the scone wedges spacing them well apart on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of each scone with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse or turbinado sugar.

6

Bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, until the scones are golden brown on top. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Cool tip: Freeze the scones unbaked. When ready to bake, brush the frozen scones with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for an extra 2-4 minutes until golden brown. Your guests will think you've been working awfully hard.