What is a scone?
Scones are NOT biscuits. Although made with almost the same ingredients, the difference is that scones add eggs, and biscuits do not. Scones tend to be a bit drier than biscuits, yet when done correctly not really dry at all. Scones should be more on the crumbly side, and biscuits should be airy, with light, fluffy layers that hold up well to gravy, jams, and jellies.
Tips
Keep the dough as cold as possible. This is why we grate and then freeze the butter. Keep the heavy cream cold and work quickly.Do not overwork the dough. Just like biscuits, it will develop gluten and become tough.When forming the dough, gently pat down, and avoid compressing it too much.
How to Make Blueberry Scones
The best part of this recipe is the frozen grated butter. If you’ve never made a scone or biscuit this way, you must try it. This step makes all the difference in light and fluffy scones or the perfect layers in your favorite biscuit recipe. Grate the frozen butter stick and place it back in the freezer while you prepare and measure the other ingredients. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Whisk the granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour in a large bowl. Remove the grated butter from the freezer and gently toss it with the flour to coat. (Or you can use a pastry cutter or pastry blender to cut the cold butter into the flour mixture.) Toss 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries ( I usually use about 1 1/4 cup of fresh blueberries) in the flour-butter mixture to coat the berries. Toss in some lemon zest to add a little brightness, if you like. Make a well in the center. Add the beaten egg and heavy cream into the well and mix gently with a fork or wooden spoon, incorporating the dry ingredients a little at a time until the dough looks shaggy. DO NOT overwork. Lightly knead the dough in the bowl until it just starts to come together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently work into a 1-inch thick circle. Cut into 8 wedges. Transfer each wedge to a large baking sheet lined with parchment, placing about 2 inches apart. Brush the top of each scone dough wedge with additional heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. (We use raw sugar.) Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. If you like a glaze on your scones, just mix a little milk with powdered sugar and drizzle over the tops.
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