Perfect & Easy Blueberry Scones (THE BEST EVER!)

These simple scones are crunchy on the outside
and flakey and light on the inside ~ very
flavorful and not at all dry ~ Perfect!

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy cream

2 eggs

3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

4 cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

5 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) frozen unsalted butter

2 heaping cups of fresh blueberries*

additional flour

1/4 cup heavy cream

coarse sanding sugar**

3/4 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method:

In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, eggs and vanilla. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. 

Use the large grate, on a box style grater, to grate the cold butter onto the dry ingredients. Use your fingers to blend the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles pea sized crumbs.

Pour the cream mixture over the ingredients in the large bowl. Add the bluberries and mix carefully with a large fork just until all of the dry ingredients are mixed in. (If more moisture is needed, add an additional tablespoon of cream. It's also okay to use your hands to finish mixing the ingredients together, being careful not to overmix.)

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 

Divide the dough into two equal sized balls. Place each ball on a floured surface and gently pat into an 8 inch circle. Cut each circle into 8 equal portions.

Carefully transfer the dough triangles to one of the prepared baking shetts and refrigerate for 15 minutes or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400*. Place refrigerated dough sections 2 to 3 inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush the top of each triangle with cream and sprinkle with the sanding sugar.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. While the scones are baking, stir together the powdered sugar, cream and vanilla to make the icing. (Add additional cream one teaspoon at a time if the icing is too thick.)

Remove the baked scones from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before drizzling the icing over the top. 

Serve or store completely cooled scones in an airtight container, with sheets of waxed paper between layers of scones, in the refrigerator. (To serve refrigerated scones, allow to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes or heat very briefly.) Makes 16 scones.

*Frozen blueberries may be used, if they are not thawed.

**Sanding sugar can be found at the grocery store together with the cake decorations and sprinkles.

Notes:

These scones are delicious and disappear quickly, but if you only want 8 scones, cut the recipe in half. Reduce the icing ingredients to: 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons cream and 1/8 teaspoon vanilla.

I recommend making a full recipe and freezing half of the unbaked scones to bake later. Store in an airtight container up to 3 months, with waxed paper between layers of scones.

Before we married, my husband thought that all scones were dry and flavorless, so he was hesitant to try homemade ones ~ He was so surprised at how much he likes them! (And, they really are simple to make.)