Lemon Blueberry Scone Recipe

Charming Falls Apart hit the bookstands last week. In celebration of its one week anniversary, I’m sharing the recipe for Eric’s Mom’s Lemon Blueberry Scone in Chapter One. This recipe came about as a spin on my go-to blueberry scone recipe. Thanks to the mild San Francisco weather, the lemon tree in our backyard pretty much always has lemons ripe for picking and I try to find ways to use them up. They end up in vinaigrettes, in risotto and pasta recipes, and one day they found a way into my blueberry scones.

Since I only use one lemon, the lemon flavor is subtle. Also, I think the lemon juice gives the scone a softer, more fluffy consistency (?). If you prefer a denser scone, then omit the lemon juice. Also, for extra sweetness and crunch, I like to add big granules of Demerara sugar on top.

 While I like to make this recipe in a scone pan, it also works great in a 9-inch round cake pan. When using the cake pan, I line the bottom with parchment paper to make sure the scones come out of the pan easily. I haven’t tried the drop method with these, so if you do, let me know how it goes!

– Angela

Eric’s Mom’s Lemon Blueberry Scone Recipe

Ingredients:

½ cup buttermilk

1 egg

3 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

8 Tbsp cold, unsalted butter (diced into small pieces)

1 lemon (juice & rind)

1 cup blueberries

½ cup sugar

1 Tbsp Demerara sugar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375° F.

If using a non-stick pan, butter or spray your pan. Set aside.

In a small bowl, beat the egg and buttermilk. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix/sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter pieces and either mix with a pastry cutter or your hands until the dough is crumbly-looking.

Add blueberries, sugar, and lemon zest and mix lightly until blueberries are semi-coated with the flour mixture. (I like to mix with my hands to make sure I don’t smoosh the blueberries.)

Stir in the buttermilk mixture and lemon juice carefully until a dough forms.

Once the dough forms, then knead lightly for a minute. (You can do this on a floured surface, but sometimes I just do it gently in the bowl.)

Press the dough evenly into your scone pan or round cake pan.

Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. Demerara sugar on top.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Top should brown-ish. To check for doneness, I poke a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, it’s done.

Let cool in pan for about 30 minutes. Then remove and let cool completely.

(Or who are we kidding? Just slice and eat it while it’s still warm.)