Meyer Lemon Scones with Dried Blueberries Recipe

This recipe first appeared on my blogspot blog in February 2012.

Lemons and blueberries are a natural pairing, and the cold weather version of this is Meyer lemons, the lemon-orange hybrid available in mid-winter, and dried blueberries instead of fresh. Frieda’s Specialty Produce sent me a package that included dried blueberries, just as sweet as mid-summer berries at the u-pick orchard. I folded the berries into my favorite buttermilk scone recipe, and freshened the dough with Meyer lemon zest.

Meyer Lemon Scones with Dried Blueberries Recipe

My favorite tip for tender scones: use a grater to shred chilled butter into the dry ingredients. I just use an ordinary grater, the kind I use for shredding cheddar cheese, and run the chilled stick of butter across it. The resulting butter curls are uniform and perfect for blending into the flour mixture.

Note: You can use any kind of lemon in this recipe. A typical lemon yields 2-3 tablespoons of juice.

Ingredients:

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter, frozen
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
Zest of one Meyer (or other) lemon
Juice of one-half Meyer (or other) lemon (2-3 tablespoons)
1/2 cup dried blueberries
Milk or cream for glazing
Turbinado, demerara or sparkle sugar for glazing

Instructions:

1. In a batter bowl, mix dry ingredients together. Using a regular grater, shred the chilled butter and with a light hand, gently mix the shavings into the dry ingredients. Using your hands and a gentle, quick touch, make sure the butter is evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.
2. Pour in buttermilk, stirring gently with either a wooden spoon or my instrument of choice, a silicone spatula. Add lemon juice and zest. If mixture seems dry, add additional buttermilk until a cohesive dough forms. The dough should be slightly wet and sticky, but not overly so.
3. On a floured countertop, press dough into a rough 12 X 6 inch rectangle . Sprinkle dried blueberries onto dough, using your hands to press the fruit into the dough. Fold dough into thirds, letter-style. Press into 12 X 6 rectangle again and fold letter-style again. If any little fruits pop out, just press them back into the dough. Press again into a 12 X 6 rectangle and use a knife to cut dough into 16 triangles. Place scones on a lined baking sheet. The scones can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 24 hours.
4. When ready to bake, heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Carefully brush each wedge with buttermilk or cream and sprinkle turbinado sugar over the top. Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes. They may need a bit more time, depending on your oven, convection, etc. Scones are ready when they are golden brown on top and bounce back when touched lightly in the center.

More Recipes from A Cook and Her Books

Summer Strawberry Spoon Cake Recipe

Strawberry Jam Bars (Gluten-Free) Recipe

Let’s Talk About Baking

Give these jam bars a try and let me know what you think! Follow me on Facebook or Instagram for more recipes and garden inspiration.

And, hey, check out my delicious recipe for Granola with Orange Zest and Almonds.