Blueberry Picking + Blueberry Scones

A gallon of blueberries for $5? The honor system to leave your cash in a basket after picking your goods? My foodie field trip buddies Hannah, Natalie, and I were elated to find these reminders of why we love living so close to small-town South where you find yourself at a blueberry farm like this.

We quickly discovered that the blueberries weren't as cheap as we thought though because your pay two hours in labor picking in summer heat and humidity, but we decided it was totally worth the labor, especially when you sit in AC all week. The day was overcast, we got lots of chit chatting in, and we each came home with ginormous bags of super fat and juicy berries.

I snacked on my booty, gave some to my family, froze some, but, best of all, I put them in scones. I hadn't thought I would love scones, but these tasty like a denser biscuit in a delightful triangle shape. Biscuit cousin filled with sweet, juicy berries? That will make you go back for seconds at breakfast...and then a secret third while you put leftovers in a baggie... and only restrain yourself from eating more because that would be hogging food when you are supposed to be the hostess for super-close college friends who came all the way from Texas to see you.

The scones were slightly sweet, allowing the berries to shine, and were dense yet fluffy and buttery inside with a slightly browned, sugar-coated top. I decided to try them because I'd already blogged about the best white-wheat, streusel-topped blueberry muffins, cake-like Blueberry Cheesecake Muffins, and healthy Banana-Blueberry Muffins, leaving must-make-original-blog-post me to think of something new for my blueberry breakfast baking fetish.


Blueberry Scones
Adapted from Cooking Light

2 cups  all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup fat-free milk OR 2/3 cup buttermlk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup blueberries
2 teaspoons fat-free milk
2 teaspoons turbinado or granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Combine cup ½  cup milk (or 2/3 cup buttermilk), vanilla, and egg in a bowl. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist (dough will be soft). Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle surface of dough with berries. With floured hands, knead 4 times or just until the currants are incorporated.

Pat dough into an 8-inch circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut dough into 8-12 wedges, cutting into, but not through, dough. Brush 2 teaspoons milk over surface of dough; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar. Bake at 425° for 17 minutes or until golden. Serve warm, or cool on a wire rack.