SOUTH HAVEN BLUEBERRY SCONES THE MICHIGAN COTTAGE COOK WAY

Stores along the Black River in South Haven.

South Haven is the World’s Highbush Blueberry Capitol and for 97 years has celebrated blueberries with the National Blueberry Festival in August. When we were in South Haven, I chose a Blueberry Scone from the bakery for my treat as I figured they knew what to do with blueberries. The scone was not shaped like a traditional scone, but more like a fat Long John.

When I told my friend Patricia about my Blueberry Scone, she said that she didn’t like scones as no matter how good they looked, they tasted and felt like sawdust when you bite into them. My scone from the bakery was very moist.

Traditional scones are made with loads of butter and cream. As much as I love butter and cream, they love me more and as soon as I eat them they settle on my waist and stay forever. Therefore when I started trying to recreate the exquisite scone I had from the bakery, I wanted it to be moist but also lower in fat than usual. In the past I have used evaporated milk in cream soups in place of cream. I had never tried it in baked goods and didn’t know if I would get the rich mouth feel of cream with evaporated milk. When I was done, I was thrilled with this adaption.

Chock-full of fruit, moist, and relatively low fat!  Enjoy!!!!

MICHIGAN COTTAGE COOK BLUEBERRY SCONES WITH GLAZE

2 c flour
1 T baking powder
½ t salt
2 T sugar
5 T butter, cold, cut in chunks
1 c evaporated fat-free milk
1 t cinnamon
1 c fresh blueberries
GLAZE
1 c powdered sugar
Approximately 3 T evaporated skim milk or milk
½ t vanilla

Ingredients:  Flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, evaporated milk, butter and blueberries.

Ingredients for glaze:  Powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and milk.

Into a mixing bowl, measure the dry ingredients; whisk together to combine. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture looks like coarse meal or crumbs. Pour in the cream. Fold everything together just to incorporate; do not over work the dough. Sprinkle cinnamon on dough.  Top with blueberries.  Fold in cinnamon and blueberries into the dough. Take care not to mash or bruise the blueberries because they will bleed and make dough blue. Place the scones on a cookie sheet lined with parchemnt paper.  Sprinkle the tops with a little sugar. Bake in preheated 400° oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Let them cool a bit before glazing. To make the glaze: Put powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Melt buttter and add to powdered sugar. Add vanilla. Add evaporated milk or milk a tablespoon at a time. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps. Add enough evaporated milk or milk until the glaze is of the consistency to drizzle over the scones. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let it set a few of minutes before serving. These are best the day they are made but I like them the next day too.

MICHIGAN COTTAGE COOK NOTES: I have a habit of always putting much more fruit into a dish than what is called for in the recipe. I used at least two cups of berries. A commercial bakery would make no money using that much fruit. I tried to make the same shape as the one from the bakery and mine ended up very big. Also I didn’t know if the recipe would work so I was anxious to get them baked. A smaller scone would be nicer and look better on a plate.  You can use frozen berries if you don't mind the dough taking on a blue tint.

Mix dry ingredients together.

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Cut butter into small cubes and add to flour mixture.

Cut butter into flour mixture with pastry blender.

After blending in butter, flour mixture should look like coarse meal or crumbs.

Measure out the fat-free evaporated milk.

Add milk to flour mixture and gently mix together.

Sprinkle dough with cinnamon.

Top cinnamon with blueberries.

Fold in cinnamon and blueberries.

Form scones on parchment paper.  Sprinkle with some sugar.  Bake in preheated 400° oven for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Cool baked scones for a few minutes before glazing

Measure out powdered sugar.

Add melted butter and vanillla

Slowly add milk until mixture is the right consistency for glazing.

Golden brown scones, cooled, and ready for glazing.

Let glaze set before serving.  Enjoy!!!