One of the many advantages of working from home is fresh home-made baked goods whenever I please. And what is better in the morning than warm blueberry scones right out of the oven! Eat it with some blackberry jam (from Blue Hill at Stone Barns!) and your morning cup of coffee. Can there be a better way to start off your morning?
I’ve tried many scone recipes that all claim to be “the best,” but have often found them underwhelming. This recipe, however, was perfect! The scones were light, tender, and fluffy on the inside with a crisp, sugar-coated crust on the outside. The perfect treat any time of day – whether it be morning or a mid-afternoon snack.
This recipe calls for a few extra steps during the kneading process, which often scares away some bakers. But don’t let this stop you! The extra steps are worth it and you won’t be sorry. Flash freeze the scones and you can store them in the freezer for up to 3-months. The next time you fancy a morning treat, bake them straight out of the freezer and just add 5-10 minutes to your baking time. All the yum without the prep!
I used blueberries in my recipe, but you can opt for whatever mix-in you have at home – cranberries, chocolate chip, or raisins should all work well.
Blueberry Scones
Source: adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, Spring 2009
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 18-25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen whole
- 1½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries (if using frozen, toss the blueberries with some flour)
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup sour cream (I used low-fat sour cream)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ½ cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Directions:
Adjust an oven rack to middle position and preheat to 425˚ F.
Whisk together the milk and sour cream in a medium bowl; refrigerate until needed. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
Cut up the frozen butter into small cubes. Using a food processor, blend together the dry ingredients and the frozen butter until the mixture looks like coarse corn meal and the butter is no larger than pea-sized.
Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula just until combined. Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with flour, and knead with well floured hands, 6-8 times, just until the dough holds together in a ragged ball. Add small amounts of flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Roll the dough out until approximately 1-inch thick and a 12-inch square. Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter and then fold again to form an approximate 4-inch square. Transfer the dough to a plate and chill in the freezer for 5 minutes.
Return the dough to the floured work surface and roll out until approximately 1-inch thick. Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the surface of the dough, and gently press down so that they are slightly embedded in the dough surface (if using frozen blueberries, dust with flour before pressing into the dough to prevent the dough from turning purple). Fold dough over again and roll out to desired thickness. Using a biscuit or scone cutter, cut out 12 1-inch circles and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Alternatively, you can use a sharp knife and cut the square dough into 12 equal triangles.
Brush the tops of the scones with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until the tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
If flash freezing, freeze the scones individually on the baking sheet for 20 minutes, then wrap each one separate and store in a freezer bag until needed. If baking straight out of the freezer, add 5-10 minutes to your baking time.
