homesick recipe: lemon blueberry scones
Lemon Blueberry Scones
Full disclosure: This is my own well-oiled modification of Joanna Gaines’ Orange Scones recipe from her first cookbook, Magnolia Table. I’ve made a few modifications based on what ingredients I can get locally in Italy, and redone with lemons and blueberries which are both currently in season.
(Not a lot of “dollop of Daisy” sour cream available in the supermercato here.)
Yields 12 scones
italian words of the day
limone (lee-mon-ay) = lemon
mirtillo (mir-til-lo) = blueberry
scone (sc-ohn) = yes, please!
Ingredients
2 cups all purpose (or Gluten Free flour, we like a mista of Rice Flour for baking)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg (room temperature)
3/4 cup thick Greek Yogurt
1/3 cup sugar
12 tablespoons butter, cubed and very very cold
Zest from one normal size lemon
3/4 cup fresh blueberries*
*You can use frozen blueberries if they are not in season where you live, just be sure to rinse and dry them as much as you can before blending them into the dough
Helpful Tools
One medium bowl
Two small bowls
Bench scraper
Stand kitchen mixer or pastry blender
Baking sheet
Parchment paper
Extra flour for dusting
Andiamo!
Preheat your oven to 200° C (or 400° F) and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, mix together your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a small bowl, softly half-mix together your wet ingredients: greek yogurt and egg. (It’s okay if it looks a little lumpy and weird.)
In another small bowl, using the back of a spoon, mix together the sugar and zest until the sugar has been sufficiently flavored and changed color to a soft yellow. Mm, the best part.
Now we mix it all together…. You can do this without a stand mixer by using your hands or a pastry blender. But it’s easier, and let’s be real: I have a kid and a husband who houses half of these the second they come out of the oven, so we don’t have time to waste.
Dump the flour mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer. Now add in the zest sugar blend. Mix together on low just until combined. One little cube at a time, toss the butter pieces into the bowl while the mixer is on low until all the butter is combined and you’ve created a “coarse meal.” This will take about 5 minutes or so. Now add in your wet mixture of egg and yogurt and combined on low until everything is softly blended together.
Dump the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and divide into two equal parts.
Using your hands, gently roll the dough one half at a time into a rough, flat disk. Sprinkle half of your blueberries on top and lightly press them into the dough. Now this part is a little messy but you want to carefully fold the dough on top of itself a few times, folding the blueberries into the mix ever so lightly so they don’t all pop open and break. A few is okay! It’s part of the look.
Shape the dough back into a flat disk about 6 inches in diameter. Using a knife or bench scraper, cut into 6 triangle shaped scones. Repeat with the other half.
Arrange them on your prepared baking sheet a few inches apart.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on your oven size and temperature. They will rise while baking and turn a lovely golden brown, bursting with berries. Crispy on the outside and flakey soft on the inside.
more italian words for today
croccante (croack-cahn-tay) = crispy
If you’re feeling frisky: Once they’ve cooled slightly, drizzle a mixture of 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (use the one you zested for the scones) on top of the scones for a tart but sweet topping.
