Earl Grey Tea & Blueberry Scones
Throughout January, we have been exploring different teas and we would be remiss if we didn’t provide you with a delicious food pairing for tea time! This week, we wanted to review an Earl Grey from Taja Tea and we paired it with Blueberry Scones.
Taja Tea’s Earl Grey is a blend of black tea, orange, bergamot, and added saffron. Like other Earl Grey teas I have tried, it has a sweet aroma, reminiscent of fruit loops in my opinion. The addition of orange and bergamot come through in taste. Bergamot is similar to a bitter lemon, orange flavor, but I find it more earthy than citrusy. The two combined add just enough brightness to cut the sweet aroma.
I am a bigger fan of a more basic black Earl Grey tea, however Taja Tea has a nice combination of flavors in this saffron infusion.
With any Earl Grey you choose to brew, pair it with some blueberry scones. The slight sweetness of the black tea and warm, tart blueberry biscuits are perfect complements of one another.
The scone recipe below is not overly sweet and is much softer than scones I have eaten before. They are best served warm and will melt in your mouth with a gush of warm blueberry. Dip it in your tea if it gets too dried out on the table (normal of scones), but I promise neither scone nor Earl Grey will last long enough for that.
Cheers!
(and happy baking!)
Blueberry Scones
Inspired by Paul Hollywood’s Scone Recipe
Yield: 5-7 circular scones (Double batch in parentheses)
Ingredients:
250 g bread flour (500 g)
2 eggs (1 is for egg wash) (3 eggs)
37 g sugar (70 g)
15 g baking powder (30 g)
38 g butter (softened / room temperature) (75 g)
112 ml milk (225 g)
1-2 cups fresh blueberries (adjust the quantity to your preferences)
Steps:
Line a baking tray with parchment paper. (Line 2 for a double batch)
Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, butter, 1 beaten egg (2 for double), and milk together by hand until well incorporated (about five minutes).
Once it is well mixed and holding together, gently mix in the washed and dried blueberries. Be careful not to mix too aggressively or you’ll mash the berries into a pulp. But don’t fear, many will break anyways.
Tip onto a lightly floured surface and gently roll with a rolling pin until about ½ to 1 inch thick.
Cut into circle shapes using a round cutter, edge of a glass, or a sharp knife. You can gently knead the leftover dough back together and cut a few more scones, or roll together a wonky one.
Use the last egg (beaten) to brush the surfaces with egg wash.
Chill the egg washed scones in the fridge for at least thirty minutes.
As the dough rests, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. After 30 minutes, brush with egg wash again, careful not to let it drip down the sides.
Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly and then enjoy warm.
Tastes great with an extra drizzle of honey or a dollop of fresh whipped cream right before you eat it.