Super-easy recipes for Blueberry Cornmeal Scones with Homemade Jam and Maple Mascarpone

Having people over for homemade scones, including homemade accoutrements, sounds pretty impressive. However, this is the kind of recipe that even self-proclaimed ‘non-bakers’ need not fear. The tips below will ensure that you get the scone texture just right. Make the jam ahead of time to allow it to cool, whipped together the marscapone while you wait for those delicious bites to bake. We see a high tea in your future.

Blueberry Cornmeal Scones

By Josie Malevich

With Maple Mascarpone and Homemade Blueberry Jam, you can serve these tasty scones for brunch, afternoon tea or even dessert.

Scones are best served warm the day they are baked. If you want to make them ahead, bake them, cool them and immediately freeze them. Then reheat them in a hot oven until warmed through.  

*For light and tender scones, keep the butter and milk cold, and use a gentle touch when mixing the dough. The dough should be moist, try not to incorporate any extra flour as you shape the scones.  

Ingredients

Scones:

• 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose bleached flour
• ½ cup cornmeal
• 2 tbsp sugar, plus more sugar for sprinkling on top
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup cold unsalted butter, sliced and chilled again*
• ⅔ cup fresh blueberries
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ½ cup 2% milk, cold*
• 1 egg, beaten

Blueberry Jam:

• 1 cup blueberries
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Maple Mascarpone:

• 1 cup mascarpone cheese
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation

Blueberry Cornmeal Scones:

Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into flour mixture using your fingertips until the mixture resembles pea-size lumps. Toss in the blueberries and lemon zest.

With a fork, whisk together the milk and egg. Remove 2 tablespoons of this mixture and reserve, and whisk the remaining mixture into the flour mixture with a fork, until moistened. If needed, add in some of the reserved milk mixture. (Do not overwork the dough.)

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead it with a few turns so the dough just comes together.

Gently pat it into a 7-inch round, and cut it into 6 wedges. Place the wedges back together into a circle on a parchment-lined pizza pan, spacing the pieces half an inch apart. Alternatively, use a lightly floured 3-inch round biscuit cutter to cut the dough into 6 or 7 rounds, re-rolling the scraps as needed, and arrange the pieces on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spacing the pieces half an inch apart.

Brush the tops lightly with the remaining reserved milk mixture — if it was all added to the dough, brush with plain milk. Sprinkle each with a little sugar if desired.

Bake until golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.

Blueberry Jam:

Combine the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice in small heavy-bottomed saucepan or skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until the juices start to thicken to a jelly-like consistency, about 10 to 12 minutes — the jam will thicken more as it cools. Cool completely.

Maple Mascarpone:

Beat together the mascarpone, maple syrup and vanilla until smooth.

Serve the scones with Blueberry Jam and Maple Mascarpone.