Now summer is here there are plenty of luscious berries in the shops. I have been experimenting using soft fruit in scones. Many American muffin recipes include soft fruit – blueberry muffins being the most popular. Blueberries work well in scones too. I have combined them with lime to add tartness to contrast with the sweet fruit.

Blueberry and Lime scones are delicious served with clotted cream and blueberry jam but are even better when served with clotted cream and homemade blueberry and lime curd, so make sure you also try my recipe below.

Before you make the scones check out my scone making tips below, and also see my basic plain scone recipe.

Blueberry and Lime Scones Recipe

Difficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Ingredients

• Self Raising Flour (1lb / 450gms / 3 cups)

• Softened Butter (4oz / 110gms / 1/2 cup)

• Castor Sugar (4oz / 110gms / 1/2 cup)

• Baking Powder (2 teaspoons)

• Full Cream Milk (1/2 pint / 300mls / 1 1/3 cups)

• Fresh Blueberries (6oz / 165gms / 1 cup)

• 2 Limes – zest and juice

Directions

• Sieve flour / half the sugar, baking powder into a large bowl.
• Add softened butter and rub in until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Stir in blueberries and lime zest.
• Mix to a soft dough with the milk adding a little more if necessary. The dough should be soft and sticky.
• Turn mixture onto a floured working surface and knead lightly until smooth.
• Pat out to approximately 1 1/2 inches / 4 cm thick.
• Cut out using a metal cutter dipped in flour. The number of scones will depend on the size of your cutter. I use a 2 1/2 inch (6cm) cutter.
• Place scones on a floured baking tray and brush tops with milk.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven 220 C, (fan assisted 200 C), 450 F, Gas Mark 7 for about 20 minutes until well risen and golden brown.
• While the scones are cooking make the lime glaze. Stir the rest of the sugar into the lime juice to make a syrup.
• When the scones come out of the oven drizzle the lime syrup over them using a teaspoon.
• Cool on a tray lined with a tea towel and cover with another tea towel.

Notes

• You can make blueberry and lemon scones by substituting one large lemon for the two limes.

Blueberry and Lime Curd Recipe

The weight of the ingredients in this recipe is given only in grams because I use a 500gms packet of frozen blueberries.

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Ingredients

• Frozen Blueberries (500gms)

• Sugar Granulated (75gms – 150gms). If you like your curd tart use the smaller amount.

• 3 limes – zest and juice

• 4 eggs (large)

• Butter (150gms)

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Directions

• Put the blueberries in a pan with a tablespoon of water and cook over a low heat until very soft.
• Push the cooked blueberries through a sieve into a bowl which will fit on top of a medium saucepan.
• Add the lime zest and juice, the sugar and butter to the blueberry puree. Mix to combine, the heat of the puree should melt the butter.
• Whisk the eggs and add a small amount of the blueberry mixture and whisk. Then add this mixture to the remaining blueberry mixture and whisk thoroughly.
• Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk until the curd thickens. When it is cooked it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Pour into sterilised jam jars. You will need two 450gms jars. Cover and label with name and date.
• Store in the fridge for up to one month.

Scone Making Tips

• For extra light and fluffy scones replace the milk in the recipe with sour milk, buttermilk or 1/2 yoghurt 1/2 milk.
• Never let a rolling pin near your scones! Gently pat out your dough to the required depth.
• Handle your dough as gently and as little as possible.
• Scone dough should be soft and sticky. It is better to have a dough that is too wet than too dry. If your dough is a little too wet your scones will spread a bit but they will still taste delicious. If your dough is too dry they will look okay but will be crumbly rather than soft inside.
• I think butter and full cream milk make the best scones but you can substitute non dairy alternatives if you need to for dietary reasons.

Scone Eating Tips

• Scones should be eaten on the day they are made, preferably within 8 hours of baking.
• Any leftovers can be frozen very successfully and defrosted in a microwave or wrapped in foil in a hot oven.
• Stale scones ie: day old scones, can be split and toasted. I like toasted scones as much as fresh ones.
• The traditional accompaniments to scones are clotted cream and jam, usually strawberry jam. They are equally good with butter and any good quality jam or other sweet spread. Toasted scones are particularly tasty with marmalade.