I have never been much of a sweets eater. I prefer chips and salsa over cake any day. If I am craving something sweet, I want it to be on the less sweet side, something like a creme brulee. My husband and kids are the opposite. They could eat chocolate by the truckload. This recipe satisfies everyone. It’s sweet enough for them but not too sweet for me.
If you’ve never tried scones I would describe them as being similar to a lightly sweetened biscuit. They are, however, drier and more crumbly than your southern biscuit. Most of the recipes I saw for authentic British scones do not contain fruit. Maybe I should take a trip to England and try the real thing for myself?
What I did…
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour (do not pack down)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (not margarine), cut into small cubes
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
zest from one lemon
1/2 cup Half & Half, (you can also use heavy cream)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large bowl, sift all the dry ingredients and whisk together until well combined.
Using a pastry blender or fork, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is the size of small peas and the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
Carefully, stir in the blueberries and lemon zest.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the half & half, egg, and vanilla. Fold this into the dry mixture being careful not to overwork the dough. This will cause the scones to be tough. If your mixture is too dry and isn’t coming together, add additional half & half one tablespoon at a time. You want the dough to just come together but not be sticky.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Using your hands, press the dough into a circle about one inch thick. Cut (as you would a pie) into 8 pieces.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the scones on the paper so they are not touching. Brush the tops and sides lightly with half & half. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 18-20 minutes until lightly browned. (Your oven times may vary slightly. I baked mine for 20 minutes but could have taken them out a minute or two earlier.)
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for about 10 minutes.
LEMON GLAZE
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Thoroughly combine until all lumps have disappeared. Drizzle or spoon over the scones.
I prefer a thinner glaze and not so much of it, so I only used about half of the glaze. Use as much or as little as you like.
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