blueberry.scones

Inspired by Twils:
Why do I bake? Hmmm...part of me uses baking as a stress reliever, but the biggest reason I bake is not for personal satisfaction or gain, but for others. You could say baking is my love language. Even though cranking up the mixer, preheating the oven, and blaring music might start out as a stress reliever, I get my biggest satisfaction from seeing other people enjoying my "lovin' from the oven." One of my friends (lets call him/her Twils) does not like chocolate. Who doesn't like chocolate?!?! I like chocolate so much I gave it up for lent. Anyways, I always feel bad when Twils doesn't eat whatever I make because it contains chocolate, hence my recent attempt at scones. Let me see if I can make his/her feeling about scones into a nursing diagnosis to paint a better picture. At risk for upset stomach r/t an infatuation for scones AEB eating four HUGE scones within 15 minutes...yeahhhh! Apparently they were a success! 

BLUEBERRY SCONES

2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk or cream (I used 1% milk)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with pastry blender or two knives. (It should look like coarse crumbs after you are done)

4. Gently fold in the blueberries.

5. In small measuring up combine the cream/milk, beaten egg, and vanilla extract.

6. Make a well in dry ingredients mixture and pour egg and milk mixture into that well. (A well is when you push all of the dry ingredients to the outside edges of the bowl all most to the point where you can see the bottom of the bowl at the bottom.)

7. Stir with wooden spoon until all ingredients are combined. (DO NOT OVER MIX--this causes the scones to turn out tough. This is just like making muffins. You want to see some of the flour mixture not all the way combined. This will create a nice fluffy scone as opposed to a dense one.)

8. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches round. (When kneading the dough, it is helpful to coat your hands with flour as well.)

9. Cut the circle in half, then cut each half into four pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place the scones on the baking sheet.

10. Dust scones with sugar. 

11. Bake scones until nicely browned, about 18-22 minutes, turning baking sheet around half way though the time. (You can test to see if they are done with a toothpick if needed).

12. Enjoy! :)

For those non-scone eaters a scone is a mix between a muffin and a cookie. You can add any mix-in to scones to alter the flavor. I want to experiment with cinnamon apple, but I have had no time to go scout out a good place to buy cinnamon chips at...maybe this summer when I have time to breathe! 

Original Recipe can be found at: www.joyofbaking.com/SconesIntroduction