Saturday, July 20, 2013

Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

It's blueberry season!!!! 
(Imagine in opera style, of course!)


 I love this time of year! I just bought one of those huge cartons of fresh blueberries from Costco for just 5.99! I LOVE that! :) This is the time of year when my kids have to endure my blueberry madness! We listen to "Blueberry Hill" by Lois Armstrong ( click the link and listen to the song while reading... you know for that blueberry season ambiance, hehe) and read the classic 
Blueberries for Sal maybe a little more then they might like...


 but something about it just screams happiness to me. My mom used to read this book and I just love it. It's about a cute little girl and her mom going to blueberry hill. It follows Sal and her mother as they pick berries to bottle and store and a baby bear and his mother as they are filling up for the winter. It is fun to read, and although it is sort of long compared to other children's picture books, my kids are completely enthralled.... 
It's amazing how our mothers have such an influence on us. My mom always seemed to have blueberries in the fridge when I was in high school. I remember coming home from school and picking a peach off of our tree, slicing it up with some blueberries and it was better then chocolate to me back then. Or I would wash some berries, put them in a bowl and pour milk over them and eat the blueberries like it was captain crunch!
 I love blueberries!

In celebration of "blueberry season" I thought I would post one of my many favorite blueberry recipes. I figure following a recipe isn't hard, it's just finding the ones that are tried and true and worth taking the time to make! :)

About 5 or 6 years ago, I came across this delicious recipe by Tyler Florence from foodnetwork.com and it became an instant favorite :)  It is simple, yet totally restaurant quality. I'm not exaggerating, they really are that good.

Tyler Florence's Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze
Recipe straight from foodnetwork.com (other then my "tip" and pictures)

Blueberry Scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut in chunks
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing the scones

Lemon Glaze:

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 lemon, zest finely grated

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sift together the dry ingredients; the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using 2 forks or a pastry blender, cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. 


 Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream. Fold everything together just to incorporate; do not overwork the dough.

HINT! :) I didn't have any heavy cream, so I  searched for an alternative and it worked FABULOUSLY! You really wouldn't know the difference. 
In place of 1 cup heavy cream - mix 3/4 c milk and 1/3 c of melted butter. Wisk together and use like heavy cream! :) I can't tell you how many times I have avoided recipes because I haven't had heavy cream on hand! Not any more! :) 


Fold the blueberries into the batter. Take care not to mash or bruise the blueberries because their strong color will bleed into the dough.


Press the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 12 by 3 by 1 1/4 inches. Cut the rectangle in 1/2 then cut the pieces in 1/2 again, giving you 4 (3-inch) squares. Cut the squares in 1/2 on a diagonal to give you the classic triangle shape. 



Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with a little heavy cream. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until beautiful and brown. Let the scones cool a bit before you apply the glaze.



You can make the lemon glaze in a double boiler, or for a simpler alternative, you can zap it in the microwave. Mix the lemon juice with the confectioners' until dissolved in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water for the double-boiler method, or in a microwave-safe bowl. Whisk in the butter and lemon zest. 
Either nuke the glaze for 30 seconds or continue whisking in the double boiler. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps, then drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let it set a minute before serving

How do you like that for a presentation? :) Keepin' it real, right? Ha! When you are cooking with these two crazies:



That's all they need! :) I have loved having them help me!...... most of the time (wink) ...... It makes it so I can spend time with them and work on this blog - They are having so much fun helping out :)

I hope you enjoy this recipe! 

Ps. If you LOVE this type of scone, you'll have to try my sister's recipe at




Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/blueberry-scones-with-lemon-glaze-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

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