Blueberry Buttermilk Scones

Here’s the thing . . . I could kind of live on scones.  Sure, I have my obsessions with goat cheese and sourdough bread, but a scone is the kind of comforting little treat that is not too sweet, not too savory, and extremely satisfying.  Paired with an afternoon cup of tea it’s delicious, rejuvinating, and probably a smarter way to de-stress than a 2-martini lunch (I said ‘probably’ – let’s not debate it).

I’m a smidge obsessed with finding and making the world’s most perfect blueberry scone.  It’s a situation where all stars need to align — the blueberries need just the right sweetness and pop, the outside needs to turn crispy while the interior needs to maintain its give, and warm from the oven they should hold their shape for immediate devourment (<– I’m not sure that this is an actual word, but does happen to be a death metal band in Dallas – ha!).

Now, depending on the sort of day that you make them (dry, rainy, etc.), the dough might be super sticky and seem impossible to cut into wedges for baking.  Trust me – cut them, fumble to get them on the board, and bake away. Also, handle the dough as little as possible for the softest scones. Seriously, try them, eat them, love them. Relax, breath deep, and take simple pleasures in a scone made right.

Blueberry-Buttermilk Scones
Adapted from Martha Stewart

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cake flour (not self-rising)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup (½ pint) fresh blueberries
½ cup low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg lightly beaten for egg wash
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with either a Silpat or parchment paper.

Whisk together flours, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.  Cut in butter with a pastry cutter, or rub in with your fingers until mixture has the texture of coarse meal.  Gently stir in blueberries.

Whisk together buttermilk, 1 egg and the vanilla. Drizzle over flour mixture, and stir lightly with a fork or rubber spatula until dough comes together but a small amount of flour remains in bowl.

Turn out dough onto a work surface, and gently knead dough once or twice just to incorporate flour. Pat dough into a 1-inch-thick round.  Cut into 12 wedges and transfer to prepared baking sheet.

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar.  Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 22 minutes.

Transfer scones to wire racks to cool. Scones are best served immediately but can be frozen for up to 1 month and then thawed and reheated in a 350° oven for 10 minutes.

Tagged as: blueberry, scone