FARGO — I found myself with an abundance of blueberries last week and knew just how I wanted to use them. Bursting with blueberries, these Blueberry Buttermilk Scones are a terrific way to showcase this summertime fruit at its peak. Wonderfully crisp on the outside, these scones are surprisingly moist and tender on the inside and the perfect breakfast (or anytime) treat, no matter the season.
I wanted to try a new method recommended by a friend, so this recipe is a departure from my master scones recipe by substituting buttermilk for heavy cream and adding one egg to enrich the dough. While the buttermilk made sense to me, I was initially concerned about adding an egg to the mixture, as I thought this might result in a dense, cake-like crumb.
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My master scones are one of my signature baked goods, with an amazingly light and flaky texture that I worked hard to develop. What if this experiment yielded a disappointing result? I hated to think of all those good ingredients (and all that butter!) going to waste.
Thankfully, my fears were unfounded. While not as flaky as my master scones, these new scones have a marvelously rich and fluffy crumb structure, and a lovely, subtle tang from the buttermilk. They are different from my master scones but no less delicious, which was evident by how quickly my family gobbled them up.
This is an easy recipe that comes together quickly and can be made by hand, no mixer or food processor required. Scones are at their best when freshly baked, and this recipe yields 16 scones, which can be baked all at once or stored in the freezer to bake later as desired.
The ingredients are standard baking staples: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter, buttermilk, egg, vanilla and almond extracts.
While many baking recipes call for room-temperature ingredients, the opposite is true for scones. Cold ingredients are the key to producing the steam reaction that is needed to create a superior rise in the scones as they bake, so be sure to have your butter, buttermilk and egg as cold as possible when you start.
The wet and dry ingredients are mixed separately, and then cubes of very cold butter are worked into the flour mixture before the blueberries are added.
You can use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour, but your fingertips or just two forks will also work well. The wet mixture is the final addition to complete the dough, and I use a fork to lightly stir the dough at this stage so that I do not overmix it.
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Once the scones are shaped, I place them on two baking sheets and chill them for about 20 minutes so they will rise better in the hot oven. Just before baking, I brush each scone with egg wash and sprinkle the tops with sugar to produce a lovely golden brown color in the oven.
Rich, buttery and delicious, these Blueberry Buttermilk Scones are an easy way to enjoy a bounty of summer flavor. Happy baking!
Sarah’s Blueberry Buttermilk Scones
Makes: 16 scones
Ingredients:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, very cold and cut into small cubes
- 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries, washed
- 1 cup buttermilk, very cold
- 1 egg, cold
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Egg wash — In a small bowl, beat together:
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon water
Glaze (optional) — In a small bowl, combine:
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- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Directions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined. Add the cold butter cubes and use a pastry blender, your fingertips or two forks to work the butter into the flour, until the mixture resembles coarse, pea-size crumbs. Gently fold in the blueberries.
In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg, vanilla and almond extract until combined. Pour the liquid over the flour mixture and use a fork to gently stir just until the dough just comes together, and nearly all the flour has been incorporated.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into two equal parts. Gently flatten the halves into round disks, about 6 to 7 inches in diameter. Cut each round into 8 wedges and place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Chill the scones in the freezer or refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before baking. The unbaked scones may be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours or frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Before baking, brush each scone with the egg wash and sprinkle the tops with sugar. Bake each tray separately, in the center of the oven, until the scones are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and immediately transfer scones to a wire baking rack to cool. Serve warm or drizzle with glaze once the scones have fully cooled.
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