We're just a "Scone's" throw away...

Today we are rocken a batch of tea biscuits, also known as "Scones".  The scone name origins are unclear and can be chalked up to being lost in the pages of culinary history.  Some say the name originated from the Dutch word "schoonbrood" where "shoon" means "clean" and "brood" meaning "bread".  Others say the name comes from where the Kings of Scotland were crowned, the Stone (Scone) of Destiny.  Either way, as long as they end up on our plates, sometimes with lemon curd, a nice big dollop of Devonshire cream, or just plain, I have no objections.
So let's stop messing around and get to it!
We are going to be using homemade buttermilk for this recipe, which will make a lighter scone than heavy cream.  You can do this rather than using the store bought goods like this:
-Place 1 Tbs. lemon juice, white distilled vinegar, or cider vinegar in measuring cup.
-Pour whole, skim, or low fat milk into the measuring cup until you reach 1 cup.
-Stir the mixture and then let sit for 10-15 minutes and Voila!

The Goods
-2 cups all purpose flour ( I am using bleached whole wheat flour)
-1/4 cup granulated white sugar (I am using sucannat)
-1 Tsp. baking powder
-1/4 Tsp. baking soda
-1/4 Tsp. salt
-1/2 cup (1 Stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
-2/3 cup buttermilk
-1/2 cup frozen blueberries

The egg wash
-1 large egg, lightly beaten
-1 Tbs. milk

The plan of attack
-Preheat you oven to 400 degrees (F) and place the oven rack in the center spot.  We want to bake theses little devils at a higher temperature so they get that nice crusty outside and soft biscuit inside.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  You can double up the baking sheets to further discourage the bottoms from over browning.  Since I only have one sheet, we will forgo this.)
-In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients first (flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt).
-Gently fold in your blueberries (Special Note: when dealing with frozen blueberries as I am in this baking situation, place the frozen berries in a colander and rinse them until the water comes our clear.  Adding them frozen will add to much liquid to the mix and make them mushy as well as turn your dough purple!  When the water runs clear, drain them thoroughly and pat dry with a paper towel, then add them).  We are adding them to the dry ingredients and not the wet so they can coat with flour.  This will help them stay mixed into the dough and not sink to the bottom.  This is very important.  You can also do this when adding such delectable ingredients as chocolate chips.
-Cut in cold butter and blend mixture with knifes until the mix begins to look like coarse crumbs.
-Add the butter milk to the flour mix and stir just until the dough begins to come together, adding a little more buttermilk if you have to.  Take care not to over mix the dough.  Like Julia Child always said, "It's better to under mix than over mix".  Mainly this is the case so you do not deflate a Genoise batter or bechamel for a souffle.
-Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for four or five turns, then rool the dough into a circle that is roughly 7 inches round and 1 /12 inches thick. Cut the circle into 6ths so you get 6 wedges.  Move the scones to the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with the egg wash (This will give them a nice shine and help with the browning). 
-Bake your scones for 15-20 minutes in the preheated oven until they are golden brown, and like a cake, a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.

At this point you can remove the scones from the oven and toss them onto a cooling rack to cool down, or..... you can take some powdered or granulated sugar and sift it over the scones, then turn on the broiler and broil them for a few seconds, turning the pan if necessary, until the sugar has melted and turns golden brown.  But please watch over your scones closely because the sugar will burn quickly and that could put a damper on all this excitement.  When they are golden delicious, then you can place them on the cooling rack.  If you want them crustier, let them cool uncovered.  If you want them soft, let them cool under a clean dish towel.

These are certainly the best when right fresh, but you can cover them and store them for a few days, or freeze them.

Because scones are typically labeled a "Quick Bread", these are quick and easy breakfast or tea time goods to make and even easier to eat.  All you have to remember when kneading the dough, and especially with berries, is to have a quick and light hand.

I hope you like 'em and keep on making them for friends, family, or just for yourself.

-Thanks for reading and wishing you best eating,
Bon Appétit