Description
Tender, flaky bakery-style lemon blueberry scones made with grated frozen butter for extra layers and finished with a bright, tangy lemon glaze. Crisp and golden outside, soft and fluffy inside, with juicy blueberries in every bite.
Ingredients
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, frozen solid
1 3/4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, picked over (freeze before using)
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Cooking spray
Glaze: 1/2 cup lemon juice
Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar (icing sugar)
Glaze: 1 tablespoon butter
Glaze: Zest of 1 lemon
For thick drizzle glaze: 2 additional cups powdered sugar (as needed to thicken reserved glaze)
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly coat with cooking spray.
- Score and remove half of the wrapper from each stick of frozen butter. Grate 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) from the unwrapped ends using the large holes of a box grater. Return grated butter to the freezer.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the remaining ungrated butter and set aside for brushing the scones. (Reserve any remaining butter for another use.)
- Place the blueberries in the freezer until needed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and sour cream. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest.
- Add the frozen grated butter to the flour mixture and toss with your fingers until all pieces are coated.
- Add the chilled milk mixture and gently fold with a spatula until just combined (do not overmix).
- Transfer dough to a generously floured surface. With floured hands, knead 6–8 times until it comes together into a ragged ball, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Roll dough into an approximate 12-inch square. Fold into thirds like a business letter, then fold into thirds again to form a 4-inch square. Place on a lightly floured plate and chill in the freezer for 5 minutes.
- Roll the chilled dough into another 12-inch square. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over the surface and gently press them in.
- Using a bench scraper, roll the dough into a tight log. Place seam-side down and press into a 12 x 4-inch rectangle.
- With a sharp, floured knife, cut the rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles, then cut each rectangle diagonally to form triangles (8 scones total). Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush the tops with the melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
- Bake for 18–25 minutes, until tops and bottoms are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- Make the glaze: In a small saucepan over low heat, combine 1/2 cup lemon juice and 2 cups powdered sugar, stirring until dissolved. Whisk in 1 tablespoon butter and the zest of 1 lemon.
- Reserve 1 cup of the glaze. Pour the remaining glaze evenly over the scones.
- To the reserved glaze, whisk in up to 2 more cups powdered sugar (as needed) until thick enough to drizzle. Drizzle over the tops, then serve.
Notes
Use frozen blueberries straight from the freezer (do not thaw) to reduce bleeding into the dough.
Keep the butter and dough cold for maximum flakiness; chilling helps create distinct layers.
Do not overwork the dough—minimal handling keeps scones tender, not tough.
Swap blueberries for raspberries or chopped strawberries for a different flavor.
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the milk-sour cream mixture for extra warmth.
Orange zest can replace lemon zest for a different citrus note.
For a less sweet finish, reduce the glaze or dust with powdered sugar instead.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3–4 days.
Reheat: Warm at 300°F (150°C) for 8–10 minutes to restore crispness; microwave 15–20 seconds for quick warming (softer texture).
Make-ahead: Shape scones and refrigerate for a few hours before baking.
Freezing: Freeze fully cooled scones airtight and reheat in the oven before serving.
Sour cream substitute: Use plain full-fat yogurt in equal amounts.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 18-25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scone
- Calories: 552
- Sugar: 46g
- Sodium: 380mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 82g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
