One of my favorite things to eat while studying abroad in London were scones, and I’m not talking about the typical scones you eat in the USA. Unlike the dry, crumbly, and over sweetened we’re used to here, scones in the UK are flaky, moist, and astoundingly delicious. They are the perfect treat to have at teatime and I couldn’t seem to ever get enough. These lemon blueberry scones are a perfect representation of those little bites of heaven I was lucky enough to partake in. The tartness of the lemon with the burst of blackberry juice perfectly complement each other and go amazing well with a steaming hot cup of earl gray.

Scones: (Makes 12-14)

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups of Flour
• 1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder
• ½ Teaspoon of Baking Soda
• ½ Teaspoon of Salt
• 1/3 Cup of Granulated Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons of Lemon Zest
• 2 Sticks of Cold Vegan Butter (I used Earth Balance)
• ½ Cup of Almond Milk
• 1 Tablespoon of Lemon Juice
• 1 Cup of Chopped Blackberries
(You’ll also need either a pastry cutter or a Cuisinart)
Instructions:
To make these tasty treats, begin by preheating the oven to 400 and combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and lemon zest in a mixing bowl. Make sure that the mixture is completely uniform. I would recommend getting the almond milk and blackberries ready before you continue. Once those blueberries are chopped, whisk the almond milk and lemon juice together.

 

Now take the butter out of the fridge and cut it into approximately 1-inch cubes. At this point you can cut the butter with the pastry cutter until the butter is cut into tiny blobs throughout the mixture (will take about 5 minutes of cutting) or you can put the flour mixture and butter into your Cuisinart and chop until the mixture looks like the picture below.

If you used the Cuisinart, take the mixture out and back into the mixing bowl. Fold the almond milk (with lemon juice) into the batter. When the milk is incorporated add the chopped blackberries and fold them in evenly too. At this point the mixture is done, so dust your (clean) countertops with flour and get ready to shape the scones.

You’ll need a circle cookie cutter to make the scones into the correct shape. Simply remove a handful of dough from the mixing bowl and roughly form a sphere. Place the dough on the countertop and pat it down a little. Now cut the dough with the cookie cutter and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Once you have a full sheet of scones, pop them in the oven for 16-18 minutes and let them cool before you glaze them.

Glaze:
Ingredients:
• 1/3 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon of Lemon Juice
• 3 Tablespoons of Water
Instructions:
To make this easy glaze, simply combine the three ingredients and whisk until the glaze is smooth and uniform. When glazing the scones I found it easier to dunk the tops of the scones into the glaze and then place them back on the cookie sheet to dry.