Before you start
Blueberries are the hardest fruit to scone: they burst and bleed at the first clumsy fold. The fix is frozen berries, straight from the freezer, folded in at the very end. They hold their shape while the dough comes together and thaw in the oven. The lemon glaze on top is what moves these from breakfast to bakery.
Everything you need
- 2¼ cups (281 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 2 lemons, zest of 2, juice for the glaze
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, frozen
- 1 cup (148 g) frozen blueberries
- ¾ cup (174 g) heavy cream, cold, plus extra to brush
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar (for the glaze)
Weigh, don't scoop. Measuring flour by cups can overpack it and dry out your bake. Tap any ingredient to open its converter.
Method
-
Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Line a tray. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar, then whisk in the flour, baking powder and salt.
For this step
- 2¼ cups (281 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar (for the glaze)
-
Grate the frozen butter in on the coarse holes and toss through.
For this step
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (148 g) frozen blueberries
-
Whisk the cream, egg and vanilla, pour in, and stir to a shaggy dough. Fold in the frozen berries with three gentle strokes.
For this step
- 1 cup (148 g) frozen blueberries
- ¾ cup (174 g) heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
-
Pat into a 20 cm round on a floured surface, cut into 8 wedges, and space them on the tray.
For this step
- 2¼ cups (281 g) all-purpose flour
-
Freeze the tray 15 minutes, then brush the tops with cream and bake 20 to 24 minutes until deep gold. Berry juice will bubble at the seams, which is decorative honesty.
For this step
- ¾ cup (174 g) heavy cream
-
Cool 15 minutes, then whisk the powdered sugar with enough lemon juice to make a thick glaze and zigzag it over the scones.
For this step
- ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar (for the glaze)
Baker's tips
- Frozen berries are non-negotiable. Fresh ones smash into purple dough no matter how gently you fold.
- Glaze at warm, not hot. On a hot scone the glaze vanishes into the crumb, at warm it sets into the white zigzag you were promised.
Make it your own
- Raspberry and lemon works identically, also from frozen.
- Skip the glaze and finish with demerara sugar before baking for a crunchier, less sweet scone.
Storing & freezing
Best the day of, airtight overnight at most. Freeze the unbaked wedges (before the cream brush) for 2 months and bake from frozen with 3 extra minutes.
Frequently asked
How do you keep blueberries from bleeding in scones?
Use them frozen solid and fold them in last, minimally. Frozen berries survive shaping and thaw in the oven, staying whole instead of streaking the dough.
Why did my scones spread flat?
Warm dough or expired baking powder. The 15 minute freeze before baking firms the butter, and baking powder older than 6 months has usually lost its spring.
Baking in a different unit? Use the cups ↔ grams converter or the recipe scaler to halve or double this recipe.
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A note on cooking safely. Recipes are provided for informational purposes only and are not medical or nutritional advice. Cooking times, temperatures and quantities are suggestions: use your own judgement, and check that meat, poultry, fish and eggs are properly cooked before serving.
Consult a qualified healthcare professional before making dietary changes, particularly if you have allergies, a medical condition or specific nutritional requirements.