Laura Walton

Blueberry Lemon Scones

It’s early blueberry season, y’all!

This past Monday, Preschool Homesteader and I drove to pick about a gallon of blueberries from a local grower. This is most exciting, especially since we only got about five blueberries total last year from our sad porch plant, thanks to some funky warmth and freezes.

We’ll be going back for more soon, as I’m in the mood to make all of the blueberry things before our blackberries come in: blueberry jam, blueberry pie and galettes, blueberry wine and mead and, of course, blueberry pastries.

Today’s recipe is for a delightful blueberry lemon scone I’ve been making for a local coffee truck, Generational Grounds Coffee, as well as some of my tailgate markets. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries (I tend to use frozen, since they hold their shape better in the dough before baking and ensure it stays cold), and I like using both the zest and juice of the lemon, lest I be stuck with a bunch of bald lemons.

Otherwise, these are made just like other scones: keep cold stuff cold, knead lightly, and bake hot and fast. Enjoy the taste of early summer!

Blueberry Lemon Scones

  • Servings: 6-8
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Feel free to use fresh or frozen blueberries.


you will need:

  • 2 c all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • ¼ c granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 5 tbsp cold salted butter, cut into cubes
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • zest and juice of 1 large lemon
  • ½ c buttermilk or sour milk, plus 1-2 tbsp for brushing (if using sour milk or regular milk, reduce the amount by ¼ c)
  • ½-¾ c fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a heavy-bottomed baking sheet (do not use thin cookie sheets) with a Silpat or parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and lemon zest. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or two forks until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You can also do this step in the food processor, with 3-4 pulses. Gently fold in the blueberries (you can also do this in step 3 after adding the buttermilk, but I always like to add my mix-ins before it gets harder to stir and distribute them evenly).
  3. In a large measuring cup or medium bowl, combine the buttermilk and lemon juice, and whisk in the egg. Make a well in the center of the butter-flour mixture, then pour the buttermilk mixture in the middle and fold into the flour mixture enough to get a solid, fairly sticky dough, adding milk a little bit more at a time as needed to achieve this consistency.
  4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured countertop, and lightly knead the dough until it just comes together, sprinkling more flour as needed to keep it from getting too sticky. Pat it into a circle about 10 inches diameter and 1 ½ inches thick. Cut the dough into six or eight equal wedges.
  5. Transfer each wedge to the prepared baking sheet, spacing each wedge about 2 inches apart. Brush the tops of the wedges with buttermilk, and sprinkle with additional sugar, if desired.
  6. Bake at 450 degrees F for 10-12 minutes until the edges are lightly browned, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Remove from the oven to a cooling rack, allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer the scones to a cooling rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.

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