Blueberry Scones

Most people don’t enjoy the thought of baking pastries in the morning – which is probably why bakeries are so popular. Let someone else wake up at 3 in the morning am I right? Well, these blueberry scones take less than an hour, so they make a pretty good weekend brunch option if you are having guests over.

Like with all of my scone recipes, these blueberry scones follow my super simple American scones recipe. You can also see this structure in my apple cinnamon scones as well as my blackberry lavender scones. It is a pretty generic recipe so once you perfect the base you can get creative with your fillings or toppings!

Blueberries make a great scone filling as they are solid enough to mix into dough, while still holding the juices during the baking process. It’s also why they make such great blueberry muffins!

What Are American Scones?

American and British scones are both delicious baked goods, but they have some key differences in terms of ingredients, preparation, and even how they’re served. Here are the main distinctions between the two:

1. Ingredients:
   • American Scones: American scones are typically sweeter and richer. They often contain sugar, and ingredients like cream, buttermilk, or yogurt. Fruits (my blackberry lavender scones are a definite hit), chocolate chips, or nuts are common additions. They might also be topped with a glaze or a sprinkle of sugar.
   • British Scones: British scones are plainer and not as sweet. They typically include flour, baking powder, salt, butter, and milk. Fruit scones in the UK often contain currants, sultanas, or raisins. They are usually served with clotted cream and jam (known as “cream tea”).
2. Texture:
   • American Scones: American scones are more crumbly and denser, often resembling a cross between a biscuit and a muffin. They can be larger and fluffier.
   • British Scones: British scones are lighter, flakier, and less sweet. They have a crisper outer layer and a tender, soft interior. They are smaller in size compared to American scones.
3. Shape:
   • American Scones: American scones are often shaped as wedges or triangles and may be individually portioned.
   • British Scones: British scones are typically round and are rolled out and cut into rounds using a cutter.
4. Serving Style:
   • American Scones: In the United States, scones are often eaten as a standalone pastry, sometimes accompanied by coffee. They may also be served as a breakfast or brunch item.
   • British Scones: British scones are traditionally served as part of afternoon tea. They are split in half horizontally and served with clotted cream and jam. This is known as a “cream tea” and is a beloved British tradition.
5. Cultural Associations:
   • American Scones: In the United States, scones are commonly found in coffee shops and bakeries and are enjoyed in a variety of flavors, from blueberry to cinnamon.
   • British Scones: British scones are a symbol of British tea culture and are often served in tearooms and at events like Wimbledon or garden parties.

While both American and British scones are delightful in their own ways, the choice between them often comes down to personal preference for sweetness, texture, and how you prefer to enjoy them – whether as a stand-alone treat or as part of a traditional cream tea.

How To Make These Delicious Blueberry Scones

This blueberry scone recipe is quite easy to follow, so even if you are a novice baker you should have no trouble at all. Even the recommended tools are optional (except an oven, you definitely need that). But if you don’t have a stand mixer that’s okay, you can make scones entirely by hand. You can also use:

• Rolling Pin – This is optional, but it does help even out the scone dough into a uniform flatness.
• Baking Mat – You can use parchment paper but I recommend a silicone baking mat as they are very convenient.
• Bench Scraper – This tool is entirely unnecessary, but I love mine and use it way more than expected. A scraper here can act as a cutter when portioning the scone triangles before baking. You can also do this with a regular knife, but any serious home baker should have a bench scraper anyways.
• Pastry Brush – You can use a pastry brush to spread the cream over the tops of the scones before baking. If you don’t want to use a brush you can use your finger, but a brush gives the appearance of being more sanitary.

Blueberry Scone Ingredients

• 250 grams Flour – All Purpose flour works great in this recipe, so no need to buy anything specific!
• 115 grams Sugar – Regular white sugar works best here
• 1 Egg
• 5 grams Baking Powder
• 125 grams Butter – Cold
• 125 ml Heavy Cream – Plus more for brushing on top of the pre-baked scones.
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 3 drops Vanilla Aroma – If you are using extract you can use about a teaspoon. You can also use 5 grams of Vanillin powder if you prefer.
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• Blueberries! – I use about 200 grams but you can use more or less. I love my scones chock full of berries so I always lean on the side of pushing the limits.
• 200 grams Powdered Sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

Blueberry Scone Instructions

The first step in making these blueberry scones is to mix together the dry ingredients. In a large bowl add the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and vanillin if you are using it.

Next finely dice your cold butter into tiny cubes. You can use the cheese grater method if you like, but chopping the butter up with a knife is quicker and cleaner.

Add the butter to the dry ingredients and massage it in with your fingertips until you get a crumbly mixture. You want to create little pea sized butter pockets since the fat will melt and spread once put in the oven.

In a bowl whisk together the cream, egg, and vanilla aroma/extract if you are using it.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry + butter.

Mix the ingredients thoroughly until you have a sticky, tacky mix. Then add the blueberries and gently mix them in, taking care not to pop or squash them.

Flour your worktop heavily and turn out the blueberry scone dough. Dust the top and your rolling pin with more flour and flatten the dough into a round mass about 1cm (half inch) thick. This blueberry scone recipe does rise due to the baking powder, so don’t worry if you roll it quite thin. You won’t end up with a bread chip.

Use a knife or a bench scraper to divide the scone disc into 8 even triangular pieces. They will be a little soft and wiggly so if you find yourself having trouble moving them to a baking sheet, you can move the whole dough circle first and then cut it.

Once on your baking mat or parchment on a sheet pan use a pastry brush to spread a little heavy cream over the tops of each scone. This will give them a wonderful brown top once baked. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 200C or 400F and bake for 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove and place the freshly baked blueberry scones on a wire rack to cool.

To make the glaze whisk together the powdered sugar and the lemon juice until you reach a desired consistency. If you don’t have lemon juice you can use milk or cream for a thicker, whiter glaze. When the blueberry scones are completely cooled you can drizzle it over for a nice streaky pattern.

More Breakfast Bakes You’ll Love

• Vatrushka | Ukrainian Cheese Pastry
• Chokeberry Danish Pastry Braid
• UK Style Sausage Rolls
• Apple Cinnamon Muffins
• Wild Oyster Mushroom Quiche