Brown Sugar Berry Scones

Brown sugar is the move here. Where most scones lean on white sugar for a clean sweetness, this one gets molasses-y depth from light brown sugar, which plays beautifully with juicy blueberries (or plump raisins, the recipe gives you the choice). The dough also skips the egg entirely; just butter, flour, milk, sugar, and berries, with the flake coming purely from cold butter cut into the dry mix.

It’s a generous batch. The dough divides into three rounds, each cut into six wedges, so you’ll end up with 18 scones perfect for freezing half and feeding a brunch with the rest. Heads up from the recipe note: these spread a little while baking, so leave more space between wedges than you would for a standard scone.

The absence of egg means a slightly more biscuit-like texture, lighter and shorter than the rich cream-and-egg versions. Brown sugar tempers the wheat-y flavor, and the berries pop in bright juicy contrast.

Pro Tips

• Use light brown sugar, not dark; the recipe specifies this. Dark brown overwhelms the berries with too much molasses.
• If using frozen blueberries, fold them in still frozen and work fast. Thawed berries bleed and turn the dough purple.
• Pat the dough rather than rolling it; rolling compresses the butter pockets that give scones their flake.
• Leave at least 2 inches between wedges on the pan. They spread, and crowded scones bake into one giant scone.

Variations

• Swap blueberries for chopped fresh strawberries or blackberries; both work in summer.
• Use half whole wheat flour as the recipe suggests for a nuttier, more rustic crumb.
• Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the dry ingredients for warm spice, especially good with raisins.