Blueberry Oat Scones
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Is there some kind of litmus test for a scone? When does a “scone” cross the line and become a muffin or a biscuit? These were wonderful, don’t get me wrong, and there is a faint reminder of a scone in the texture, but they lack that crumbly quality that I look for in a scone. These are lighter and fluffier, but not really a muffin. What we have here, folks, is a hybrid of sorts. A very yummy hybrid at that.
I found this recipe in my Epicurious file and truly loved the sound of them. The good people at Bon Apetit saw fit to deem these a scone, but I think that from here on out they will be known as Blueberry Oatmeal Muffin Biscuits. Even that doesn’t quite capture it, but it’s as close as I think we’re going to come.
These are not terribly sweet, which we love. But you could definitely add more sugar to the dough if you want a sweeter muffin biscuit. The outside is a little crispy with a sprinkling of raw sugar, and the inside is soft with a wonderful oat-y flavor. The blueberries add a perfect sweet-tart component.
This is exactly the kind of pastry we love in the morning or with tea in the afternoon… not too rich or heavy, not too sweet, but just rich enough and just sweet enough. Most scone recipes call for cream or half and half, as does this one. I swapped out the half and half for this, and they were wonderfully moist with a perfect crumb. But, of course, you could use the half and half or even bump it up with cream if you wanted an even richer “scone”.
My Taster-In-Chief declared these his favorite muffin/biscuit/scones ever, so on the strength of that recommendation, I’d say these little hybrid muffin biscuits are awesome no matter what you call them.
Blueberry Oatmeal Muffin Biscuits
Adapted from Bon Apetit
If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them before folding into the batter.
3 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
11 tablespoons (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (about 5 1/2 ounces)
1 3/4 cups chilled half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 teaspoons raw sugar (or turbinado sugar)
Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and coarse salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add butter. Using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Add 1 cup oats and blueberries; stir to blend evenly.
Stir half and half and vanilla in small bowl. Gradually add to flour mixture, tossing until dough just comes together (dough will be very moist).
Using 1/3-cup measuring cup for each scone, drop dough in mounds onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Sprinkle tops with remaining 3 tablespoons oats, then raw sugar.
Bake 15 minutes. Reverse sheets and continue baking until scones are golden and tester inserted into center from side comes out clean, about 12 minutes longer. Transfer scones to rack and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
