EAT :: Blueberry Walnut Scones

Are you a scone or a muffin person? Personally I’ll go for the scone nine out of 10 times. Scones have this realness about them. The batter generally requires less precision and the consistency is a bit chunkier creating a more dense pastry. They also aren’t typically as sweet, which I do enjoy. Surprisingly, I’ve never made scones before but, like everything in life, there are many firsts. And so this past weekend I experienced my first time making scones on a very cheery Sunday. I put on the Melody Gardot Pandora station (thanks, Martha, for the tip!) and with my imagination and the ambient French music I was whisked away to the countryside in the south of France…hey, when I can’t travel I at least need to pretend a bit…

I know blueberries and walnuts are a great pair, and thought they would be brilliant together in a scone. And these were so easy to make! I was able to create six delicious scones in just under and hour, and nibble on one (or two) for my Sunday morning breakfast. Love.

What you’ll need:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar plus 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar for sprinkling
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into cubes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 ½ cup of blueberries
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 large eggs, 1 for dough, 1 for egg wash for top of the scone

Heat oven to 375°. Whisk together flour, baking powder, ¼ cup of sugar, brown sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl. You can use an electric mixer but I like to use my bicep for a bit of an arm workout. Then add in the cubes of butter, heavy cream and 1 egg. With a wooden spoon (or the paddle attachment of your mixer) mix the dough until it blends together. You do not want to overmix and you want the cubes of butter to not be fully integrated in the batter. You’ll then want to add in the blueberries and walnuts.

On a well-floured counter (I like to use a Silpat to ensure the dough doesn’t stick to the counter space), roll out the dough into a 6-inch diameter. Cut the round into 6 wedges and then arrange the wedges on a baking sheet ensuring they are 3 inches apart. In a small bowl whisk together the remaining egg and add in a pinch of salt with a bit of water. Brush each scone with the egg wash (you don’t want to overdo it) and then top each with a sprinkle of sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the tops are golden. You don’t want to overcook them – dried out scones are no good! If you want to get really crazy you can experiment with other fruit and nut combinations like cranberry and almond or raisins and cashews. You really can’t go wrong.

And p.s. – aren’t these ranunculus lovely? They definitely added to my French-inspired morning.