Directions
- 1Whisk flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
- 2Grate the frozen butter using a box grater.
- 3Add the grated butter to the flour mixture and combine with a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers until the mixture comes together in pea-sized (or a little smaller) crumbs.
- 4Place the bowl of flour mixture in the freezer.
- 5Whisk 1/2 cup heavy cream, the egg, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl or a liquid measuring cup.
- 6Remove the flour mixture from the freezer.
- 7Drizzle the cream mixture over the flour mixture, add the blueberries, then gently mix together with a spatula or wooden spoon until everything appears moistened and the ingredients are just combined.
- 8Lightly flour a work surface/counter.
- 9Pour the dough onto the counter and, with floured hands, work dough into a ball as best you can.
- 10If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour.
- 11If the dough seems too dry, add 1–2 more Tablespoons heavy cream.
- 12Press the dough into an 8-inch disc, about 1 inch thick.
- 13Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the disc into 8 wedges.
- 14In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1 Tablespoon cream with the water.
- 15Brush the cream mixture on the scones.
- 16For extra sweetness and a little crunch, sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- 17Place scones on a plate or lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
- 18If refrigerating for longer than an hour, lightly cover the scones.
- 19Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- 20Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- 21Arrange chilled scones 2–3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- 22Bake for 22–25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and lightly browned on top.
- 23Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before topping with icing.
- 24Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice together in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup.
- 25If desired, to thin out, whisk in an additional Tablespoon of lemon juice.
- 26Drizzle over warm scones.
- 27Store leftover scones covered tightly at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands and work surface
- 6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter, frozen
- 0.5 cup heavy cream (+ 1 Tablespoon for brushing), cold
- 1 large egg, cold
- 1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 heaping cup fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw)
- 1 Tablespoon water, for brushing
- optional for topping coarse sugar
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Equipment
large bowlbox graterpastry cuttertwo forksspatulawooden spoonsharp knifebench scraperplatelined baking sheetparchment papersilicone baking matsmall bowlliquid measuring cup
Tips
- It's imperative to keep the scone dough as cold as possible.
- Grate the frozen butter using a box grater.
- For extra sweetness and a little crunch, sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- To obtain the desired flaky center and a crumbly exterior, keep the scone dough as cold as possible.
- Chill the shaped scones for at least 15 minutes before baking, or refrigerate overnight.
- Store leftover scones covered tightly at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days.
- You can freeze scone dough wedges for 1 hour, then layer them in a freezer-friendly bag or container and bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the bake time. Or thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bake as directed.
- You can freeze the baked and cooled scones before topping with icing. To thaw, leave out on the counter for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Warm in the microwave for 30 seconds or on a baking sheet in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 10 minutes.
- If scones are over-spreading as they bake, remove from the oven and press back into shape using a rubber spatula.
- For sweeter scones, you can increase granulated sugar to 1/2 cup (100g).
- For best results when making a larger quantity, make separate batches rather than doubling/tripling the recipe to prevent over or under working the scone dough.
- Half and half can be used if heavy cream is not available, but avoid thinner liquids like regular milk or almond milk.
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