Blackberry Fontina Basil Scones

Servings 8 large scones

Ingredients

For the scone:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup cubed fontina cheese about 1/4" cubes
1 cup of sliced fresh blackberries patted dry with paper towels
1 large egg
1/2 cup or more of heavy cream
extra cream for brushing

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Cut in butter with a pastry cutter, two knives or you can rub the butter in with your fingertips, until the mixture is crumbly and you have varied size butter chunks no larger than peas.
Toss chopped basil and cubed cheese in flour mixture until pieces are coated and separated from clumping together. Add sliced blackberries and lightly toss until berries are coated in flour mixture.
Crack an egg in a glass measuring cup, beat it with a fork until yolk and white are combined, then add cream until you reach 3/4 cup. Mix with a fork until well blended.
Make a well in the center of flour mixture and pour in the egg/cream mixture. Toss gently with a fork until you've distributed the liquid well and mixture begins to hold together a bit. Your mixture is going to seem to be too dry, but try to resist adding more liquid.
Use your hands to gently mix/lightly knead the mixture in the bowl until it comes together. You don't want to crush your berries and you don't want to melt the butter, so if you have hot hands, try using a large spoon or a spatula to fold the mixture onto itself in between using your hands.
Once the dough comes together with no crumbs, on a lightly floured surface, pat it into a large square or circle about 1 inch thick. I like to do this on a lightly floured sheet of plastic wrap.
Once you have your dough patted into a shape, wrap it up in the plastic wrap and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes or until the butter has had a chance to firm up. You want it to be firm so you can get nice clean cuts.
Using a floured sharp knife, cut into 8 triangles, wedges or your desired scone shape and place on an ungreased baking sheet leaving 1-2" of space between for spreading.
Brush tops of unbaked scones with additional cream.
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow to cool for just a few minutes, then serve. They are best when hot enough for cheese to be melty. Drizzle with honey if desired.

Recipe Notes

*Store at room temperature covered. I wrapped mine in foil. They are best day one and two and taste best hot out of an oven. They reheat nicely in a toaster oven or you could use your main oven.

*I cut the fontina into 1/4" cubes. This worked well for making sure they were well distributed throughout the dough. I think I might try cutting them a bit larger next time. I think it would be nice to hit some larger pockets of cheese.

*You don't have to go crazy patting your berries dry. I just sliced them up and pressed them gently between paper towels to soak up excess moisture. Then I let them sit on the paper towels until I was ready for them.

*If you like a sweeter scone, you could increase the sugar to 1/3 or even 1/2 cup. I think this scone is best using the 1/4 cup of sugar then drizzling honey for additional sweetness.

*The basil adds a lovely flavor. My measurement was for fully packed tablespoons. Once you taste the baked scone, you can adjust for more or less basil the next time you make them. I actually thought I could add a little bit more.