Light & fluffy blueberry scones with a layer of sweet orange marmalade running through the middle. These jam-filled blueberry scones are soft, moist, and full of flavor! No dense or dry scones here!
I really love making scones. And I really love eating scones. Sweet, savory, American scones, English scones. I don’t even care if you pronounce it “skown” or “scon.” But it seems some people aren’t as enthusiastic as I am about these little pastries. Poor scones are often mislabeled as dry, dense, or bland- and this just isn’t always the case. In fact, made the correct way with the correct ingredients, scones are quite the opposite: light, fluffy, flavorful, and moist. Doesn’t that sound like a pastry you can get behind? Me too. So let’s make that kind of scone. Let’s make these jam-filled blueberry scones.
These are pretty darn ideal if you ask me. They have a sweet, crisp exterior & an ultra-soft, tender, & moist interior that’s packed with blueberries. Super light & fluffy, there’s not a dry or dense crumb in sight. Also, let’s talk about the layer of orange marmalade that’s running through the center of these scones- holy smokes. That little bit of jam makes these extra special, flavorful, and moist. Win-win-win. I love the orange marmalade in these, but feel free to switch things up & try a different flavor!
Scones pretty simple to make, but there are some important techniques you can implement that will help these jam0-filled blueberry scones turn out especially delicious. Be sure to read over my notes below so you can achieve scone success!
What you’ll need to make these scones:
Butter: Butter adds flavor & flakiness. Because the butter is cold when it hits the oven, this helps the scones rise, giving them a light & fluffy texture.
Heavy cream: Adds moisture & richness.
Egg: For binding & structure.
Vanilla: For added flavor.
Flour: I use a combination of all-purpose flour & cake flour in my scones. The cake flour makes all the difference! Because it has a lower protein content than other flours, cake flour helps create an exceptionally light & fluffy texture to these scones.
Sugar: I use a combination of granulated & brown sugar in my scones to give a boost of sweetness. The granulated sugar also helps form a crisp exterior, while the brown sugar adds extra moisture to the scones.
Baking powder: For leavening.
Kosher salt: To balance out all the sweetness. TIP: While I recommend kosher salt, if you don’t have it on hand, use ½ the amount of table salt.
Blueberries: Because these are, in fact, blueberry scones.
Jam: A layer of jam in the center of these scones makes them extra delicious & extra moist. I use orange marmalade, but feel free to try other flavors!
Turbinado sugar: Sprinkled on top, this creates an extra-sweet, extra-crunchy exterior that’s irresistible!
FAQs:
Why is this recipe primarily listed in grams? I develop my recipes in grams because weighing your ingredients is the best, most accurate way to bake. Baking is a science and precision is key to success! Measuring cups are not standardized, and what’s more, the way each baker uses them varies drastically, which ultimately gives you inconsistent (and sometimes negative) results. For instance, did you know that scooping flour out of a cannister can give you 50% more flour than what’s called for in the recipe? By weighing your ingredients rather than using measuring cups, you can confidently know that you are using the correct amount of each ingredient, giving you greater success & delicious results. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale, like this one when you bake. Plus, it makes clean up a lot easier!
What is the dough supposed to feel/ look like? Scone dough is kind of a Goldilocks situation- you don’t want it too dry & you don’t want it to be wet either. The dough should be crumbly, and just moistened enough that when you press it together with your fingers the dough will stick together. If you’ve made my citrus-rosemary scones, you’ll notice that dough was a bit more moist & less crumbly than this dough. The dough for these scones needs to be a bit drier with less liquid incorporated into it in order to compensate for the extra moisture coming from the jam.
Can I use milk instead of heavy cream? I don’t recommend it. Milk is thinner than heavy cream, which can cause your scones to spread too much in the oven. If you don’t have heavy cream on hand, you can try buttermilk instead.
Can I use other flavors of jam? Yes! Have fun with it. I think a blueberry, fig, or mixed berry jam would be really tasty.
Do I have to chill the dough? Yes. Keeping the dough cold is crucial to baking up scones that are light & fluffy. When the cold ingredients (particularly the butter) hit the hot oven, steam is created, which helps the scones to rise. If your ingredients are at room temperature, the butter will simply melt, causing your scones to spread and become flat & dense.
A few notes before you bake:
When it comes to making scones, keep things cold! Like I mentioned previously, cold ingredients are crucial to getting a light & fluffy scone. Room temperature ingredients cause your scones to spread in the oven, causing them to become flat & dense. Here are some tips on how to keep things cold:
- Leave ingredients in the fridge until you need them (i.e. cubed butter & combined wet ingredients)
- Cut your butter into small pieces. This reduces the amount of time you spend cutting the butter into the flour mixture, therefore keeping it from getting too warm.
- Chill the dough according to recipe instructions- once after shaping & once right before baking.
Don’t overwork your dough. Be careful not to overmix or overwork. Overworked dough= tough scones.
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Jam-Filled Blueberry Scones
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 40-minute chill time)
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 scones 1x
- Category: Breakfast/ Brunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Breakfast, Snack
Description
Light & fluffy blueberry scones with a layer of sweet orange marmalade running through the middle. These jam-filled blueberry scones are soft, moist, and full of flavor! No dense or dry scones here!
Ingredients
- 84 gm (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 125 gm cold heavy cream (1/3 cup + 3 tablespoons), plus more for brushing
- 1 large egg, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 156 gm (1 1/4 cups, spoon & leveled), all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 120 gm (1 cup, spoon & leveled) cake flour
- 50 gm (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 25 gm (2 tablespoons) light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 64 gm (1/2 cup) fresh blueberries
- 2 tablespoons orange marmalade, or other jam of choice
- Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the heavy cream, egg, and vanilla, and place in the refrigerator until needed.
- In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cake flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt. Using a pastry cutter or 2 sharp knives, cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Slowly add the cold heavy cream mixture to the flour mixture while simultaneously stirring with a wooden spoon. Gently mix until all the dry ingredients are moistened and mostly incorporated. The dough will be crumbly but should hold together when pressed. Gently fold in the blueberries, being careful not to overmix dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times by hand until the dough comes together (NOTE: the dough will be crumbly, but it will come together as you work with it!). Divide the dough in half and place both portions of dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Shape each portion into a disc, about 1/2″ tall & 6″ in diameter, lightly flouring your hands as necessary if the dough becomes too sticky. Place the discs in the freezer for 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Remove the discs from the freezer. Top one disc with jam, leaving a 1/2″ border around the edges. Place the other disc on top and gently press down to adhere. Pinch the edges of both discs together to form a seal. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the sandwiched discs into 8 wedges. Place the wedges back on the parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2″ apart, and put them back in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Lightly brush the scones with heavy cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a scone comes out clean.
Notes
Storage: These are best enjoyed fresh from the oven or the same day they are baked. Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. If eating them leftover, I like to pop them in the microwave for a few seconds.
