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Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Cream Scones with Blueberries, Cardamom and Masa


From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have been working my way through the gift basket and recipes that I received from McCormick for participating in their Flavor Forecast this year. As often happens, I find it hard to drop a good thing when I'm on a roll, so, despite the fact that my obligation to them had been met, I continued to test and experiment with the new flavor combinations when time permitted. I was intrigued by McCormick's suggested pairing of blueberries with cardamom and corn masa and it immediately called to mind a recipe for cornmeal scones that I had originally seen on the the blog, Joy of Baking. I really liked the scones and the recipe lent itself to a simple ingredient swap that would allow me to test the new combination. So, corn masa replaced stone ground cornmeal, frozen blueberries took the place of currants, and cardamom was added to the dry ingredient list. The changes to the recipe were minimal but the flavor profile was completely different. While the addition of cardamom took these scones to another level, they still retained the nuttiness and hint of grittiness that was characteristic of the original recipe. Because of the temperature at which these bake, the scones have a crisp crust that belies their soft and tender interior. They really are lovely, though less sweet than many might prefer. These are very easy to make and can be on the table within an hour. They will not disappoint. Here's the recipe for those of you who would like to give this new flavor profile a try.

Cream Scones with Blueberries, Cardamom and Masa...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Joy of Baking and McCormick Flavor Forecast 2012

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup masa harina (instant corn masa flour)
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup half and half or whipping cream
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Glaze: Cream

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and place oven rack in center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2) In a large bowl, whisk together flour, masa, sugar, baking powder, salt, cardamom and orange zest. Add frozen blueberries to flour mixture and stir well. In a small measuring cup, whisk together cream, egg, and vanilla extract. Add this to flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together.
3) Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough gently four or five times and then pat, or roll, dough into a circle that is about 7 inches round and about 1-1/2 inches thick. Cut this circle in half, then cut each half into 4 pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place scones on baking sheet. Brush tops of the scones with a little cream.
4) Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Yield: 8 scones.

You might also enjoy the recipe for Blueberry Cardamom Corn Muffins on the blog, Jersey Girl Cooks. They sound delicious.









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33 comments:

  1. I have never made scones before, but enjoy them whenever I find any. The difference between recipes and places that sell them is amazing.

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  2. Such interesting combination! I never would have thought of pairing blueberries with cardamom, sounds really nice! I can imagine the flavours of the spice in the tender scones! Thanks for sharing, have a nice day!

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  3. Those look sooo good. I love scones!

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  4. I love blueberries. I'm always looking for new recipes to use them in. Thanks for sharing!

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  5. I love scones and bake them very often! Blueberries and cardamom sounds delicious!

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  6. I'm very partial to a good scone with my coffee. These sound great with the addition of cardamom!
    Take care :)

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  7. Cardamom such a flavourful spice. I bet the scones smell amazingly delicious. Yeah, you're right...it's hard to get something perfect to be done in a roll & in such a short notice. While the brain is like a bunch of wrongly connected wires in it. haha... Looking forward to something wonderful coming out from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite. ((hugs)) Take care & enjoy your day.
    Cheers
    Kristy

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  8. Looks so good; great combination of ingredients.
    Rita

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  9. oh Mary, they sound delicious! I'll take one with some morning tea! I've just recently discovered cardamom and I love blueberries!

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  10. I love when scones aren't that sweet, so this recipe really pleases me. With the cardamom, the blueberries scones looks really lovely!

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  11. I love scones but have never actually made them. These look so good... I'm intrigued by the flavor combination for sure!

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  12. It's amazing how different spices can really change the taste of a traditional recipe. Would love those with a cup of tea!

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  13. Are you kidding me? I'm sitting here with that feeling of starvation. (which is far from the real happening)
    One of my favorite things are scones and blueberry scones at that!
    My mouth is watering as I sit here and drink my coffee and wishing I had one of these scones right NOW.
    Blessings
    shug

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  14. Mary, could regular flour be used? Hope the Sun is shining on you where you are, as it is here Just North of Wiarton. Spring is in the air!

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  15. Looks absolutely delicious!! Great flavor combo here.. yum!

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  16. Ummm Ummm UMMMM! I can eat both of those---at once.

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  17. Interesting adding the masa. I enjoy a good scone and these look perfect. Now if only I would learn to bake. My last try with cookies was a disaster.

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  18. I love the sound of this combination. I like to play with new flavors in interesting ways. I have some masa flour that I'd like to use up too.

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  19. I love playing with new flavors and this is a combination I have yet to try. I even have masa flour kicking around!

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  20. I love scones, and I actually have some masa in the pantry and some blueberries in the freezer. I will definitely be trying these.

    Thanks for sharing,
    Patti

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  21. Mary, I love scones and I love blueberries...this recipe can't miss! Thanks and Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

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  22. I don't have masa right now or I would be whipping up a batch. I have been pairing blueberries with cardamom in smoothies to delicious results.

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  23. Hmmm, I love scones ad I really love making them. Thanks for the recipe!

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  24. I feel like cardamom is one of those secret ingredients that makes everything taste a gazillion times better!

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  25. Cardamom and blueberries! How interesting :) I adore good scones... Thanks for sharing :)

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  26. Blueberries and cream scones sound like a great combo.

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  27. I love scones! A few weeks ago my mom and I baked a cookie that is traditional to our family, it's called a Biscocho and it's sort of like a snickerdoodle except the secret ingredient is Anise. I decided to take a little of the dough and back them thick, like a scone and they were pretty darn good. This is interesting with the Masa. I'll have to give it a try :-)

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  28. I'd never thought to use masa for scones! Brilliant!

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  29. I really like scones that are crispy on the outside and not too sweet. :-) Cardamom is one of my favorite spices and lately I've been adding it to so many things. I will definitely have to add it to my next batch of scones. :-)

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  30. They sound wonderful..I love scones with crispy shells and soft interiors!

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  31. Scones with no butter!?!!? Ooo, gotta make this; they look as decadent and pristine as the buttery ones. Can whole milk be used instead of cream?

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