Blueberry Scones

WOW! These blueberry scones are so good.  The scones are not like a cake or a muffin. They are more crisp around the edges and soft in the center. But don't be fooled, they require lots of space, time, and flour. The mixing and shaping method takes a LOT of effort. 

While I was making these scones I kept asking myself, will it be worth it? And the answer was Yes!

Only half a cup of sugar, so not sweet at all for those who need to watch their sugar intake. I was pleased that these blueberry scones were not dry or crumbly. They were very light and fluffy on the inside.

Blueberry Scone

Perfect with afternoon tea or morning coffee!

Ingredients:

8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, FROZEN whole
1½ cups (7½ oz.) fresh blueberries
½ cup whole milk
½ cup sour cream
2 cups (10 oz.) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
½ cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling (I use raw sugar)
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1-2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Place the stick of butter in the freezer the night before you plan to bake. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the blueberries in the freezer until needed.

Grate the frozen butter on the holes of a large box grater. 

Whisk together the milk and sour cream in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until needed.

Combine the flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and orange zest in a medium mixing bowl.  Whisk to combine.

Add the grated butter to the flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated. 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 into a long rectangle.  Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter then fold the short ends of the dough into the center to form a square.

Transfer the dough to a plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in the freezer for 5 minutes. Return the dough to the floured work surface and roll into a rectangle again.

Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the surface of the dough, and gently press down so that they are slightly embedded in the dough surface.

note: OK, so it is not a perfect rectangle. Don't laugh. It was the best I can do at rolling the dough on a tiny table.

Roll the dough up to form a tight log.

Lay the log seam side down and flatten the the log into a rectangle.  (Don't press down too hard or the blueberries will pop)

Using a sharp, floured knife, cut the dough into squares. Cut each square diagonally to form triangles.

Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with sugar.

These scones can be frozen after shaping and then baked straight from the freezer.(If freezing ahead of time, flash freeze on the baking sheet for 20 minutes, then wrap individually and store in a freezer bag until needed.)  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.

Source: adapted from annies-eats