There is something so celebratory of a sweet breakfast treat like a scone! If you like these wild blueberry scones, you might also want to try my Raspberry Streusel Muffins or Blackberry Turnovers! It’s Maine Week on House of Nash Eats and I’m celebrating by kicking things off with these Wild Blueberry Scones that are simply divine! Seriously, my husband used to think he hated scones, but now he loves them thanks to these beauties (and my other scone recipes that convinced him how delicious they actually can be!). If you are new to my site, I have an ongoing series where I’m visiting each state, one at a time, by making some of the recipes or using ingredients that they are best known for. It’s called American Eats and it’s so much fun exploring another place from the comfort of my kitchen! Paul and I visited Maine years ago on an East Coast trip that we took during law school for a conference that was held at Harvard. After the conference was over, we drove to up Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. While we didn’t actually eat any blueberry scones during our time in Maine, they were one of the first things I thought of when I was brainstorming recipe ideas to represent the Pine Tree State. That’s probably because of the children’s picture book “Blueberries for Sal” which was written by Robert McCloskey in 1948. It’s one of my favorite children’s books and it is set in Maine, where McCloskey spent a lot of time during the summers when wild blueberry picking was at its peak. My only problem was I didn’t know where I could possibly get my hands on any Maine wild blueberries seeing as how I’m living on the opposite coast in California. Fortunately, I just happened to be walking through the freezer aisle at my local grocery store and found a brand called Wyman’s that is from Maine, selling frozen wild Maine blueberries! Bingo! This post isn’t sponsored by Wyman’s, but I have to say that their blueberries were just wonderful! They had such a fantastic sweet flavor and they are smaller than the average blueberries that we see fresh. It’s a family owned company based out of Maine and they actually sell a number of other frozen fruits, as well as dried wild Maine blueberries and blueberry juice through their website. It took me a few tries to get these scones just right. I think I made 6 or 7 batches while trying to solve the issue of too much moisture from the frozen blueberries, which resulted in more of a muffin-top texture than an actual scone. The trick is to completely thaw the blueberries first, then drain off the juice, saving it for a glaze. Speaking of the glaze, it’s totally optional, but visually super appealing. The color is totally natural and comes from the blueberry juice rather than any food coloring (affiliate link). I love how vibrant it is, even if it doesn’t actually taste very blueberry-ish. Honestly though, I love these scones just as much without the glaze. There is just something so wholesome and comforting about a fresh scone sprinkled with coarse sugar on top for a little sparkle! I like them both ways and still haven’t decided which I like best.
Scone Ingredients
These scones are what I think of as “American-style scones” with fruit in them. They are actually pretty similar to a biscuit in terms of ingredients and technique.
All-purpose flour: When measuring flour, it’s best to spoon it into your measuring cup and scoop it off the top. Never pack the flour into your measuring cups. Sugar: Granulated sugar gives a nice, subtle sweetness to the scones. Then coarse sanding sugar is sprinkled on top for more sweetness and crunch. If you decide to make the optional glaze, you will need a little powdered sugar as well. Salted butter: The secret to really excellent scones is to use very cold butter. I even stick mine in the freezer so it’s super cold and easy to grate. Heavy cream: This ingredient adds wonderful richness and flavor to the scones. Egg: An egg helps bind everything together. Leavening agents: Baking powder and baking soda work together to lift the scones while they bake so they are light. Salt: A little salt helps make all the other flavors pop and keeps the scones from tasting bland. Vanilla: I almost always use a little vanilla in my baked goods for the best overall flavor. Blueberries: I highly recommend you look for frozen wild Maine blueberries to make these scones. You can use the larger, fresh blueberries available in the store instead, but you won’t have as many blueberries to each bite of scone.
How do you make blueberry scones from scratch?
Can you freeze scones?
Yes, these scones can be frozen if they haven’t been glazed first. To freeze, let the scones cool completely, then transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw on the counter and rewarm in the microwave for a few seconds before serving. You can always make a simple (albeit less dramatic), vanilla glaze just by replacing the blueberry juice with cream or milk.
My tips for making the best scones
Be sure to use COLD ingredients. The cream, butter, and eggs should all be cold for the best results. I swear by using frozen butter in my scones. Don’t overmix. It’s tempting to keep mixing the dough since there isn’t a whole lot of liquid involved and it doesn’t want to come together. Parchment paper is your friend and will help you pat the dough into a disc that is tight enough to hold it’s shape and not crumble to pieces once cut into scones. Don’t skip chilling the scones again before baking. This serves a couple of purposes actually. It ensures the ingredients are cold going into the oven for the best reaction. But it also lets the moisture disperse a bit throughout the scones as the dry ingredients absorb some of it without additional mixing.
More Delicious Scone Recipes
Blackberry Scones Pumpkin Scones Apple Cinnamon Scones Cinnamon Crunch Scones Honey Lavender Scones
More States I Have Visited in my American Eats Series
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • New Jersey • New York • Oregon • Puerto Rico • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Utah • Wisconsin Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
