I was recently telling a colleague about these scones, and, sensibly, he asked why use dried blueberries when fresh are so much better? It’s a valid question. I do make scones with fresh berries, but they are very different – they are dropped scones (more like biscuits) because it’s difficult to form the dough into a disc and cut it without crushing the blueberries. Believe it or not, the flavor of the dried blueberries is quite good and is enhanced by the citrus lemon flavor. I love Meyer lemons because they are quite a bit sweeter than regular lemons; however, they are not always easy to find. If you can’t find Meyer lemons, regular lemons are a perfectly fine substitute. These scones are great either glazed or just sprinkled with sugar. I made a simple lemon flavored glaze.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 Cups Flour
- 1/2 Cup sugar
- 2 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 Cup (1 Stick) Chilled Unsalted Butter – cut into chunks
- 1 – 11/2 Cups Dried Blueberries
- 3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 1/2 – 2 TBS. Meyer Lemon Peel (zest) – finely grated (substitute regular lemon)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425 Degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the dried blueberries and lemon zest and use a fork to mix in cream. Gather dough into a ball and knead slightly, just until a nice cohesive ball is formed; don’t overwork. Cut ball in half to form two equal sized balls (if making large scones, skip this step). Put dough on a work surface and pat into 3/4 inch round discs.
Cut dough into 8 equal sized triangles (pie shaped).
Place cut scones on a parchment lined or greased baking sheet and bake for 10-16 minutes (depending on size of scones).
Allow to cool completely and drizzle with icing (if using).
For the Lemon Icing:
Combine 2 TBS. Lemon (preferably Meyer) Juice and 1 1/4 Cup Confectioners Sugar. Adjust consistency by adding either more lemon juice or sugar.