Blueberry scones with creme fraiche are amazing for breakfast or afternoon tea. The pastry is heavenly and not too sweet, crisp on the outside but tender on the inside.
When we were snow bound a few weeks ago, I experimented with different techniques for scones. I love scones as long as they’re not covered in thick icing. A little glaze is OK, but I don’t want something overly sweet for breakfast.
This Blueberry scone recipe is made with creme fraiche instead of buttermilk like my strawberry scone recipe. It gives them more texture and is not as sticky as a buttermilk scone. This gives it a more polished rather than rustic look. You can’t go wrong with either.
If you’re feeling more like a yeast dough then a biscuit, try some blueberries in a pull apart bread.
I especially like adding fruit to my scone recipes as it adds some sweetness without added sugar. I had my last packet of frozen blueberries left from the summer so I added them. I have since made them with fresh and they work with both. If using frozen blueberries don’t thaw them or they will turn the dough purple.
Tips for perfect scones
Sometimes scones can be a little dry. With my experimenting, I found a few things that made a lot of difference in the texture of the dough.
- Use creme fraiche instead of buttermilk. Creme fraiche is similar to sour cream but a little thicker and not quite as sour. It gives the scones a creamier texture so they aren’t as crumbly as some scones can be.
- Use a technique I use for biscuits. Cut the dough into three rectangles and stack them on top of each other. Roll out the stack and do it again two more times. This will give the dough lots of layers. Try to handle the dough as little as possible.
- Make sure to use very cold butter and try not to handle the dough any more than you have to. Warm hands will melt the butter.
- Don’t over mix or over work the dough. Combine the ingredients just until mixed.
Creme Fraiche Blueberry Scone
What you’ll need for the best blueberry scones
- Blueberries – Fresh or frozen. It’s so easy to freeze fresh blueberries in the summer. I wash them and let them dry and place them on a rimmed cookie sheet and freeze them. Once frozen, put in an airtight bag or vacuum seal them.
- Creme fraiche – Creme fraiche is similar to sour cream but thicker and not as sour. It’s found in the dairy section where the sour cream or cream cheese are located, it generally comes in a tub like sour cream. You can substitute sour cream or greek yogurt.
- Butter – you need butter for scones, no substitutes.
- Egg – this is what makes them different from a biscuit.
- Heavy cream – brush the tops with this to give them a golden brown color.
- Coarse sugar – like demerara sugar to sprinkle on top.
- Pantry items – flour, baking powder, and vanilla.
How do you make creme fraiche blueberry scones
Step 1: Use a food processor to mix the dry ingredients then add cold butter and process until the butter is the size of peas.
Step 2: Combine creme fraiche, vanilla and egg and add it to the flour mixture and process just until it comes together.
Step 3: Place it on a floured surface and form into a rectangle. Cut the rectangle into thirds and stack them on top of each other. Roll out into a rectangle and repeat this 2 more times. Place the dough in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Roll out the dough, add frozen blueberries and roll it jelly roll style.
Step 5: Cut into triangles and brush the tops with cream and coarse sugar and bake.
With blueberries bursting through this amazing dough, you won’t get the most beautiful scones, but they may be the best you’ve tried. If you want prettier scones, cut back on the blueberries.
What I love about this dough is that you can make it the night before and refrigerate it. Then in the morning just add the frozen blueberries and bake. They turned out great and the scones were ready in no time. I’ve found that they’re best eaten the same day but still great the next. After that I would freeze them and toast them a bit in the oven. Don’t go overboard on the blueberries, they will still taste great but look a little messy.
If you’re looking for a heartier scone try some oatmeal scones and add dried fruit and nuts, or if you want a light and fluffy biscuit, you’ll love blueberry biscuits.
A scone typically has an egg while biscuit dough does not. This gives them a little more structure to hold fruit or nuts.
Sour cream or greek yogurt can easily be substituted.
You can make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate it until ready to bake. Then add the blueberries and cut.
Once they have cooled, place in an air tight container and freeze. Let warm to room temperature and warm in a 350º oven for about 10 minutes.
Have extra blueberries, here are some recipes you’ll love
- Blueberry coffee cake
- Blueberry crisp with lemon curd
- Blueberry cobbler
- Tequila lime blueberry salad
- Blueberry streusel muffins
Need more breakfast ideas
- Feeding a crowd, then try sheet pan pancakes
- Try a baked Dutch baby apple pancake
- Make some fabulous cinnamon rolls
- The best apple cinnamon rolls made in a muffin tin
- Don’t forget awesome sausage balls
- Puff pastry pockets are always a favorite
- For the holidays a berry pastry braid is festive
- Go with a streusel coffee cake
- There’s nothing like a cream cheese filled pumpkin muffin
Adapted from The Vanilla Bean Baking Cookbook
Creme Fraiche Blueberry Scones
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons butter cut into ½ inch pieces
- ½ cup creme fraiche
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
- heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º. Stack 2 baking sheets together and line the top one with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Process until combined. Add cold butter and process until you have pea size pieces.
- In a measuring bowl, whisk together the creme fraiche, vanilla and egg. Add to flour mixture and process just until combined.
- Transfer to a floured surface and knead until it just comes together. Pat into a 12 inch square. Cut into thirds and stack on top of each other. Roll it out and repeat two more times. Place in freezer for about 10 minutes. (You can refrigerate this overnight at this point)
- Remove from freezer and roll it into a 12 inch square. Add frozen blueberries or fresh, pushing them into the dough. Roll it jelly roll style into a 12 by 4 inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle into 4 equal rectangles and cut each rectangle into 2 triangles. Transfer to baking sheet and brush the tops with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake for 18-25 minutes until tops and bottoms are lightly brown.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- You can refrigerate the dough overnight before forming into scones.
- You can substitute sour cream for creme fraiche.
- Don’t over mix the dough.
- Use very cold butter.
- You can use fresh or frozen blueberries, if frozen don’t thaw or the dough will turn purple.
- These will stay fresh for about a day. Freeze left overs and warm in a 350º oven for 5-10 minutes.
Nutrition
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These were the BEST scones ever! I used clotted cream instead of the crème fraiche as that is what I had on hand. They were very flaky, moist and delicious. A definite keeper!
I am so jealous that you had clotted cream!