Blueberry Scones

Thursday, July 29, 2010
My love affair with scones began about ten years ago during a vacation to England. Not only did I love the taste, but I loved the way the English served scones on pretty plates with a side of clotted cream and a spot of tea. How could I not fall in love?

A few years ago, I tried to make scones and failed miserably. I can't recall exactly where I went wrong, but I did and the outcome was horrible. Inspired by fresh, plump New Jersey blueberries, I decided to try my hand at scones again. And this time, the results were remarkable. {Recipe follows}


Blueberry Scones
Makes 12

Ingredients
Nonstick Cooking Spray
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, chilled
3 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/3 c. sugar plus more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup fresh or dried blueberries
2 large eggs, lightly beaten, plus 1 egg, lightly beaten for brushing the tops
3/4 cup whole or lowfat milk

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Cut the butter into 1/4" dice. Place the butter on a plate and set it in the freezer while you prepare the dry ingredients.

2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the chilled butter pieces and, with an electric mixer, beat on low speed until the mixture resembles course meal. Stir in the blueberries.

3. Add 2 eggs and the milk and mix on low speed just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix.

4. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Shape each half into a 6-inch disk. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut each disk into 6 wedges. Place the wedges 1/2" apart on the prepared baking sheet. Brush them with the remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.


5. Bake the scones until they are golden, about 15 minutes. Let them cool or 5 minutes and serve them warm or let them cool completely.


NOTES:

- Use very cold butter


- Do not overwork dough


- Bake scones in a very hot oven


- Scones are best eaten on the day they are baked


- Scones become very dry when overbaked

2 comments

Michelle R said...

Is 450 degrees correct? Mine burnt on the bottom. Other than that I really like them but I will definitely adjust to a lower temp next time.

Sheila said...

Michelle, I changed the recipe to 400 degrees F. It really depends on the oven. You can try them on 375 also, but I wouldn't go any lower than that. Otherwise, they steam rather than bake.