Blueberry, Orange + Oatmeal Scones
When I was a kid, my mom used to take my brother and me to a farm near my grandmother’s house to go blueberry picking. Being the wise woman that she was, we went first thing in the morning so we could avoid the hot sun – but the two hour drive meant getting dragged out of bed at the crack of dawn to start our adventure.
Of course, despite our complaining about having to wake up early during summer break, we knew that the more blueberries we picked, the more we’d have to enjoy later on - and let me tell you, it felt like we picked that farm clean. By noon, every cooler we could get our hands on would be brimming with fresh, plump, juicy blueberries and then loaded up into our minivan. Once we got home, we’d keep some out to snack on over the next few days, but most would get transferred into bags and then into the basement freezer to use in pies, pancakes and other goodies in the months to come.
I haven't picked blueberries in years, but I can't help but reminisce about being back on that farm alongside my mom and my brother – working hard knowing that our harvest would eventually yield the most decadent of homemade blueberry treats.
Blueberry, Orange + Oatmeal Scones
Yields 8 scones
Adapted from Joy The Baker Cookbook
1 egg
½ cup cold heavy cream
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
10 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
¾-1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I like using the smaller, wild berries instead of larger ones)
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
Turbinado sugar (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and cream. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and cardamom.
Use a box grater to grate the cold butter and add it to the dry ingredients. Use your fingers to incorporate the butter until you have somewhat of a crumbly texture. If you don’t have a box grater, just cut the butter into small pieces and then mix it in with your fingers.
Pour the egg and cream mixture over the flour mixture and stir gently until a sticky dough forms. Be very gentle and try not to overmix the batter! Fold in the berries and orange zest. Stir as gently as possibly and don’t mix any more than necessary.
Scrape the dough out onto a floured work surface. Add some flour to your hands and form the dough into a circle, about ¾-1 inch thick. Cut the dough into 8 triangle shaped slices and transfer to the lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle the top of each scone with a little bit of turbinado sugar, slightly pressing the sugar into the scones. Put the baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown, then cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before serving. Scones taste best served the same day they’re baked, so don’t wait too long to enjoy them!
A version of this recipe was originally featured by Bright, Bold & Beautiful.
