Lemony Blueberry Scones
Tall, tender scones with a buttery, flaky crumb, bursts of juicy blueberries and bright lemon zest. Frozen berries and a cold-dough method keep them from turning purple and soggy.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 22 min
- Wait
- 35 min
- Total
- 1 hr 22 min
- Makes
- 8 scones
Steps
Before you start
- Freeze the butter for 15 minutes, or use it straight from the fridge, so it stays very cold.
- If using fresh blueberries, freeze them for at least 30 minutes so they hold their shape and don't bleed. Frozen berries go in straight from the freezer; do not thaw.
- Keep the heavy cream in the fridge until the moment you use it.
- Total time includes 10 minutes of oven preheating, 15 minutes of chilling the cut scones and 10 minutes of cooling.
Heat the ovenOven 400°F / 205°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400°F (200°C).
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Ready when: Oven reaches 400°F (200°C)
Tip: The oven can finish preheating while you mix and chill the dough.
Mix dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Add the lemon zest and rub it into the flour with your fingertips for about 30 seconds until the mixture smells lemony and looks evenly pale yellow.
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Ready when: Zest is evenly distributed with no clumps
Cut in butter
- Add the cold butter cubes.
- Toss to coat, then press and smear each cube flat between your fingertips, or use a pastry cutter, until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some flat butter pieces the size of peas and almonds.
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Ready when: Mixture resembles coarse meal with visible pea-sized butter pieces
Tip: If the butter starts to feel soft or greasy, put the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Add wet ingredients
- Measure 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the cream into a small cup and set aside for brushing.
- In a measuring cup, whisk the remaining ¾ cup (180 ml) cold cream, beaten egg and vanilla.
- Make a well in the flour mixture, pour in the liquid, and stir with a fork about 15 strokes until a shaggy, slightly dry dough forms with some floury patches.
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Ready when: Dough is shaggy and clumps together when squeezed
Tip: Set aside the brushing cream before you pour so you don't forget it.
Fold in blueberries
- Add the frozen blueberries.
- Tip the dough onto a lightly floured counter and gently knead 4 to 5 times, folding the berries in, just until the dough holds together.
- A few dry spots are fine; a few berries may break.
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Ready when: Dough holds together in a rough mass with berries distributed
Tip: Overworking makes tough scones and turns the dough purple.
Shape the round
- Pat the dough into a 7-inch (18 cm) circle about 1¼ inches (3 cm) thick.
- Use a floured bench scraper or sharp knife to cut straight down (don't saw) into 8 equal wedges.
- Transfer wedges to the baking sheet about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
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Ready when: 8 even wedges, each about 1¼ inches thick
Tip: Press straight down when cutting; dragging a blade seals the edges and limits the rise.
Chill the scones
- Refrigerate the baking sheet, uncovered, for 15 minutes (or freeze for 10) so the butter is firm before baking.
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Ready when: Dough feels firm and cold to the touch
Brush and top
- Brush the tops (not the cut sides) with the reserved 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cream, then sprinkle evenly with the coarse sugar.
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Ready when: Tops glisten with an even sugar coating
Tip: Keep cream off the cut sides, which can glue the layers together and stop them rising.
BakeOven 400°F / 205°C
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 to 24 minutes, rotating the sheet front to back after 12 minutes, until the scones are tall and deep golden brown on top and bottom, and a toothpick inserted in a spot without berries comes out clean.
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Ready when: Deep golden brown tops and edges; firm to a light touch; toothpick clean
Tip: Don't open the oven before the 12-minute mark.
Cool briefly
- Move the scones to a wire rack and cool for at least 10 minutes.
- The berry juices set as they cool, and the crumb finishes cooking.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Ready when: Scones are warm, not hot, and firm enough to hold
Good to know
Tips
- Weigh the flour if you can; too much flour is the most common cause of dry, crumbly scones.
- Keep everything cold: cold butter and cream make steam in the oven, which creates flaky layers.
- Use frozen blueberries straight from the freezer to avoid purple streaks and a soggy crumb.
- For a glaze, whisk ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar with 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice and drizzle over fully cooled scones.
Make ahead
Shape and cut the scones, then freeze them on the baking sheet until solid (about 1 hour) and transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen at 400°F (200°C), brushing with cream and sugar first, adding 3 to 5 minutes to the bake time.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature in an airtight container: up to 2 days. Refrigerator: up to 5 days. Freezer (baked): up to 3 months, wrapped well. Reheat room-temperature or thawed scones on a baking sheet at 325°F (160°C) for 8 to 10 minutes until warm and the exterior is crisp again.
Substitutions
- heavy cream → cold whole milk plus 2 tablespoons extra cold butter. Scones will be slightly less rich but still tender; use ¾ cup (180 ml) milk.
- blueberries → raspberries or chopped strawberries, frozen. Use the same weight; raspberries break more easily so fold gently.
- large lemon → orange zest. Use 1 tablespoon zest for a milder, sweeter citrus flavor.
- coarse sugar or granulated sugar → turbinado sugar. Gives a similar crunchy, sparkly top.
