On the last Sunday of the month, the country club in my parentsâ town hosts a gourmet buffet brunch. Long white-clothed tables tremble from the weight of bacon, sausages, hash browns, shrimp, salads, eggs benedict, chicken cordon bleu⌠At the end of the spread, a smiling chef stands ready to cook waffles or omelets to order, complete with fresh hand-carved meat. Yet another table holds the desserts, ranging from New York cheesecake and crème brĂťlĂŠe to chocolate-dipped strawberries and glazed fruit tartlettes.
In June, my brother discovered the buttery cranberry scones, and despite a shower of crumbs falling to his plate, he quickly recommended them as he stood up to take another. I followed him back to the buffet line to snag my own. After my first bite, I nearly took the entire platter back to our table, but my little conscious whispered that wouldnât be the politest thing to doâŚ
So I waited (rather impatiently) until July to eat a second. And promptly scolded my goodie-two-shoes conscious. That batch lacked both flavor and texture, and I left the half-eaten pastry on my plate. Â
With my scone craving spiraling out of control, I dashed out to Safeway and Trader Joeâs to scour their bakeries, but neither stocked any appetizing varieties. Finally, I drove back to my home, and as I sped down the highway, I decided to make my own.
After one bite, I was hooked. So simple and delicious, these blueberry scones definitely ensured that I wonât need to eat another country club scone at the end of August!
adapted from Sparkrecipeâs Apple Scones
These are excellent hot out of the oven, cooled down, or even reheated! Substitute dried cranberries for the blueberries if you prefer.
- Preheat the oven to 425° and lightly coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the blueberries and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Tightly cover the top with plastic wrap, and microwave for 1 min. Let the blueberries sit for 5-10 min and then drain the remaining liquid.
- Whisk together the flour, Âź cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the butter with the back of a fork or two knives. Stir in the Âź cup of milk, applesauce, and vanilla until a wet dough forms. Gently fold in the blueberries.
- On a well-floured surface, gently knead the dough 8-10 times, and shape into a large circle. Place the circle on the prepared baking sheet. Cut the circle into six wedges. Brush the top of the dough with the remaining milk, and sprinkle the remaining sugar over top. Bake for 12-15 min at 425° or until the tops are golden.
LOVE scones. Those look awesome!
Thanks! We ate nearly all of the scones within a few minutes of them finishing in the oven… It was so hard to wait while I photographed them!
Ohh I love scones, these look so good!
Thank you! I couldn’t believe how easy they were to make either, which makes them all the better!
I like my scones a little on the sweeter side. Will adding more sugar alter the way it bakes?
With 1/4 cup of sugar, these scones are already on the sweeter side compared to my other recipes, but I don’t think adding a little more would affect the bake time or temperature at all. You could also finish them with a sweet drizzle instead if you were worried!
When I said that, I didn’t realize the sugar to flour ratio in your recipe. I made a scone recipe once that also used a 1/4 cup of sugar, but used 4 cups of flour, and they were more like biscuits. I’ll definitely give yours a try!
No worries James! That sounds like an awful ratio to me; breakfast treats should taste a little sweet. I hope you enjoy the scones! đ
I just made the scones, and they are good! I also love how healthy they are without tasting like health food, ha.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the scones James! That’s the best compliment I could’ve asked for. My goal is to make healthier recipes that taste the same as their regular counterparts, so I’m incredibly happy you said that! đ
if i don’t apple sauce can i replaced it with yogurt?
Yes, that substitution will work Laura. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the scones!