Scones are now a favorite!

Tuesday I bought the blueberries.  Wednesday I saw blogger friend, Mary, post perfectly looking blueberry scones on her blog, One Perfect Bite.  So by last evening, my scone batter was resting in the refrigerator only to be awakened early this morning for baking.

I like to think that I can analyze what a good recipe is by reading through it quickly.  Especially in baking, I have found that if the ingredients include sour cream, fresh cream or cream cheese, every time the recipe will be a success.  Mary's recipe called for 1 1/4 cups of heavy cream.  I just knew this would taste great.

This was my first time baking scones.  I think what turned me off before was that every scone I have ever purchased tasted so dry and crumbly that it needed several cups of coffee or glasses of milk to wash it down.  I never understood what the cheering was about concerning scones.

Well.....now I know.  It took much restraint to keep me from eating them all before The Trout was even out of bed!  The recipe comes together quickly.  No need to even use your mixer.  It does not make an outrageous amount of scones, though that would have been a treat!  I will definitely be looking into more scone recipes.  I hope you try these.  Thank you, Mary, for sharing your excellent recipe.

Blueberry Cream Scones
from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar, divided use
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup blueberries
1 1/4 cup heavy cream

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Cut butter into dry ingredients.  Stir in blueberries.

Add heavy cream and stir by hand just until dough forms.  Dough will be soft and sticky.  Cover and refrigerator 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until dough just holds together.  Press dough into an 8 to 9 inch circle, 1 inch thick.  Cut into wedges.  Place scones on baking sheet and sprinkle with the reserved sugar.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until scones are a light golden brown on top.  Yield:  6 scones.

Freshly picked Florida blueberries

The young man said that these blueberries were freshly picked this morning.  Who could refuse?  When I first moved to Florida, I did not realize that blueberries were actually grown down here.  I remember very well, going with my girlfriend, Carolyn, and her two daughters along with my two daughters, to pick blueberries when we lived in Michigan.  I believe each of us (Carolyn and I were the only true pickers) picked 90 pounds and they cost about 35 cents a pound.  Of course, this was in the 1970's.  Our daughters had blue mouths, blue tongues, blue hands and were totally filled up with blueberries by the time we got home.  I love those memories.

So, if you can't enjoy freshly picked blueberries today, I hope you will enjoy my photos. 

Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins

Jordan Marsh was a department store in Boston, which grew to be a major regional chain in the New England area of the US. In 1996, the last of the Jordan Marsh stores were renamed Macy's.

On the first floor of the flagship store, Jordan Marsh had a bakery famous for its delicious blueberry muffins. The bakery had been a vital part of the shopping experience at the store. In 2004, The Boston Globe had an article which stated, "For decades, any decent downtown shopping trip ended at Jordan Marsh, where the promise of a sugar-crusted blueberry muffin could make annoying children angelic."

Jordon Marsh Blueberry Muffins

1/2 cup butter
1 cup plus 2 tsp. sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups blueberries

Grease muffins tin inside and around the lip. On low speed of electric mixer, cream butter and 1 cup of sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until blended. Stir flour, baking powder and salt together and add alternately with milk. Add vanilla.

Mash 1/2 cup berries and stir into batter. Stir in whole berries. Pile high in each muffin cup. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons sugar over all the muffins. Bake at 375 degrees for 3o minutes. Cool 30 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.