Swedish Blueberry & Lemon Scones (Blåbärsscones med Citron)

Scones might be something that you always think of as being terribly English, but so many other cuisines have adopted scones and made them their own. As an Englishwoman, scones are a teatime treat I grew up with and were one of the first baked goods I learnt to make as a child. In my home county of Dorset in south-west England there is an endless hot debate about how to eat scones. Should you put jam or cream on the first? I always put jam on first which I am sorry to say is not the Dorset way, but actually Cornish, a little further west along the coast.

Plain or fruit scones are delicious and simple, but I love the idea of adding ingredients that are seasonal and speak of different types of cuisine. Berries like blueberries, lingonberries and raspberries are so quintessentially Scandinavian, that I coulnd' miss an opportunity to make something tasty with them and combine them with my own scone recipe straight from the West Country in England.

And so I want to share a beloved fusion of both Swedish and English tea time treats. Of course, in England we would have scones for afternoon tea, but in Sweden they are more commonly eaten for fika in the middle of the morning. However you eat yours do enjoy them warm from the oven because that is when they are at their best!

Swedish Blueberry & Lemon Scones (Blåbärsscones med Citron). Makes 8 large scones

Ingredients

225g plain, all purpose flour

20g baking powder

60g butter

30g sugar

150ml milk

Grated zest of a lemon

80g blueberries

A little milk and sugar for glazing

Method

Preheat oven to 200⁰C / 400⁰F

Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until it looks like very fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, lemon zest and blueberries. Gradually add enough milk to make a soft dough.

Turn it out ont a floured surface and give it a light knead to make the dough smooth and pliable. Roll out to 2cm thick and cut rounds of about 4cm or 2 inches across.

Place on a baking sheet that has been lined with greaseproof paper and brush with the milk, then sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 12 minutes until they are nicely risen and golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack. Serve split in half with a generous amount of butter.