Short answer
Blueberry scones are tender, flaky quick breads made by cutting cold butter into flour, folding in frozen berries and baking at a high heat. Cold fat, minimal mixing and frozen berries keep the dough light and the berries whole.
Blueberry scones are tender, lightly flaky quick breads made by cutting cold butter into flour, folding in frozen blueberries and baking in a hot oven. The key to blueberries scones that keep their shape is cold butter, a light hand with the dough and berries that go in frozen.
What is a blueberry scone?
A blueberry scone is a single-serving baked good made from flour, baking powder, butter, milk or cream and blueberries, shaped into a wedge or round and baked until golden. It is a quick bread, which means baking powder lifts it and no yeast is needed.
Scones come from the British Isles, and the version most people in Canada know is richer and sweeter than a plain British scone. The crumb should be soft and a little flaky, with a crisp, golden top.
What ingredients do you need for blueberry scones?
You need flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, cold butter, cold milk or cream, an egg and blueberries. This makes about eight scones.
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar, plus extra for the top
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (115 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) cold milk or cream, plus extra for brushing
- 1 cup (about 150 g) frozen blueberries
- The zest of one lemon, optional
Everything cold is the rule. Butter that melts into the flour before baking gives a bread-like, dense scone rather than a flaky one.
How do you make blueberry scones step by step?
Rub the cold butter into the dry ingredients, stir in the wet ingredients until barely combined, fold in the frozen berries and shape the dough. Then cut, chill and bake at 220 degrees Celsius (425 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Heat the oven to 220 °C and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the pieces are the size of peas.
- Whisk the egg with the milk, pour it in and stir until the dough just holds together.
- Toss the frozen berries in a spoonful of flour, then fold them in with as few turns as possible.
- Pat the dough into a disc about 3 cm (1 inch) thick and cut into eight wedges.
- Chill the wedges for 15 minutes, brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the tops are golden.
Let the scones cool for ten minutes before eating, because the centre keeps setting as it cools.
How do you keep blueberries from bleeding purple?
Use frozen berries, keep them frozen and fold them in gently. The less the berries break, the less colour spreads through the dough.
Tossing the berries in flour, as in step five, helps them stay put. Some bakers lay berries on the dough, fold it over once and cut the pieces rather than stirring. A few streaks of purple are normal and do not affect the taste, so there is no need to over-handle the dough to avoid them.
What makes a scone tender instead of tough?
A tender scone comes from little gluten development, so mix as little as you can. Overworked dough turns chewy and dense.
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Tough, chewy crumb | Too much mixing | Stop when the dough just holds together |
| Flat, spread scones | Warm butter or dough | Chill before baking |
| Dry, crumbly texture | Too much flour or baked too long | Weigh flour, check at 18 minutes |
| Raw centre | Berries too wet, oven too cool | Use frozen berries, preheat fully |
| No rise | Old baking powder | Test it in hot water, it should fizz |
Cutting straight down with a sharp knife or cutter, without twisting, also helps the scones rise evenly, because twisting seals the edges.
What is the difference between a scone and a biscuit?
A scone is usually slightly sweeter and richer, with egg and sometimes cream, while a North American biscuit is savoury, with more buttermilk and no egg. The two doughs are close cousins and are made in a similar way.
A scone is often served with jam or butter, and a biscuit with gravy or a savoury filling. The cafe scone sold in Canada tends to be larger and sweeter than either, and it often includes fruit or chocolate chips.
Can you use fresh blueberries or other fruit?
Yes, but fresh berries burst more easily and make the dough wetter. Frozen berries are firmer, so they hold up better to folding.
If you only have fresh berries, fold them in last and cut the dough gently. Other fruit that works well includes raspberries, chopped apples, dried cranberries and chopped strawberries, though wetter fruit may need an extra tablespoon of flour. Citrus zest and a pinch of cinnamon lift the flavour of any berry scone.
How should you store and reheat scones?
Scones are best on the day they are baked. Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to two days, or freeze them for up to a month.
To refresh a day-old scone, warm it in a 160 °C (325 °F) oven for five to eight minutes. A microwave softens a scone but makes it chewy, so the oven is better. Frozen scones can go straight into the oven.
Does Wildhearts Cafe serve blueberry scones?
Reviewers mention a blueberry scone at Wildhearts Cafe, and it is listed among the baked goods recorded for the cafe. The cafe’s recipe is not published, so this guide does not claim that its scone is made the way described above.
The cafe rotates its baked goods, so a scone may not be available every day. No prices are published. Wildhearts Cafe, at 509 Bloor St W in Toronto, is open 7 AM to 8 PM daily per Google Maps. The menu page has the recorded items and the hours and location page has the details for planning a visit.
Common questions
Should blueberries be frozen for scones?
Frozen berries are the safer choice. They stay firm while you fold them in, so they burst less and stain the dough less. Do not thaw them, and toss them in a spoonful of flour first.
Why are my scones dry and crumbly?
Dry scones usually have too much flour, too little liquid or too long in the oven. Measure flour by weight, stop mixing as soon as the dough holds together and bake until just golden.
Can you make scone dough ahead of time?
Yes. Cut the scones, freeze them on a tray, then bake straight from frozen, adding about three to five minutes. Freezing the shaped dough often gives a taller, better rise than a fresh batch.
Why did my blueberry scones spread flat?
Warm butter, too much liquid or old baking powder are the usual causes. Keep the dough cold, chill the shaped scones for 15 minutes before baking and check the date on the baking powder.
How long do blueberry scones keep?
They are best on the day they are baked. Store them in an airtight container for up to two days at room temperature, or freeze them for up to a month and reheat in the oven.
Looking for the basics? Wildhearts Cafe address and opening hours are on the home page.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Wildhearts Cafe itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.