What do these wedding photographers do in their summer-sweet down time?
Read, hang out with friends, and….pick blueberries!!
We are huge blueberry fans. Every summer we head over to our favorite blueberry farm and pick until our fingers are purple!
Amazing, delicious, full of juicy goodness!
Our favorite place to go is Harvest Farm Blueberries on Ford Chapel Drive. For details on this farm and other local blueberry farms in Madison County, go here.
I have so many favorite blueberry recipes. This delicious blueberry scone recipe is at the top of my list this summer! It’s simple, easy, and so good. I found this recipe on the Averie Cooks blog. It’s my go-to recipe for yummy company breakfast that is quick and easy to prepare but still looks fancy!
First you mix up all the ingredients. Then you add lots of blueberries! You can use fresh or frozen; both work really well. You can use any combination of berries that you want. I love adding frozen strawberries or raspberries to the mix.
Pat the dough into a round, flat shape.
Slice into 8 triangles (or as many as you want! I’ve made huge scones and tiny bite-sized ones out of this).
Put on a cookie sheet…bake…and try not to drool when that tantalizing smell is drifting out of the oven!
What are scones without tea?! Our favorite tea ever is Piper and Leaf. They buy all of their ingredients from local farms and create the most amazing flavors of tea! The owners are incredible people with so much heart and so much passion. I think that’s what makes their tea so good! (Psst. Did you know you can have their tea bar at your wedding? We know from experience that it is absolutely fabulous!!)
But if you don’t have Piper and Leaf tea (note the sad and empty jar above), our next favorite tea is our Numi collection! Joel keeps a stash of Emperors Pu-erh, and I am a huge fan of the Chocolate Pu-erh. They have tons of really yummy and unique flavors that we keep on hand. Basil-Mint, Cardamom, Rooibos…
Once you have your tea fixed perfectly, your scones should be ready to take out of the oven! Yum!! You can add the little frosting drizzle or eat them without!
Mixed Berry Scones from Averie Cooks
Yield: 8 medium/large scones
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: about 18 minutes
Total Time: about 45 minutes, for cooling
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour + about 2 to 4 tablespoons for work surface and hands
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
pinch salt, optional and to taste
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold (1 stick)
1 large egg
1/2 cup sour cream (lite is okay)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 heaping cup mixed berries (I used TJ’s frozen mixed berry blend which includes strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries; if using frozen, keep frozen so berries bleed/run less)
1 tablespoon lemon or orange zest, optional (I didn’t include any in scones shown)
turbinado, raw, or coarse sugar, optional for sprinkling
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
about 1 tablespoon cream or milk (or substitute with orange or lemon juice)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment; set aside.
- In a large bowl, add 2 cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, optional salt, and whisk to combine.
- Add the butter, and with a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter in. You can use a food processor, but I find not having to wash it is a big time-saver. I smoosh the butter with forks and when it’s the size of large marbles, I use my hands and knead it in. It will feel like semi-wet, cool sand. Some larger pea-sized butter clumps are okay; set bowl aside.
- In a small bowl, add the egg, sour cream, vanilla, and whisk to combine until smooth.
- Pour wet mixture over dry, and fold until just combined with a soft-tipped spatula; don’t overmix or scones will be tough. Dough will be wet and shaggy.
- Fold in the berries and optional zest.
- Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons flour over a Silpat or clean work surface and lightly coat hands.
- Turn dough out onto surface and knead it into a 8-inch round, approximately. Dough is very moist, wet, sticky, and tacky, but if it’s being too stubborn or too wet to come together, sprinkle with flour 1 tablespoon at a time until you get it to come together and into a round.
- With a large knife, slice round into 8 equal-sized wedges.
- Using a flat spatula or pie turner, transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet spaced at least 2-inches apart. Do not crowd because scones puff and spread while baking. Tip – try to make sure there are no exposed berries touching the baking sheet because they’ll be prone to burning.
- Optionally, sprinkle each wedge with a generous pinch of turbinado sugar, about 1 teaspoon each.
- Bake for about 18 minutes, or until scones are very lightly golden and cooked through. 18 minutes in my oven with frozen fruit is perfect, but if using fresh fruit, baking time will likely be reduced. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Because they’re baking in quite a hot oven, watch them closely starting after about 15 minutes to ensure the bottoms aren’t getting too browned.
- Allow scones to cool on baking tray for about 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling. While the scones cool, make the glaze.
- In a small bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar and cream (or citrus juice).
- Whisk together until smooth. Depending on desired consistency, you may need to play with the cream and sugar ratios slightly.
- Evenly drizzle the glaze over the scones before serving. Scones are best fresh, but will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days. I’m comfortable storing glazed items at room temperature, but if you’re not, glaze only the scones you plan to consume immediately; I don’t recommend refrigerating them because they will dry out.
We love God’s creation and all the incredible things He’s given us to make our lives that much richer and more beautiful. Blueberries, scones, tea, and summer evenings are some of our favorite gifts!
How do you like to eat your blueberries? Let us know in the comments below!
*hugs*
Amber
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