Blueberry Granola Scones

An American dream.

Growing up in America, I had very limited exposure to scones. When I did come across them they were typically triangular in shape and looked rather dense and gnarled. As such, they did not have much of an impression on me. That changed however, when I moved to England and discovered British scones.

The first time I encountered a British scone was at the restaurant where I worked in the Southwest of England. I observed them to be round, somewhat tall, and fluffy, thereby bearing much more resemblance to an American biscuit than any scone I had known before.

Those British scones drew me in quickly with their delicate, fluffy layers that, once split, welcomed thin or thick slathers of clotted cream and jam. They tended to have very little sweetness to them, and they most typically came in three varieties: plain, with sultanas (golden raisins), or brown (whole grain).

Upon returning to the States, I found myself caught in the middle of two scone worlds. I desperately wanted to keep the magic of those British scones alive for myself. However, when I created a recipe for a British-style brown scone with raisins for King Arthur, it gained very little traction and was removed from the website.

Since then, I’ve been on the hunt for an American-style scone to love. I’ve tested dozens of recipes (developing some of my own along the way) and sampled many scones from many bakeries. I’ve identified the scone qualities I love, and I’ve collected the bits and pieces from recipes that I believe lead to scone perfection (I try not to use this word a lot, but it seems fitting here).

The scone recipe that follows is the culmination of my efforts. What I’ve learned is that there really is a scone for every person and every mood out there; it’s just a matter of finding (or developing) it. Even if this recipe doesn’t result in your ideal scone, I hope it at least guides you closer to the scone of your dreams. Because everyone should have scone dreams, right?

Blueberry Granola Scones

Printable Version

Scones come in innumerable shapes, sizes, textures, and flavors. These scones lean towards being delicate and tender, yet they also have a rich, flavorful density to them thanks to the addition of whole grains, nuts, seeds, and dried and fresh fruit. They’re lightly sweetened — accented by a sprinkling sugar on top if desired — and offer a subtle hint of warm spice. Enjoyed fresh from the oven, you could serve them for breakfast, as an accompaniment to a hot or cold beverage, or even for dessert. There’s never really a wrong time to eat a scone.

Active Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Time: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 18 to 22 minutes
Total time: about 1 hour
Yield: 6 scones

Ingredients
Scones
- 1/2 cup (60g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (57g) whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup (55g) rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons (27g) brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
 -1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 8 tablespoons (113g) cold unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup (30g) chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons (20g) pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon (10g) flax seeds
- 1/3 cup (35g) golden raisins
- 1/2 cup (70g) fresh blueberries
- 1/4 cup (57g) whole milk

Topping (optional)
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- 2 to 3 teaspoons demerara or turbinado sugar

Directions
1. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper and set it aside.
2. Combine the two flours, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom in a large mixing bowl until evenly blended.
3. Cut the butter into 1/2” cubes then toss them briefly with the dry ingredients. Using both hands, press the butter cubes between your thumb and fingers to break them into smaller pieces and flakes; the mixture should be unevenly crumbly.
4. Add the pecans, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, raisins, and blueberries and toss until evenly incorporated.
5. Pour in the milk and use a spatula or flexible dough scraper to gently incorporate it into the dry ingredients until the dough starts to come together into a rough mass. 
6. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead it gently to bring it together; you don’t want to see any dry patches of flour at this point. 
7. Press the dough into a 6” circle then cut the circle into 6 wedge-shaped scones with a chef knife or bench knife. Transfer the scones to the prepared pan.
8. If desired, brush the tops of the scones with the milk and sprinkle with the demerara or turbinado sugar.
9. Refrigerate the scones until they’re firm and solid to the touch, about 20 minutes. If you’re pressed for time or don’t feel your butter has gotten too warm during the process, you can skip this step. Alternatively, you can keep the scones refrigerated up to 8 to 12 hours in advance of serving them.
10. Twenty minutes before you’re ready to bake the scones, preheat the oven to 400°F.
11. Bake the scones until the tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes.
12. Remove the scones from the oven and allow them to cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
13. The scones are best enjoyed the day they’re made, whether warm or at room temperature. Keep scones in an airtight container at room temperature for several days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Reheat scones in a 325°F oven for about 10 minutes before serving. Freeze scones, well sealed, for up to 3 months. Defrost and reheat before serving.

Happy scone baking! Please reach out if you have any questions or feedback and share the recipe if you know someone who would enjoy it. Also, I’m thinking of retackling a British scone recipe since I’ve now rekindled my excitement for them. Anyone else interested in such a recipe?

Best,

Charlotte