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These American style Blackberry Scones spiced with vanilla and just a hint of cinnamon are buttery, tender and flaky. Enjoy them plain, with a dusting of confectioner sugar or drizzled with a simple icing.
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Perfect for brunch, afternoon tea or even a light dessert, these Blackberry Scones are one of my favourite treats. Homemade scones are much fresher than store-bought and can be prepared, baked and ready to eat in under 45 minutes!
The Difference Between American and British Scones
If you’re wondering what the difference is between American and British scones, this article from Cook’s Illustrated describes it well. It explains that the main difference between the two is in the amount of butter and sugar used in the making of the scones. American scones are much richer and contain a lot more butter and sugar than British scones.
The British prefer their scones baked plain, with less butter and only a touch of sugar. Add-ins are rarely used and if they are, they normally consist of currants or raisins. The British eat their scones by splitting them in half and spreading them with clotted cream, or butter and jam.
American scones on the other hand, almost always contain add-ins and are usually topped with a sprinkling of sugar or drizzled with an icing made of confectioner sugar and milk (or cream) like these Blueberry Lemon Scones. Since American scones are already rich in butter and sugar they don’t need to be served with extra butter or jam. Though if you’re going to eat a fresh scone still warm from the oven an extra little dab of butter is heavenly.
How to Make Fluffy Scones from Scratch?
If you’ve ever made scones that spread too much or were dry and overly crumbly, these tips should help you bake tender fluffy scones. Once you’ve made scones a couple of times, you’ll find them rather easy to make and will be delighted at all the flavour variations possible.
The most important thing to remember when making scones is to use cold ingredients. The butter, should be straight out of the refrigerator or even the freezer, because cold butter ensures flaky scones. To simplify cutting the cold butter into the flour mixture, grate the butter using the large holes of a box grater. I have found that using a combination of sour cream and milk is a great substitute for buttermilk and produces incredibly tender scones. Using frozen berries makes it easier to mix them into the dough without breaking them too much. Finally, avoid over-kneading the dough, scones only need light kneading for the perfect flaky texture. Also, scones have a natural rustic look to them so you really shouldn’t try to get them looking perfect.
Scones should be consumed fresh while they are still warm from the oven. If you love this scone recipe, feel free to experiment by trying out your favourite flavour combinations. The possibilities are endless. Enjoy!
More Delicious Scone Recipes to Try
If you make this recipe be sure to take a picture and share it with me on Instagram by tagging #sweetandsavourypursuits, I love to see your photos!
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour more for counter and hands
- 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cold butter grated
- 1/3 cup sour cream full-fat
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries
Instructions
- Place a rack in the centre of your oven and preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt. Whisk and set aside.
- Using a box grater, grate the cold butter and add it to the flour mixture. Using your fingers, a fork or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal (you should have pea sized pieces of flour coated butter in the flour mixture). If its warm in your kitchen you could place the bowl in the refrigerator while you mix the wet ingredients.
- Into a small bowl, add the sour cream, milk, egg and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined.
- Add the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and using a fork start to mix the dough. If the dough seems to dry, add a tablespoon of sour cream, and if it's too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour. Gently fold in the blackberries (to avoid smashing them too much).
- Sprinkle a touch of all-purpose flour on your hands and counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead the dough gently until it comes together and shape it into an 8 inch wide disk. Using a large knife, cut the disk into 8 equal parts.
- Place the scones 2 to 3 inches apart onto the baking sheet. Brush the top of the scones with a bit of milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar (or regular granulated sugar if coarse isn't available). Bake in the oven until golden around the edges. I recommend checking on the scones at the 16 minute mark, if the scones are still not golden check again in a couple of minutes.
- Allow the scones to cool for 10 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- For flaky scones, remember to use cold ingredients. The butter, should be cold or even frozen. Grate the butter using the large holes of a box grater.
- Use frozen berries to make it easier to mix them into the dough without breaking them.
- Do not over-knead the dough, scones only need light kneading for the best flaky texture.
I love how juice the blackberries look while the scones seem so delicate! The photos remind of a romantic B&B in the countryside. So very gorgeous, Fida!
Thank you so much Cyna. The blackberries I used were frozen so they were easier to mix into the dough. I think that’s why they stayed intact and remained plump and juicy. Hope you have a wonderful day!