July 13, 2015

Small-batch blueberry scones

There's been so much blueberry love around the internet lately that I couldn't help but be inspired.  So I stopped myself from eating all the berries straight from the fridge and set some blueberries aside to make a small-batch of blueberry scones for breakfast.
These are courtesy of the wonderful Smitten Kitchen; I saw the scones and they called out to me...low-fuss, not too rich (milk instead of cream, half whole wheat flour, very lightly sweetened with turbinado sugar), and looking sturdy and filled with blueberry goodness.  I scaled the recipe down by half because while I've discovered and celebrate the joy of freezing scones for a quick bake when needed, I already have a few others tucked away.  
I added almonds into the picture here. When I bake, I usually think about incorporating nuts in some way and almonds are indispensable.  So I added some almond extract into the dough and topped the scones with sliced almonds before baking. I seriously considered stirring some toasted almonds into the scones themselves but well...call me lazy...but it's summer and there seems to be a hundred places to go/things to do so I kept it simple.  Along the same vein, I simply shaped the dough into something resembling a square and cut 4 smallish scones out of it.  
This scone dough is easy to put together and a great make-ahead for breakfast the next morning or as you need it.  The dough wasn't as dry and crumbly as I expected and after I baked it, and my husband and I tasted it (the little guy is not quite on the blueberry-bandwagon, unfortunately), we really enjoyed the mild-sweetness as well as the hearty texture of the white whole wheat flour blended in.  There is just a very reasonable 2 1/2 tablespoons of butter in these 4 scones and the overall effect is the feeling of enjoying a somewhat decadent breakfast pastry without the consequence of feeling weighed down.

Breakfast is served!  Simple as that.

Recipe:

Small-Batch Blueberry Scones
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

- Makes 4 scones - 

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
Zest of 1 small lemon
1 1/2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (or light brown sugar)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 1/2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/3 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
For glaze/topping: Buttermilk or lightly beaten egg; turbinado (or coarse) sugar; sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.

In a medium bowl, combine the flours, lemon zest, sugar, baking powder, and salt together.  Add cold butter and work it into the dry ingredients (with a pastry cutter and/or your fingertips) until butter is the size of small peas.  Stir in blueberries, followed by milk and almond extract, until large clumps form.  Using your hands, gently knead the dough into a ball (minimal handling is best).

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface or a large piece of wax paper.  Pat the dough into a 1-inch square and cut into 4 squares (or shape dough into a round and cut 4 triangles).  Place onto prepared baking sheet.  Brush with buttermilk (or egg), top with sliced almonds and a sprinkle of coarse sugar.

Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve scones while they're still warm.  
To freeze, place cut scones (without any toppings) onto a lined baking sheet and chill in the freezer until hardened.  Wrap in plastic wrap and pack into a freezer bag.  When ready to bake, brush tops of frozen scones with glaze and add toppings.  Bake as directed, adding an extra 2-4 minutes of bake time.  


32 comments:

  1. Mmm these scones look perfect!! Love those blueberries :)

    Sues

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  2. Monica these look perfectly wonderful! I love the small batch baking and of course anything with berries. Hope you had a lovely weekend!

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    1. I need a lot of help with handling dough like these, Tricia! : ) Will you run a course? It was a nice quick bake and good to enjoy the berries in a different way once in a while. I'm still thinking of your cobbler...

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  3. Those look perfect! Love the sliced almond toppings. If it's from smitten kitchen it has to be good... :)

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    1. That's what I figured when I saw them on SK. She is totally reliable. : )

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  4. We can't seem to get enough of blueberries lately too. Love that you made scones, they look absolutely wonderful and so delicious! A small batch sounds perfect for our little family as well. I am such a fan of your almond treats so adding the almond extract and sliced almonds are such a great touch! :)

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    1. The freezer starts getting a little too stacked, Kelly, so a small batch is easier. That say, I get to try more things, too. : )

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  5. They look fantastic. Buttery, nutty and fruity...totally right up my alley, Monica.

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    1. They are so mild and the texture is really nice. Thanks, Angie.

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  6. I've been drooling over those scones since SK posted them...love that you small-batched them AND almond-topped them! Glorious on both counts.

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    1. Right?! Her's look way more inviting, which is to be expected. : ) These are so low-key but satisfying, if you know what I mean...Thanks, Joanne!

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  7. Oh I love blueberry anything Monica, and I think that blueberries and almond are perfect together. Great photos!

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    1. Thanks Cheri. Your galette looked incredible! I am really thinking about that right now. Such a great use of berries and so delicious! Almonds go well with almost everything, don't they! : )

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  8. So nice to see these scones with berries. I always enjoy seeing your small batch baking. It's a way to try out different food/recipes and not over eating anything;). We've been buying and picking all these berries, have so much in abundance.
    Hope you are enjoying your summer. It's been a crazy busy month here, with travels and visitors. Have a good one my dear. xox

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    1. I know - so much going on in the summer but I find this blog is a bit of an oasis for me. Thanks for stopping by. Keep having fun!

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  9. This looks amazing! I wanted to try those scones and I love the almonds :)

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    1. Thanks, Medha. So many amazing recipes and so much inspiration everywhere! We'll just chip at it. ; )

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  10. Blueberry and almond is just the best combo! These scones sound so good - and I love the small batch size! Sometimes my freezer gets a little out of hand and I don't need any extra! haha

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    1. Exactly! I love having cookies, scones, biscuits tucked away but we can't handle *too* much. There's not enough freezer space and I like to try different things and bake/cook often. : )

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  11. Small batch is great especially for us as there are just two of us! :D And what a great fruit and nut combo :D

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    1. Thanks, Lorraine. It's berries, berries everywhere I turn here. Not a bad thing now that I actually like berries. I used to not enjoy them but I just never tried it well enough since I was focused on chocolate all the time. : )

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  12. Monica, these are gorgeous scones! I absolutely loved the slivered almonds on top, and I can almost taste them through this screen as I'm sitting here drinking my coffee. Totally pinned.

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    1. Thanks, Kristi...they are not too sweet, kind of hearty in a good way. Eating a pastry always feels like a treat but these are not heavy, which is great.

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  13. I can't agree more about the blueberry rage on the Internet! I love the colour like crazy and find it hard to resist buying them. As always your small batch idea is fabulous! They look so pretty with the almonds on them.

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    1. I am really getting inspired by all the color I see. It's tempting me to stray from chocolate every now and then. : )

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  14. those scones are PERFECTION: i love small-batch things in general (no waste!) and blueberries are my favorite flavor of scone, hands-down. You're right: blueberries are all over the internets right now - like how blood orange is in the winter, am i right? - but i don't mind a bit, because it reminds me to bake with them while they're at their best.

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    1. I'm almost always dividing recipes in half, which most people would likely say is not a good way to test out a recipe. But it works so well for my family and I can keep on trying new things and cooking away. : ) I love all the inspiration and it does remind me to eat/cook more seasonally.

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  15. Aww the scones look delicious; I myself was also totally tempted to make blueberry scones after seeing Smitten Kitchen post on them (:

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    1. She's one of the best...you can't go wrong, right!

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  16. Monica, these look so delicious! I adore how you always make smaller batches of treats, it's so cute haha! Love your pics too! x

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    1. Thank goodness I can do basic division by 2. haha. Thank you, Consuelo!

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