Cream Scones with Blueberries Cardamom and Masa

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have been working my way through the gift basket and recipes that I received from McCormick for participating in their Flavor Forecast this year. As often happens, I find it hard to drop a good thing when I'm on a roll, so, despite the fact that my obligation to them had been met, I continued to test and experiment with the new flavor combinations when time permitted. I was intrigued by McCormick's suggested pairing of blueberries with cardamom and corn masa and it immediately called to mind a recipe for cornmeal scones that I had originally seen on the the blog, Joy of Baking. I really liked the scones and the recipe lent itself to a simple ingredient swap that would allow me to test the new combination. So, corn masa replaced stone ground cornmeal, frozen blueberries took the place of currants, and cardamom was added to the dry ingredient list. The changes to the recipe were minimal but the flavor profile was completely different. While the addition of cardamom took these scones to another level, they still retained the nuttiness and hint of grittiness that was characteristic of the original recipe. Because of the temperature at which these bake, the scones have a crisp crust that belies their soft and tender interior. They really are lovely, though less sweet than many might prefer. These are very easy to make and can be on the table within an hour. They will not disappoint. Here's the recipe for those of you who would like to give this new flavor profile a try.

Cream Scones with Blueberries, Cardamom and Masa...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Joy of Baking and McCormick Flavor Forecast 2012

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup masa harina (instant corn masa flour)

1/3 cup granulated white sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup half and half or whipping cream

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Glaze: Cream

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and place oven rack in center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together flour, masa, sugar, baking powder, salt, cardamom and orange zest. Add frozen blueberries to flour mixture and stir well. In a small measuring cup, whisk together cream, egg, and vanilla extract. Add this to flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together.

3) Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough gently four or five times and then pat, or roll, dough into a circle that is about 7 inches round and about 1-1/2 inches thick. Cut this circle in half, then cut each half into 4 pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place scones on baking sheet. Brush tops of the scones with a little cream.

4) Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Yield: 8 scones.

You might also enjoy the recipe for Blueberry Cardamom Corn Muffins on the blog, Jersey Girl Cooks. They sound delicious.