Blackberry Scones from the Big Sur Bakery Cookbook

Fresh plump blackberries are the perfect fruit to create these delicious Blackberry Scones from the Big Sur Bakery Cookbook. I found an adapted version on one of my favorite food sites, The Kitchn. I altered them a bit more in the processing instructions and they came out wonderfully moist and lightly sweet. The trick to taking them to new heights, is to reheat them in a 375° oven for a few minutes before eating them as leftovers. This gives tFresh plump blackberries are the perfect fruit to create these delicious Blackberry Scones from the Big Sur Bakery Cookbook.hem a light new crispness while still keeping their soft interior. Served warm alongside a steaming cappuccino, makes a royal morning or afternoon treat!

The recipe stresses the need to keep everything cold. The fruit is frozen before adding it to the batter. This keeps the berries intact and keeps them from blending into the dough without distinction. The dry ingredients and butter are also chilled before mixing.

I attempted to follow the instructions and use a pastry blender for working the chilled ingredients with the butter, however, ended up throwing it all in my food processor for a quick pulse in an effort to save my tennis arm! It worked out perfectly. I also found the finished dough to be quite sticky and was unable to do any sort of handling or shaping so I just scooped up about a tablespoon of dough and used the drop method for getting them on the baking sheet. This made 24 nice sized scones.

You can use any ripe fruit for this recipe. I had wonderful fresh blackberries and they were perfect. They were rather large berries so I cut them into two or three pieces prior to freezing them and this gave me 3 or 4 pieces per scone. You can certainly add more berries as you like. I used about 1 1/4 cup and they were still sparse.

BLACKBERRY SCONES

1. About 2 hours before making the scones, scatter the berries or fruit on a cookie sheet and put it in the freezer. (If using large berries, cut them in half.) 
2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and drop in the cubed butter. Put the bowl in the freezer and leave it there for 30 minutes. 
   Meanwhile, adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat and set it aside. 
3. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, work the chilled ingredients together in the bowl or put in your food processor and pulse until the butter cubes are the size of peas. Return mixture to the bowl. Make a well in the center. Combine the vanilla and 3/4 cup buttermilk in a separate bowl, and pour the mixture into the well. Mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon to form a shaggy, slightly crumbly mass. (I used my hands to mix as it was thick and was not easy to get the flour in the bottom of the bowl mixed in) Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes to let the flour absorb the liquid, then fold one more time. If the dough seems simply too dry to come together, add 1 tablespoon buttermilk at a time until it just barely comes together. The dough should not be too wet; the scones will spread too much. 
4. Add the frozen fruit and gently mix them in, trying not to crush them. 
5. To shape the scones, scoop a small handful into your palm and press it into a tall, fat puck and put it on the prepared baking sheet. If the dough is too sticky to handle, drop by tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheet. Repeat, leaving enough room for the scones to double in size. Sprinkle the tops of the scones with the turbinado sugar. Bake for 15 minutes or until they are golden brown around the sides but still tender in the middle. 
6. Carefully transfer the scones to a cooling rack and let them cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Cool completely before storing in a loosely covered container. Store for up to three days. 
7. To eat scones as leftovers, reheat in a 375° oven for a few minutes to crispin up and warm them.

Adapted from The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook by Michelle Wojtowicz, Phillip Wojtowicz, Michael Gilson, and Catherine Price

(Printable recipe can be found in my recipe index under Breakfast)