Lemon Blueberry Scones with Cornmeal

These bakery-style Lemon Blueberry Scones have a dry, tender crumb that is not overly sweet. The addition of cornmeal provides a unique and subtle crunchy texture. 

Who can resist the blueberry-lemon combination?

Not many, as countless recipes can be found highlighting these bright, fresh flavors.

Blueberry muffins and a variety of cakes like this limoncello blueberry and this sour cream coffee cake and are great examples of baked goods bursting with this goodness.

These bakery-style scones are another example. They are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea. 

Once you try these freshly baked, warm scones with some delicious blueberry jam, it will change your perspective on life!

………….Well, maybe that’s a little too dramatic even for me, but I think you get my point…these are really, really good.

Allow me to show you how easy it is to make these blueberry scones with a lemon glaze.

Mise en place

Since we need a scorching oven to bake these scones, let’s begin by preheating the oven to 425° F (220° C). Position the rack in the center of the oven.

We also need to prepare a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Set it aside for now.

Next, we will place ⅓ cup of butter in the freezer. This will make it easier to grate. 

The dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together 1⅓ cup of flour (190 grams), ⅔ cup of fine-textured cornmeal, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar,  1½ teaspoon of baking powder, ¼ teaspoon of baking soda and ¼ teaspoon of salt.  Set aside.

The wet ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together ½ cup of cold buttermilk, 1 egg and the zest of one organic lemon. Set aside.

The blueberries: Rinse and pat dry 1 cup of fresh blueberries. Place in a small bowl and mix with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. 

Instructions

Using the large holes of a cheese grater, grate the frozen butter over the dry ingredients.

Use your fingertips to quickly but gently toss together with the dry ingredients. Then, rub together for 1 minute or until you get a texture that resembles a coarse meal. Work quickly. 

With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, gently add in the blueberries.

Make a well and pour in the liquid mixture. Gently combine and stir until just barely combined.

Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and with lightly floured hands, pat the dough together and form it into a ball. Be gentle as not to crush the blueberries.

Flatten it out and then fold it over once.  Pat into a 7-8 inch round (about ¾- 1″ thick). 

With a dough scraper or a sharp floured knife, cut into wedges (6-8).

Gently pull the wedges apart, leaving about 1- inch space between the scones. 

Bake until fluffy and golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.

Transfer to a cooling rack. 

Cool completely before glazing. 

To make the glaze

In a small bowl, whisk together 2-3 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice with ⅓ cup of icing sugar. Drizzle over the tops of these berry scones. 

Tips

• Freezing the butter makes it easier to grate and combine with the dry ingredients. This, in turn, creates a flaky texture. 
• Properly whisk the dry ingredients together. This ensures the uniform distribution of the baking powder. 
• Resist the urge to over stir the mixture as this will result in the formation of gluten which will, in turn, create a dense scone.
• Adjust the thickness of the lemon glaze to suit your personnel preference. 
• These are best the day they are made.

Can I use frozen blueberries? 

Yes. To prevent discoloration of the batter, do not thaw them.  

More cornmeal recipes

If you love cornmeal recipes as I do, try this family recipe for polenta. It is great on its own or topped with your favorite sauteed vegetables. BBQ polenta and polenta pizza are two other family favorites. 

Recipe source

This recipe caught my eye as soon as I saw the list of ingredients, which includes cornmeal.

You will taste it from the first bite – but in a good way! It gives such a subtle crunchy texture to these scones.

Here are some of my changes: I replaced the lime with lemon and reduced the salt amount. I also changed the method of combining the ingredients as I did for my buttermilk biscuits.

In the past, I’ve also replaced the lemon glaze with just a sprinkle of coarse sugar before baking and have obtained great results.

Bakery-style scones with a crunch… I do hope you get a chance to try them.

Enjoy!!!

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

And if you are new here, welcome! You may want to sign up for my weekly e-mail newsletter. This way, you won’t miss any of my new recipes. 

Ciao for now,

Maria

★★★★★ If you have made this easy scone recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Recipe

Lemon Blueberry Scones

These bakery-style Lemon Blueberry Scones have a dry tender crumb that is not overly sweet. The addition of cornmeal provides a unique and subtle crunchy texture. 

5 from 5 votes

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Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 256kcal

Author: Maria Vannelli RD

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Ingredients

• ⅓ cup butter frozen
• 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour 190 grams
• ⅔ cup yellow cornmeal fine texture
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar packed
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Lemon Drizzle

• 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
• ⅓ cup icing sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425° F (220° C). Position rack in the center of the oven.
• Prepare a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Place ⅓ cup of butter in the freezer.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugars, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg and lemon zest. Set aside.
• In another small bowl, toss the blueberries with the cornstarch. Set aside.
• Using the large holes of a cheese grater, grate the frozen butter over dry ingredients.
• Gently but quickly toss together to incorporate the butter. Use your fingertips to rub the flour and butter together for about 1 minute. The mixture should look like coarse meal.
• Gently add in the blueberries.
• Make a well and pour in the liquid ingredients.
• Stir gently until just combined.
• Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and with lightly floured hands, pat the dough together and form it into a ball. Be gentle as to not crush the blueberries.
• Flatten it out and then fold it over once.  Pat into a 7-8 inch round (about ¾- 1" thick). 
• With a dough scraper or a sharp floured knife, cut into wedges (6-8).
• Gently pull the wedges apart leaving about 1- inch space between the scones. 
• Bake until fluffy and golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.
• Transfer to a cooling rack. 

Lemon Drizzle:

• Whisk together the lemon juice and the icing sugar.
• Once the scones have cooled off, drizzle mixture over scones.

Enhance Your Cooking Experience!SCROLL UP for essential step-by-step photos embedded in the article above. When available, videos can be found in the next section. These visuals are designed to help you achieve perfect results every time. Happy cooking!

Notes

• Freezing the butter makes it easier to grate and combine with the dry ingredients. This in turn creates a flaky texture. 
• Properly whisk the dry ingredients together. This ensures the uniform distribution of the baking powder. 
• Resist the urge to over stir the mixture as this will result in the formation of gluten which will, in turn, create a dense scone.
• Resist the urge to over stir the mixture as this will result in the formation of gluten, which will in turn create a dense scone.
• Adjust the thickness of the lemon glaze to suit your personnel preference. 
• These are best the day they are made.

Can I use frozen blueberries?  Yes. In order to prevent discoloration of the batter, do not thaw them.  

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

*adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 199mg | Potassium: 182mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1.6mg

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This post was originally published on July 12, 2015, and republished on May 28, 2020, with updated content and photos. Thanks for sharing.