Have a Happy National July Belongs to Blueberries Month with Blueberry Scones!

Whenever I come across a great sounding recipe I want to try, I usually end up changing something within it. It's just something I've always done...I can't leave anything alone! Not with this recipe, though. These scones are perfect just as they are (although, hmmm...now that I think about it, substituting cranberries for the blueberries might be good, too!). This is my absolute favorite scone recipe.

Blueberry Scones

by Susan
adapted from this recipe at Annie's Eats

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried

2 cups flour, plus more for dusting your work surface
1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Okay, first things first. Pop that butter into the freezer for about half an hour and place the blueberries in the freezer until you need them. 

 Preheat oven to 425˚F. 

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Zest the lemon and gently toss the zest into the flour mixture. Now grate the partially frozen butter using a cheese grater. Work fast! Add the grated butter to the flour mixture and gently toss with fingers until butter pieces are coated completely, making sure that there are no "clumps" of butter and flour. It should all be tossed together nicely. Set aside.

Whisk together the milk and sour cream in a medium bowl. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula just until combined. You'll have some shaggy looking dough. Transfer the dough to a work surface that's been floured generously and also dust the top of the dough with flour. Knead 6-8 times, just until the dough holds together in a ragged ball. Add small amounts of flour if you need to prevent it from sticking.

Roll the dough into a 12-inch square and then using a dough scraper (you'll need it, trust me) fold the dough into thirds like you would a letter. Fold the short ends of the dough towards the center, in thirds, to form about a 4-inch square. Transfer the dough to a plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in the freezer for about 5 minutes.

Return the dough to your floured work surface and roll into a 12-inch square again (none of this has to be absolutely perfect). Spread the blueberries evenly over the surface of the dough, and gently press down so that they are embedded in the dough. Using a dough scraper (aren't you glad you have this?), roll the dough up to form a tight log. Lay the log seam side down and press it into a 12- by 4- inch rectangle. Using a sharp knife, cut the rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles.

Transfer triangles to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush melted butter over the tops of the scones and sprinkle fairly liberally with the extra sugar. Bake until the tops and bottoms are golden brown, around 18-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool about 10 minutes before serving (if you can wait that long!)