Recipe of the Week: Blueberry Buttermilk Scones

For those of use on the West Coast, the much anticipated Royal Wedding will be broadcast in the early hours of the morning. What better to snack on than an English favorite with a Bay Area twist? This scone recipe comes from San Francisco's own Tartine Bakery, one of my favorite spots in the Mission. While bread is Tartine's calling card, their scone recipe is my favorite thing to whip up for my friends on low key mornings.

In keeping with the Brits, the original recipe calls for currents, but I prefer fresh blueberries to compliment the lemon zest. You could try out other combinations, like raspberries and walnuts or cinnamon and pecans. The dough is versatile, but oh so perfect --- sweet and biscuit-like, with a bit of tang from the buttermilk. While the recipe does call for a large amount of butter (hey, you're not the one walking down the aisle in front of millions), these scones bake up light and airy, a far cry from the stale, rock-like creations sold in coffeeshops.

I like my scones plain, but butter, jam or English clotted cream would all make for tasty spreads. Bake them ahead of time, then curl up on the couch with a fresh scone and a cup of English Breakfast tea to enjoy Will and Kate's wedding.

Adapted from Tartine
Makes 12 scones

4 3/4 cups of flour
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon of baking powder
3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 cup of sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon of cold, unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups of buttermilk
1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons of melted butter
turbinado sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with a Silpat baking sheet or parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add the salt and sugar and mix slowly to combine.
3. Cut the butter into small cubes and scatter them atop the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl. Mix with your hands or a stand mixer (you want the mixture to be coarse, with pea-sized pieces of butter).
4. Pour in the buttermilk, lemon zest and blueberries, and mix gently until the dough just comes together. Add a bit more buttermilk if it is too dry.
5. Dust a large cutting board with flour and place the dough onto it. Shape it into a long rectangle about 5 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches thick.
6. Brush the dough with melted butter and generously sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Cut the dough into 12 even-sized triangles and transfer them to your baking sheet.
7. Bake the scones for approximately 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.