{recipe} Blueberry Buttermilk Scones

I am going to come out and say this right up front: blueberries are probably my least favorite of all the berries. And yet, when they are properly baked into a scone, they are just terrific. How to explain it? Who really cares? All I know is that I made a double batch of these scones recently and they were gone a lot faster than I care to admit.

I think there are three major culinary secrets to making great blueberry scones, instead of merely good ones. The first lies in mashing up the berries and macerating them before folding them into the batter. It gives the blueberries a more jammy texture versus feeling separate from the crumbly dough and popping in your mouth.

The second is to brush them with cream and sprinkle them liberally with coarse sugar (like raw sugar) before baking them – the cream and the crunch makes a big difference in the texture of the scone.

The third is to eat them while still warm from the oven. Is that really a secret though?

RECIPE: Blueberry Buttermilk Scones
makes 10-12 scones

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 3 Tblsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 3 Tblsp sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg, beaten with a fork
• about 2 Tblsp heavy cream
• generous handful of raw (turbinado) sugar

METHOD:

• Combine blueberries, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla in a small bowl. Mash with a fork to pop the blueberries open. Stir and let sit at room temperature about 30 minutes, to macerate berries.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a baking pan with a piece of parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter pieces and mix with a pastry blender or your fingers until it resembles coarse crumbs. (You can also do this in a food processor by pulsing the mixture together.)
• Add buttermilk, egg, and blueberry mixture and stir to completely combine, without overmixing.
• Form into hockey puck shapes about 3/4 inch thick and place on prepared baking sheet.
• Brush each scone with cream and sprinkle generously with raw sugar.
• Bake about 20-25 minutes, until golden and baked through. Transfer scones to wire rack to cool. These are best when a little warm from the oven.