The Blog, Downton, and Scones

     Welcome to my blog, "From The Heart"! My name is Rachel Merry.  Some of you may have read my last blog, "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year". If you did, you already have an idea of what this blog will be like.  If you're new, (hi! welcome! stay!:)) here's a little bit of info.  I'm one of seven kids, and we're a military family.  We have lots of adventures, and this blog is my way to document them.  I love adventures, taking pictures, cooking and baking, playing music, and reading and writing. You'll find a lot of those things here whenever you visit.  :) I love to get feedback, so if you have any questions or comments, you can put them right in the comment box under this article! I will now get to it.  I hope you enjoy! 

     Today just happens to be Sunday, which just happens to be the day Downton Abbey is on, and I just happen to be baking scones for the occasion!  If you haven't ever seen Downton Abbey, I highly recommend you do watch it.  It's a very "tea and scones" kind of show.  I made blueberry scones, and got the recipe from the "La Petite Brioche" blog, and she got the recipe from Ina Garten.  Here'e the recipe.  

Blueberry Scones

     2 cups all-purpose flour

     1/2 cup sugar

     1 tablespoon baking powder

     1 tablespoon grated orange zest

     1 stick cold unsalted butter, grated (I have never heard of grated butter.  But I grated it and it worked, and now I know that grated butter is a real thing.)

     1 large egg, lightly beaten

     1/2 cup cold heavy cream

     1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (I used frozen blueberries that we picked ourselves and froze this past summer. Fresh makes a huge difference, but because they were frozen, it held the dough together really well and kept it from sticking to my hands.) 

     Extra heavy cream for brushing the tops

     Raw sugar for sprinkling the tops

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 TBS. baking powder, 1 TBS. orange zest, and 1 tsp. salt.  In a separate bowl, combine the egg and 1/2 cup heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture.  Mix until just blended.  The dough will look lumpy.  Add the blueberries to the dough, and mix on low speed until blended.

(This is after I started rolling it out.)

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it into a ball.  Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick.  You should see small bits of butter in the dough.  Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn't stick.

(I put a piece of wax paper over the dough.  This held the dough stay together and the rolling pin doesn't stick to it either.)

Shape the dough into a square.  Cut the square into quarters then cut again into eighths, diagonally, making triangles.  

Brush the tops of the scones with heavy cream, sprinkle with sugar and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are brown and the insides are fully bakes.  The scones will be firm to the touch.

I hope you enjoyed my first post! Check back soon for more.  Now, you still have time, so go make some tea and scones, grab a seat, and get ready for Downton! (On at 10:00!) Bon Appetite!

Rachel Merry