Glazed Lemon Blueberry Scones

Are you looking for a delicious pastry for a Tea Party or your next Sunday Brunch? Look no further than these delightful glazed lemon blueberry scones! Made with fresh or frozen blueberries, a hint of citrus and topped with glaze, these tasty treats are the perfect way to add some zing to your morning

Not only are these lemon blueberry scones a staple for a traditional tea, they are also one of my favorite recipes to serve for brunch.

They’re a nice alternative to muffins or sweet breads, if you’re looking for a little variety,

They’re easy to make and can be made ahead of time. Which is always a bonus if you’re having people over.

I like to freeze them before baking them. Then you can cook them just before serving and they’re fresh out of the oven when you serve them.

Adding the glaze is the perfect finishing touch. While it is optional (and they’re still good without it), I think most baking tastes a little better with frosting!

Ingredients

This recipe makes about 8 scones.

Here is your shopping list:

• Baking supplies: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2½ teaspoons baking powder
• Sugar: ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 cup powdered sugar
• Spices: ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• Flavoring: 3 teaspoons vanilla
• Fresh produce: 1 lemon
• Fruit: 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries. If you are using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them before putting them in the batter.
• Dairy: ½ cup salted butter, ½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons heavy cream.
• Eggs: 1 large egg

Substitutions

• If you don’t want to make the glaze, omit the powdered sugar, reduce the vanilla to 2 teaspoons and reduce the heavy cream to ½ cup.
• Substitute ½ cup buttermilk for ½ cup heavy cream in the scones if you prefer. I don’t recommend using regular milk since the fat in the cream gives the scones a better texture.
• For the glaze, you can replace the 2 Tablespoons heavy cream with 2 Tablespoons of milk.
• To give the glaze some extra lemon flavor, stir in 1 teaspoon of lemon zest.

How to make lemon blueberry scones With Lemon Glaze

Prep work

Put ½ cup butter in the freezer a couple of hours ahead of time to give it time to chill.

Using frozen butter will keep the scones from spreading too much in the oven and result in a lighter, fluffier pastry.

Putting the mixing bowl in the freezer ahead of time will also help to keep everything chilled.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Or spray it with non-stick cooking spray.

Grate the skin of the lemon so you have enough for ½ Tablespoon of lemon zest.

Mix the dry ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, ½ cup sugar, 2½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ Tablespoon lemon zest, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon nutmeg.

Since mixing the dough too much will result in tough scones, you’ll want to do this by hand, rather than using a mixer.

Using a grater, grate the frozen butter into the flour mixture.

Use a pastry cutter to combine the butter and flour until the butter is cut up into small pieces that look like fine crumbs. 

If you don’t have a pastry cutter, you can use two knives by crossing them and cutting through the flour and butter in an X-pattern. Repeat until the butter is chopped into small pieces.

Place the bowl back in the freezer while you mix the wet ingredients.

Combine the wet ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup heavy cream, 1 large egg, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

Once wet ingredients are whisked together, remove the bowl with the dry ingredients from the freezer. 

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients.

Then add the frozen blueberries (not thawed) and stir with a spoon just until everything is mixed. Again you don’t want to over-mix or you’ll end up with tough scones.

Make the scones

Spread a little flour on your countertop or a bread board, and on your hands.

Form the dough into a ball.

Then flatten it into an 8-inch disc on the floured countertop.

With a sharp knife, cut the disc in half lengthwise, then in half horizontally, then diagonally left to right and right to left, resulting in 8 wedges.

Place scones on the parchment-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Bake

While the scones are chilling, pre-heat the oven to 400℉.

When the oven is preheated, remove the scones from the refrigerator and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven, and allow to cool on a wire cooling rack.

Make the glaze

While the glaze is optional, it’s not hard to make. And it makes your scones look and taste a little special.

To make the glaze, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons heavy cream, and 1 teaspoon vanilla

Drizzle over scones.

How to serve

As I mentioned above, scones are a must if you’re hosting a traditional tea party.

But I also love to serve them for brunch with either tea or coffee. Or even a mimosa. (Our lemon blueberry mimosas are perfect!)

And they go well with breakfast foods like bacon and eggs.

Storage

Scones can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days.

To reheat, microwave for 20 to 30 seconds on 50% power. This will prevent the dough from getting soggy.

They can also be frozen either before or after baking:

• Before baking: Make the scones and cut them. Then freeze the wedges for 1 hour on a baking sheet. Finally place them in a freezer-safe container. When you are ready to bake, thaw overnight and bake as stated in the recipe.
• After baking: Allow the scones to cool completely, and store in freezer safe container. Do not put the glaze on before freezing. When you are ready to serve them, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.  Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, and follow the instructions for icing.

Frequently asked questions

Other recipes you might like

• Traditional buttermilk scones
• Maple pecan scones with cinnamon butter
• Strawberry rhubarb bran muffins
• Banana nut bread with streusel topping

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