There's nothing I love more on Easter morning than a delicious, relaxed breakfast as the kids scurry about discovering the treasures in their baskets. These scones are ideal as the cornerstone of just such a breakfast. I would pair them with fresh fruit, yogurt, juice, coffee, or tea, and of course some hard-boiled eggs with salt and pepper. You can easily make them a day or two in advance, and adapt them to fit whatever tastes you enjoy (see variations below).
Blueberry Lemon Scones (adapted from Tyler Florence)
2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut in chunks 1 cup heavy cream, plus a little more to brush on scones before baking 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries 2 tablespoons lemon zest
Glaze
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 cups powdered sugar 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1 tablespoon butter
Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Using a pastry blender, add 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, taking care to not 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 x 3 x 1 1/4 inches. Cut the rectangle in half, then cute the pieces in half again, giving you four (3-inch) squares. Cut the squares in half on a diagonal to give you the classic triangle shape. Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with a little heavy cream. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until beautiful and brown. Remove to a cool surface allow several minutes before applying the glaze.
Mix the lemon juice and powdered sugar together in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon zest and butter. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps, then drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Add coarse sugar sprinkles for garnish, if desired.
VARIATION: Create Cranberry Orange Scones by substituting blueberries and lemon juice and zest with dried cranberries and orange juice and zest.
VARIATION: Create Cinnamon Raisin Scones by substituting blueberries and lemon juice and zest with raisins, plus 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg to the scone dough. In the glaze, add 1-2 tablespoons of real maple syrup.