BLUEBERRY LEMON GLAZED DROP SCONES

You know sometimes when you make a recipe and just kind of wing it...and it turns out AWESOME?

Okay, okay... so maybe not everyone does. I know by your comments some of you aren't fans of making more than mac & cheese- but well, just go with me here, okay?

I wanted to bring a treat for Michael's parents this weekend and he suggested I should make scones. Rather than fall back on my usual cranberry orange scones, I decided to mix it up (I live a WILD life, everyone).

For those of you Southerners out there, I'm SURE you've had drop biscuits before- and this is the same idea. Basically, this is just the lazy version of scone making. Which is awesome. AND for the record: no, they are not dry. They are soft and delicious.

Here they are:

What you'll need to make it happen:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup buttermilk

3 eggs- (separate yolk from white in one of the eggs- set white aside)

1 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh - or if frozen thawed fully.

One lemon- full zest and juice of half of one

1/2 cup powdered sugar

parchment paper

How to make it happen:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Mix together your flour, granulated sugar, salt, and baking powder.

3. Add in your softened butter until dough is crumbly.

4. In another bowl take 2 eggs plus the yolk of the third and mix it fully with your buttermilk. Add to your dry ingredient bowl!

5. Add in your blueberries and almost all of your zest- mixing carefully so the blueberries don't all burst open.

6. This batter will be STICKY! Drop them to the size you desire (i normally do about half cup- which makes  7) onto your parchment paper. Don't even try to mess with them much- you'll just get covered in sticky dough! 

7. Brush lightly with your egg white and bake for 20-25 minutes- until golden brown.

8. While your scones cool, mix together your powdered sugar, lemon juice, and leftover lemon zest together to make a quick icing. Drizzle over your scones after they have cooled for about 10 minutes. This will allow the icing and lemony flavor to absorb into the scones, making them even softer. 

9. Pour yourself a mug of coffee and enjoy!

So there you have it. Delicious, soft, tangy sweet scones- easy to make, bake, and bring anywhere. 

I don't think I'll ever go back to forming scones again. This was WAY too easy!

What easy recipe do you keep up your sleeve?

Share your secrets, people!

xo, lp

Scone lover? Try my cranberry orange scones and cinnamon oat & brown sugar scones!

Blueberry lover? Try my blueberry crunch muffins or blueberry lemon streusel bars!

CINNAMON & BROWN SUGAR OAT SCONES- A (pretend) HEALTHY VERSION.

Is there such thing as a healthy scone? Maybe not. 

However, these are a slightly healthier recipe than the cranberry orange ones I made a while back! 

Plus, they have oats in them- that makes it at least sound healthy, right? Sure, let's go with it. 

What you'll need:

Dough:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup old fashioned oats (NOT quick cook!)

1/2 cup skim milk

1 stick butter

2 tsps baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon (more if you want!)

1/2 tsp salt

parchment paper

Topping:

1 tablespoon melted butter

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp granulated sugar (or stevia)

How to make it happen:

Step 1: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper & preheat your oven to 375.

Step 2: Mix all dry ingredients together from dough list in a large bowl. (flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking powder)

Step 3: Using a knife or stand mixer mix in your butter, cutting through until mixture is a thick crumble.

Step 4: Quickly mix in your milk and beat lightly until well mixed.

Step 5: Pat dough together into a flat, slightly domed circle on your baking sheet- 6-8 inches wide.

Step 6: Spread top with melted butter and top with cinnamon sugar mixture.

Step 7: Cut into 6-8 pieces and separate on the sheet, about an inch apart. 

Step 8: Bake for 20-25 minutes (depending on how hot your oven runs). Really start watching them around 16 minutes- take out when golden or else they will be dry-yyyy and you will be bummed.

 While most scones call for cream or buttermilk, this recipe uses skim milk.

Aaaaaaand that is about the only healthy thing. Yup. Still sugar- but you can easily replace that with Stevia instead!

Anybody have an ACTUALLY healthy scone recipe?

Hook a girl up!

xo, lp

ORANGE CRANBERRY SCONES!

I had never made scones until a week ago because I had heard they were hard to make.

That and saying "oh, I took a lazy Sunday to bake sounds" sounds hella pretentious. But that's exactly what I did, folks. I baked some pretentious scones, and they were delicious. Soft, light, fruity- not at all dry or bland. 

Hats off to my girl Martha for the recipe, although I added more zest and cranberries to it for some extra flavor. For the original recipe, go here.  Wouldn't want to take credit for that little lady's work, now would we? The only reason I'm walking through the steps is because my girl MS does make the process sound more difficult than it needs to be, and I don't want you all getting scared by her fancy descriptions and use of pastry blenders.

What you'll need to make it happen:

1 1/2 cups of flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons orange zest 

5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into teeny pieces

3/4 cup dried cranberries

2/3 cup buttermilk

Parchment paper

Extra flour for cutting surface

How to make it happen:

1. Get your oven to 400 degrees, and set up your parment lined pan, as well as a flour dusted cutting board to the side.

2. Mix together your flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and zest. 

3. Add in your butter. Now, Martha uses a pastry blender, whatever the heck that is. I used a wooden spatula and a knife to cut through and get it well mixed, until it was a thick meal texture. Add in your cranberries and mix well.

4. Create a well/hole in the middle of your batter, pour the buttermilk in, and give it just enough of a stir so there aren't any dry pockets. 

5. Here comes the fun and sticky part. Dust your hands with flour (dear lord wash them first) and transfer your mixture onto the flour dusted cutting board, patting your dough into about an 8 inch wide domed circle. Using a flour dusted knife, cut your dough into 8 triangles, before transferring to your pan, and inch or so apart.

6. Bake for about 14-18 minutes, depending on how hot your oven runs. Wait until golden brown and take out!

Voila! There you have it. SCONES people, scones. Not pretentious at all. Especially when you scatter cranberries around them.  Please note below there are only 7 pictured. I got so excited to try them I ate one before remembering to take pictures. #bloggerfail

 So there you have it folks-  easy and delicious cranberry scones!

I'm thinking of trying a cinnamon oat scone next. 

Anyone have any good flavor combos they'd like to see?

Email them to me beautyandbeard@gmail.com!

xo, lp

*pssssssst. mom- are you out there reading this? bet you'd like this recipe!