Blueberry Coffeecake Scones

I am a big scone lover. They were the first thing I baked from scratch after moving out of my parents house. (Isn't it funny how you remember things like that?)

I'm having some girlfriends coming to visit from home in a couple weeks, so I knew I wanted to make a batch of scones while they're here. Since I haven't made this version before, I wanted to do a test run - and they turned out great!

The 'dough' mixture is really a thick batter (very wet & sticky). The best way to describe it is a free form coffeecake cut into wedges. So it's probably not technically a 'scone' but still good.

Makes: 8 wedges
Source: Simply Scones

Ingredients
For the Scones:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 1/2 cups fresh or thawed, drained frozen blueberries (I used fresh)

For the crumb topping:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Light butter an 11-inch diameter circle in the center of a baking sheet. (I used a baking stone)

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and distribute them over the flour mixture. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (I was lazy and just put it in the kitchen aid mixer.)

2. In a small bowl, stir together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and lemon peel. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine. The dough will be sticky. Gently stir in the blueberries.

3. With lightly floured hands and board, knead a couple times (I used almost 1/2 cup of flour when kneading) and pat the dough into a 9-inch diameter circle in the center of the prepared baking sheet.

4. To prepare the topping: in a small bowl stir together the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and distribute them over the flour mixture. With a pastry blender, cut the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over the dough to cover. Press crumb topping lightly into the dough.

5. Cut the circle into 8 wedges (but do not separate them). Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the scone comes out clean.

6. Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool. Re-cut into wedges, if necessary. Serve warm, or cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Cranberry Orange Scones

Just want to say "Hi" to everyone!

I already posted this on my blog, but this is my absolute favorite recipe for scones. I saw it on a Barefoot Contessa episode a couple years ago and have been making them every since.

Ingredients
4 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 cup dried cranberries (I use 2 cups of fresh or thawed cranberries, quartered)
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash (I use any leftover heavy cream)
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the baking powder, salt and orange zest.


2. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy!


3. Combine the dried cranberries and 1/4 cup of flour, add to the dough, and mix on low speed until blended.


4. Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead. Divide the dough in half. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 1-inch thick circle. Cut into 8 wedges. Repeat with the second half of dough.


5. Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked. The scones will be firm to the touch. Allow the scones to cool for 15 minutes and then whisk together the confectioners' sugar and orange juice, and drizzle over the scones.

Apple Scones

Those of you who read my other blog as well, this will be a double post. Sorry. :(

Today it’s so cold and gloomy and rainy out that I felt like baking while sipping my Earl Grey. So I scoured my cookbook and found a lovely little recipe of which I had all the ingredients: Apple Scones. They are great because not only is everything in the recipe most likely already in your pantry, but they are easy to make and taste wonderful and make your kitchen smell wonderful too.

My simple nutritious cup of tea quickly turned into a calorie-fest. But, on the other hand, I’m not cold anymore!

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, chilled
1 apple - peeled, cored and shredded
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Measure flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt into a large bowl. Cut in butter or margarine until crumbly. Add shredded apple and milk. Stir to form a soft dough.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently 8 to 10 times. Pat into two 6-inch circles. Place on greased baking sheet. Brush tops with milk, and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Score each into 6 pie-shaped wedges.
Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 15 minutes, or until browned and risen. Serve warm with butter.

Apricot Scones

Thanks, Anne for inviting me to post after I shamelessly asked you to invite me! hee hee...


The other day I read that one of my favorite blogfriends made scones, and ever since then I had a craving. So I lifted this recipe off of the King Arthur Flour website. If you've never visited their recipe section, I suggest checking it out. It is a treasure trove of decadence.


It really was silly for me to make these, since I'm basically the only one who will end up eating them and they are very rich. They're really better suited for company, so my advice is to plan a nice little tea party. Get out your nice linens and invite the girls over for some:


Apricot Cream Cheese Scones


3 1/4 cups (13 3/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8-ounce package cream cheese (cold)
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) cold butter
1 cup (4 1/2 ounces) diced or slivered apricots
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup (2 ounces) milk
white sugar, for topping


In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the cream cheese and butter, using your fingers, a pastry blender, fork, or a mixer, until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, then stir in the apricots. In a separate bowl whisk together the egg, vanilla and milk.Combine the liquid and dry ingredients and stir until the dough becomes cohesive. Don't mix and mix and mix; the more you work with the dough, the tougher it'll get. Remember: an iron fist in a velvet glove does the trick!


Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, and fold it over several times, until it holds together. Pat the dough into a 3/4-inch thick rectangle.Cut scones with a round cutter, gathering the scraps and re-rolling the dough. Or simply cut the dough into squares or diamonds. Brush the tops lightly with milk and sprinkle with sparkling white or pearl sugar.Place scones about 2 inches apart on an ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheet.


Bake them in a preheated 425°F oven for 8 minutes. Turn the oven off, leave the door closed, and continue to bake for 8 more minutes, until the scones are a light, golden brown. Serve hot, with clotted cream and jam or raspberry curd. Yield: about 18 medium-sized scones.


I actually used a scone pan, which only makes 8 large scones, so I ended up baking them for twice the amount of time given. Also, I used generic Safeway flour and still turned out great. It was hard to keep little hands away long enough to take a picture of them, which I took as a good sign!