The Lunch Lady, with a football player holding a whisk and a chop

The Lunch Lady

Blueberry drop scones

Tender, golden drop scones for breakfast with frozen blueberries, sour cream and little flecks of butter. No rolling or cutting. Scoop the dough, bake and drizzle with honey.

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By Jared Veldheer

Published

Servings
8 large scones
Total time
About 50 minutes, including a 10-minute rest

All times are approximate. Keep the blueberries frozen until they go into the dough.

A golden blueberry drop scone at the upper right of a green lunch tray, beside cantaloupe and above two egg bites and a pale purple side.
Thursday, November 5: the blueberry drop scone at the upper right of our egg-bite lunch tray.

Put honey on the warm one

These were a riff on our drop biscuits, with frozen blueberries folded into the dough. Same easy scoop-and-bake idea, with a little sweetness and plenty of berries.

We served them alongside the sausage and cheddar egg bites. The kids drizzled honey over the scones, and they were a crowd pleaser. Really good.

Keep the milk and sour cream cold. When the warm melted butter hits that cold mixture, it forms small flecks instead of disappearing into it. Fold everything together gently, then add the berries while they're still frozen. A few streaks of blueberry juice are fine. You don't need to beat the whole bowl purple.

Give them a few minutes after they come out of the oven. Then add the honey while they're still warm.

Home recipe

Blueberry drop scones

The Lunch Lady · Jared Veldheer

Servings
8 large scones
Prep time
About 15 minutes
Cook time
About 25 minutes
Total time
About 50 minutes, including a 10-minute rest

All times are approximate. Keep the blueberries frozen until they go into the dough.

Equipment: One 13-by-18-inch half-sheet pan, parchment, two mixing bowls, whisk, flexible spatula, scoop or large spoon and kitchen scale

Ingredients

Check off ingredients as you go.

Eight scones

Instructions

Mix the dough

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F conventional or 400°F convection, with a rack in the middle. Line a 13-by-18-inch half-sheet pan with parchment.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar thoroughly in a large bowl. Take out 1 tablespoon of this dry mixture and set it aside for the berries.
  3. In a second bowl, whisk the cold milk and sour cream until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the warm melted butter while stirring. Small butter flecks and clumps should form.
  4. Fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients just until a little dry flour remains. Toss the frozen blueberries with the reserved tablespoon of dry mixture, then add them to the dough.
  5. Fold gently two or three more times, just until the flour is incorporated. The dough should be thick and lumpy. If it is too stiff to scoop, fold in extra milk 1 teaspoon at a time, up to 2 teaspoons.

Scoop and bake

  1. Divide the dough into eight mounds, about 100 g each. Arrange four across the long side of the pan and two across the short side, with at least 2 inches between mounds. Keep them about 3 inches wide and 1 inch tall. Brush the tops lightly with milk.
  2. Bake for about 20 to 26 minutes, checking from 18 minutes. Look for golden tops and bottoms and set centers with no wet dough. A thermometer in the dough, away from a blueberry, should read about 200 to 205°F.
  3. Let the scones stand on the pan for about 10 minutes. Serve warm with honey.

Recipe notes

  • Keep the blueberries frozen. Thawed berries release more juice into the dough and make it harder to handle.
  • Use the gram weights when possible, especially for flour and leavening. Spoon measurements are approximate.
  • These are lightly sweet. The honey goes on at the table so everyone can add the amount they like.
  • If you double the recipe, use two pans and bake one at a time for the most even result. Do not double the baking time.
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