’Tis blueberry season, so why not go all out? My favorite blueberry flavor combination involves both cinnamon and lemon. This recipe combination not only includes all three, but also institutes the 25 percent lessons I’ve learned in researching this column. I built the curd recipe from scratch for use with wild blueberries with the understanding that it would need 25 percent more thickener (an extra egg yolk in this case) to set.
Christine Burns Rudalevige adds frozen wild Maine blueberries to the top of the scone dough before rolling it up.
I adapted the scone recipe from an old Cook’s Illustrated recipe to accommodate wild Maine blueberries. The folds, a little unusual in a scone recipe, give the scones many layers. After the scones are shaped and cut, they can be frozen and placed in a ziplock freezer bag for storage. Bake them straight from the freezer, adding 3-5 minutes onto the total baking time.
Serves 6-8
FOR THE CURD:
11/2 cups frozen wild Maine blueberries (6 ounces)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (zest removed to be used in scones)
4 egg yolks
1 whole egg
2/3 cups sugar (4½ ounces)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
Rudalevige rolls the blueberry-strewn dough before flattening the resulting cylinder out with a rolling pin.
FOR THE SCONES:
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour (about 10 ounces)
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (reserved from curd recipe)
½ cup whole milk, cold
1/3 cup sour cream, cold
1 cup fresh high-bush blueberries (about 4 ounces)
½ cup frozen wild Maine blueberries (about 2 ounces)
Ingredients for blueberry scones made with both frozen wild Maine blueberries, center, and fresh blueberries, top.
To make the curd, combine the blueberries and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cover, place pan over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes. The blueberries will have burst. Strain liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and use the back of a spoon to press the substance of the berries out of their skins. Compost skins. Set juice aside to cool slightly.
Whisk together the egg yolks, whole egg and sugar in a medium saucepan until the mixture is light yellow. Slowly add the blueberry-lemon juice. Place the pan over medium heat and whisk constantly until curd thickens and can coat the back of a wooden spoon, 8-10 minutes. Be careful not to let the eggs scramble. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter, 1 piece at a time. Strain the curd into a bowl through a fine-mesh sieve, cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
To make the scones, grate 8 tablespoons of the butter on the large holes of a box grater. Store in the freezer until ready to use. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and set aside.
Whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and zest in a medium bowl. Add the frozen butter and quickly toss with your fingers until it is thoroughly coated with the dry ingredients.
Combine the milk and sour cream, add to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface.
Lightly dust dough with flour and with floured hands, knead 6-8 times until it just holds together in a ragged ball, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. With a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 12-inch square. Fold dough, like a business letter, into thirds. Then form a square by folding the ends into the middle, like a letter again. Place the dough on a lightly floured plate and chill in the freezer for 5 minutes. Return the dough to your work surface, continuing to flour as needed, and roll into an approximate 12-inch square again. Sprinkle the frozen blueberries evenly over the surface of dough, then press down lightly to embed them into the dough. Lift 1 end of the dough, and roll into a tight log. Lay, seam-side down, and press the log into a 12-by-4-inch rectangle. Using a sharp, floured knife, cut the rectangle lengthwise into 4 equal portions. Cut each square in half diagonally to end up with 8 triangles, transferring each to a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Brush each scone with the reserved melted butter and sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar. Bake until the tops and bottoms of the scones are golden brown, 18-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Transfer the scones to a wire rack and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving with blueberry-lemon curd.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
