I remember when scones were not popular – this was before Starbucks existed.  I had them when I was travelling in the United Kingdom, and couldn’t believe we didn’t have them in the United States.  They were so dense, and not overly sweet – but perfect with coffee.  To me, they were almost like a biscuit, but better.  Then somehow they hit it big in the US – and now every coffee shop is not complete unless they have at least one scone for you to choose.  I have made a lot of scones, and I must say, I love them all.  I saw this recipe, and I decided to make them because the recipe called for half and half instead of heavy cream.  In Seattle, there happens to be a bakery that sells, in my opinion, the best scones ever – and you can taste the heavy cream in every bite.  I had to find out if half and half could compete – and I must say these are delicious.  This recipe comes from Molly Wizenberg (one of my Seattle Food Blog inspirations) and was printed in Bon Appetit.  The inspiration for her was a bakery in Portland, ME – if I am ever in that area, I will definitely find the Standard Baking Company to try their scones.

Ingredients

• 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 (not thawed) (about 5 1/2 ounces)
• 1 3/4 cups chilled half and half
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 teaspoons raw (or turbinado) sugar

Preparation

Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and pre-heat 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 1/2-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.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: Blueberry Oat Scones