he
cultivated blueberries we enjoy today are much larger and more plump than their
wild cousins. Great for eating out of hand, they are also the perfect berry
for using in our baking as heat turns them soft and sweet. Besides
pies, tarts, cakes, and muffins, blueberries (fresh or frozen) are wonderful when added
to a basic scone dough. The only thing to remember is to gently fold the berries
into the dough to prevent them from being crushed. Now, if you are using frozen
blueberries (do not thaw first) do not be surprised if the dough has streaks of blue, as
frozen berries always bleed a little no matter how gentle you are when folding them into the dough (as you can
see in the above picture).
Most of the time scones are simply brushed with a little cream or
an egg wash before baking. For this recipe, however, we are going to do
something a little different by sprinkling each scone with a cinnamon
flavored streusel. The streusel gives the scones a nice crunch and the added sweetness balances the
slight tanginess of the berries. Streusel is a crumbly topping made from a
mixture of butter, flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon. The word
'streusel' comes from the German word 'streuen' which means 'to sprinkle' or 'to
scatter'. Streusel was originally used as a topping for the
German-made 'Streusel Kuchen' but is now used as a topping for cakes,
coffee cakes, Danish pastries, muffins, pies, sweet breads, crisps, and
tarts.
Note: You will have leftover streusel which can be stored in a covered
container in the fridge for a few weeks. Use the leftover streusel to sprinkle on muffins, cakes, or
your favorite crisp or crumble recipes.
Preheat oven to
425
degrees F (220 degrees C) and place rack in middle of oven. Line a cookie sheet
with parchment paper.
For the
Scones: In a large
bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter
into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two
knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Gently fold in the
blueberries. In a small measuring cup
combine the cream, beaten egg and vanilla. Add this mixture to the
flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the
dough or the scones will be tough.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and
knead
the dough gently four or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is
about 7 inches (18 cm) round and about 11/2 inches (4 cm) thick. Cut this
circle in half, then cut each half into four pie-shaped wedges (triangles).
Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with a
little cream or milk.
For the Streusel
Topping: In a small bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until crumbly. Top
each scone with a teaspoon or two of the streusel mixture. Cover and
refrigerate any leftover streusel mixture.
Bake
the scones until nicely browned, about 15 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the
center of a scone comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool
slightly. These are best eaten the day they are made but can be covered and
stored for a few days.
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