COMFORT FOOD, PART I: Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

Food = Comfort. When I'm not sure what I can do for someone or even say to someone when the words aren't there, I cook or bake. In my family, it's just what we do... Food is our way to say "I'm thinking of you."

Recently, when I wanted to say just that, I went back to a delicious scone recipe I tried a year or two ago that I remembered to be fairly easy to make. The scones are a perfect combination of sweet and tart, with blueberries in the dough and a lemon glaze on top. Having a pastry blender makes this recipe a snap, but forks could work, as well. I chose to make many more scones than the recipe suggested by cutting the dough into more pieces, but you can choose to make larger scones if you like. For a great finishing touch and sweet crunch, I sprinkle raw sugar on the scones before baking. I hope you enjoy them-- or someone you care about does :)


BLUEBERRY SCONES WITH LEMON GLAZE
recipe adapted from Tyler Florence, www.foodnetwork.com
makes 8 large scones or 16 petite scones

Ingredients:
Blueberry Scones:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut in chunks
• 1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing the scones
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• raw sugar crystals for sprinkling
  

Lemon Glaze:

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1 lemon, zest finely grated
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sift together the dry ingredients; the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using 2 forks or a pastry blender, cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream. Fold everything together just to incorporate; do not overwork the dough. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Take care not to mash or bruise the blueberries because their strong color will bleed into the dough.

Press the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 12 by 3 by 1 1/4 inches. Cut the rectangle in 1/2 then cut the pieces in 1/2 again, giving you 4 (3-inch) squares. Cut the squares in 1/2 on a diagonal to give you the classic triangle shape. Repeat for smaller scones.

Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush the tops with a little heavy cream and sprinkle with raw sugar crystals. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until beautiful and brown. Let the scones cool a bit before you apply the glaze.

Mix the lemon juice and confectioners' sugar together in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon zest and butter. Microwave it for 30 seconds on high. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps, then drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let it set a minute before serving.