Blueberry scones
Oh, shoot… did we miss Valentine’s Day? Cue the mournful violins and activate the Sad Face emojis. 🎻😥 Just kidding; we don’t really give a rats about V. Day. (We just clicked it was last month. That’s how much we care). We might be the grinches that stole Valentine’s Day but we’re not averse to a bit of breakfast in bed action on the weekends and isn’t that a classic V. Day move, Lovebirds? Do not ruin the vibe by talking about how annoying crumbs in sheets are because everyone knows that. For great sourdough toast or a decent pastry, most people will happily risk a gritty bed. There’s something deeply indulgent about lolling about, reading the weekend papers and getting food bits over your finest 1,500-count Egyptians when you should really be doing something way more useful like shovelling compost.
These slightly tizzed-up, fruity scones make an excellent weekend breakfast, served in bed or out. They don’t take long to whip up and are way simpler than making your own pastries, for example. Plus they’re overall less messy than pancakes, although we do love those too. And they’re cheaper than purchasing from your fave baker, if you’re watching your spending – this recipe makes 9! You can have leftovers all weekend.
The usual scone-making disclaimers apply… namely, don’t over-work the dough or your scones will be tough. Everything should come together fairly quickly, so make sure you’ve got the ingredients weighed, measured and ready to go before you start mixing up, rubbing in and rolling out. Once your scones are baked, unleash your inner Jackson Pollock with some artful icing squiggling to finish them off; no technical skills necessary. Which we love but natch this isn’t a totally necessary touch – your scones will be a triumph without them. But they do make them look just that little bit fancy.
MAKES 9
400g (2⅔ cups) self-raising flour
110g (½ cup) caster sugar
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
large pinch salt
125g unsalted butter, chopped
150ml (1 cup) buttermilk, approximately
265g (1¾ cups) frozen blueberries
Icing
90g (¾ cup) icing sugar
3-4 tsp boiling water, approximately
1-2 drops pink or red food colouring
Preheat the oven to 200˚C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Combine the flour, sugar, lemon zest and salt in a large bowl and whisk to mix well. Add the butter, then using your fingertips, rub it in until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Add the buttermilk, using a fork to quickly mix it in and form a coarse dough – add a little extra buttermilk if necessary. Use your hands to quickly push the dough together until smooth-ish; don’t work it too much or the scones will be tough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board, then pat out into a smooth rectangle about 15x30cm. With a wider edge facing you, scatter the berries evenly over the dough, pressing them in lightly. Carefully roll the dough up like a swiss roll, using a spatula to help loosen it from the board if necessary. Neaten the roll and use your hands to lengthen it to about 38cm. Flatten the top slightly. Cut the roll into triangles or rounds, and place on the lined tray leaving about 5cm between each. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool.
For the icing, add 3 tsp of the boiling water to the icing sugar in a small bowl, stirring constantly with a fork until smooth. Add a little more water if necessary; the icing should have a thin, drizzling consistency. Tint pink with 1-2 drops of food colouring. Dip a fork into the icing, then drizzle over the scones. Leave to set, then serve.
