Pioneer Woman Blueberry Scones Wwith Vanilla Icing

These blueberry scones with vanilla icing are made with frozen butter, cream, and frozen blueberries, finished with a sweet vanilla glaze. They bake up flaky and tender with a crisp, sugary top. They take about 1 hour 10 minutes and make 6 scones.

Grating frozen butter into the flour is the trick to flaky scones. The cold shreds melt in the oven and leave pockets of steam that lift the layers. Keep everything cold and work the dough fast so the butter doesn’t soften.

Folding the dough like a letter, then rolling it into a log with the berries inside, builds those flaky layers and spreads the fruit evenly. Use the blueberries straight from frozen so they don’t burst and turn the whole dough purple.

Pioneer Woman Blueberry Scones Wwith Vanilla Icing

Author: Hamdi Saidani Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:American Courses:Blueberry Desserts Dessert

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 50 minutesCook time: 19 minutesTotal time:1 hour 9 minutesServings:6 servingsCalories:727 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

These flaky blueberry scones layer frozen butter and frozen blueberries into a tender, laminated dough, finished with a vanilla bean icing and a sprinkle of pearl sugar.

Ingredients

For the Scones:

• 10 tablespoons frozen unsalted butter
  
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
  
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing
  
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
  
• 1 1/4 cups frozen blueberries (about 5 ounces)

For the Icing:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
  
• 3 tablespoons milk
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  
• Pinch of salt
  
• 2 tablespoons pearl sugar

Instructions

1. For the scones: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Grate the frozen butter on the large holes of a box grater into a bowl. Return it to the freezer until ready to use.
   
2. Whisk the cake flour, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Combine the heavy cream and crème fraîche in a small bowl and chill.
   
3. Add the frozen butter to the flour mixture. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium-low until the butter is worked in, about 1 minute. Add the cream mixture and mix briefly, just until large clumps form, about 30 seconds. The dough should hold together when you squeeze it.
   
4. Turn the dough out onto a floured piece of parchment. Pat it into a rough square, then roll it into a 12-inch square. Using the parchment to help, fold the top third down, then fold the bottom third up over it, like a letter. Flip the dough, re-flour the parchment, and roll it out into a 12-inch square again.
   
5. Scatter the blueberries over the dough and press them in. Roll the dough up into a log, like a jelly roll, using the parchment to help. It’s fine if the berries poke through. Turn the log seam-side down and flatten it to about 4 inches wide and 1 inch thick. With a sharp knife, cut the log into three 4-inch squares, then cut each square diagonally in half.
   
6. Transfer the scones to the baking sheet and brush with heavy cream. Bake, rotating the pan once, until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheet.
   
7. For the icing: Whisk the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of the milk, the vanilla bean paste, melted butter, and salt until smooth. Stir in the last teaspoon of milk if it’s too thick. Spread over the cooled scones and sprinkle with pearl sugar.

Keywords:Pioneer Woman Blueberry Scones Wwith Vanilla Icing

FAQs

Why do I grate frozen butter into the flour?

Cold butter is the key to flaky scones. The frozen shreds stay solid until the oven, where they melt and release steam that lifts the dough into layers. Soft butter just blends in and gives you dense, flat scones.

Why do I fold and roll the dough?

Folding it like a letter and rolling it into a log builds thin layers of butter and dough, the same idea as puff pastry. That lamination is what makes the baked scones flaky, and rolling the berries into the log spreads them evenly through each one.

Why use frozen blueberries instead of fresh?

Frozen berries hold their shape while you fold and roll the dough. Fresh ones burst under the pressure and bleed purple streaks everywhere. Keep them frozen until the moment they go on. This is the opposite of my Blueberry Bars, where you thaw and drain the berries first.

Can I make these ahead?

Yes. You can cut the scones and freeze them raw, then bake straight from frozen with a few extra minutes. Baked and iced scones keep a day or two, but they’re best fresh, crisp on the outside and tender inside.

What else can I bake with blueberries for breakfast?

Plenty. If you like a blueberry bake with your morning coffee, try my Blueberry Pancake Cobbler, which bakes berries under a soft pancake topping in a skillet.