Blueberry coffeecake scones

Yes, it's still blueberry season. Lots of pressure not to waste the glorious deep blue gems. And yes, I know I could just freeze them. But if I turn them into something tasty already formed in the freezer, it's a double win.

This is one of my standby blueberry recipes and makes a lovely Sunday breakfast with a nice pot of tea. They don't really need butter or lemon curd since they have the crumb cake topping and have a coffeecake-like texture. They take a little longer to mix up and bake than regular scones, but they're worth a bit of fuss and muss.

Blueberry coffeecake scones
From "Simply Scones," by Leslie Weiner and Barbara Albright. There's a reason this delightful little book is still in print. I bought mine in the late 1980s and have been happily turning to it ever since. It covers the range from sweet to savory and once you've got the variations down, you can experiment on your own.

Ingredients

2¼ cups flour

½ cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup cold butter, cut into small chunks

2 eggs

¼ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon lemon zest

1½ cups blueberries (if you have to use frozen, thaw and drain them well first)

Crumb topping

Method

Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or fork.

Combine eggs, milk and vanilla. Mix into flour mixture. Yes, it’s sticky. Fold in lemon zest and blueberries. Now it’s even stickier.

Transfer dough to baking sheet, patting into a 9-inch circle with lightly floured hands. Cut into 8 wedges using serrated knife or baking scraper, but leave in a circle.

Top with crumb topping, pressing mixture into the top of the scones. At this point things look pretty shaggy, but they come around in the oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. 

Crumb topping

Mix ¾ cup flour, ¼ cup packed light brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Add ¼ cup cold butter, cut into small pieces. Mix in with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse crumbs.