Zesty Blueberry Scones

I found this recipe on the AllRecipes.com website. I made a few minor changes to the original recipe, but nothing drastic. The scone is a cousin to the tea biscuit and the muffin so the same rules apply - the less mixing, the better. Overmixing makes for a tough scone (or biscuit or muffin). I do use my KA mixer but only on low and just enough to blend the ingredients together. If you think that you're going to overmix with an electric mixer, then don't use it and mix up the recipe by hand, and make sure your butter and milk are cold (similar to a pie crust, the cold helps - heck, you can even put your flour in the freezer for a bit to chill it too).

In mixer bowl combine:

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt (the recipe calls for this but I don't bother because I used salted butter/margarine)
orange zest (or lemon - I like lemon better but only had oranges), approximately 1 Tbsp.
Add:
5 Tbsp cold butter or margarine, cut in small cubes

Mix on low speed, just until the mixture resembles coarse, pea-size crumbs.
Take a handful of the flour mixture and give it a bit of a squeeze. It should just barely hold together.
In a one-cup liquid measuring cup measure:
1/4 cup sour cream (I used plain yogourt - didn't have sour cream and wasn't going to the grocery store in an ice storm!)
Add and stir to the sour cream:
1/2 cup milk


To the flour mixture add:
1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries (or currants, or anything else that tickles your fancy)
Just toss the frozen berries enough to coat with flour. Don't want to be bustin' those berries.
With mixer off, add the milk/cream all at once. Turn mixer on low just until the whole thing comes together, then STOP!
Well-flour your hands and your counter. The mix will be sticky. Turn dough out onto your work surface and gently shape into a disc. (You can also scoop the dough with a spoon directly onto your greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.) Again I stress, do not overwork the dough.
Transfer the dough onto a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet and using a knife, score the round into 8 (yes, 8) wedges. Do not separate the wedges before baking.


To get that nice golden brown look, mix 1 egg with 1 Tbsp milk and brush onto the dough before baking. I usually will just brush milk over the top if I don't want to waste a precious egg. Either way, sprinkle sugar over the top. I use cane sugar or a coarse sugar. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10 - 15 minutes, or until golden brown. When done and cooled a bit, break the scones apart and cool on a wire rack. Put on the pot of tea and enjoy!