Scottish Blueberry Scones (adapted from Iced Gems*)
Tucked away in the charming suburb of Dundee, Broughty Ferry is home to one of our favorite 'hidden gems': Iced Gems, a cozy neighborhood coffee shop that embodies the quintessential small-town café feel. We arrived for a month beginning in mid April when the air was still nippy. Our days typically started with a brisk walk along the promenade that bordered the northern shore of the Firth of Tay where we’d catch the “polar bear club” of brave swimmers stepping boldly into the frigid water. Afterwards, we’d treat ourselves to a scone with jam and clotted cream at Iced Gems. In this cozy town of 8,000 to 10,000 residents, we were surprised to find reserved signs on many tables—a unique sight for such a small community.
Broughty Ferry has its very own castle
It didn’t take long for us to understand why people made reservations in advance. It was immediately apparent that there was something very special here. The shop owner, Nicky, prepared a delightful array of fresh scones each morning, fluffy, generously sized, and bursting with seasonal fruits. There were other menu items, but we never made our way to trying any of them. The scones were just that good! And every mug of cappuccino and flat white came with a quarter-size cookie as a bonus. In addition to the food, the company was outstanding. The locals who frequented Nicky’s shop always said hello to us when either they or us walked in, and it was evident that people met up on a regular basis to catch up on the latest town news. We felt at home almost immediately.
We ate these scones on a near daily basis and quickly became fans of the delightful flavors and warm atmosphere that Iced Gems lovingly crafted. Enjoy a taste of this lovely town in your own kitchen using Nicky’s adapted recipe. They go great with cappuccino or a cup of tea alone or gathered with friends.
Ingredients
The owner and wonderful staff at Iced Gems
400 grams self-rising flour
100 grams of high-quality butter such as Lurpak, Anchor, or Grahams, frozen
25 grams caster sugar (also called superfine sugar or baker's sugar, not powdered sugar)
Sparkling sugar or sanding sugar, or granulated sugar to sprinkle lightly on top before baking
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 heaping cup (140g) fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw) fresh drained blueberries or frozen, tossed lightly in flour
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
120ml milk, separated (1/2 cup)
Directions
Preheat oven to 180° Celsius (350° F)
Grate the frozen butter with a box grater. Combine the chilled butter with the flour, sugar, and salt using your fingers until the mixture comes together as fine breadcrumbs, pulling your hands up when crumbling to incorporate air.
Add vanilla, milk, reserving all but 2 Tablespoons, and mix until ingredients are pulled together but no longer sticky. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour. If it seems too dry, add 1-2 more tablespoons milk. Throw on a floured board and knead a few times, being careful not to overmix.
Carefully place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using your hands spread lightly until the mixture is about 40mm thick. Do not use a rolling pin. Using a knife or a 2.5” square biscuit cutter, cut into portions and sprinkle with some .
Brush with milk and bake at 180° C (350° F) for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 160° C (320° F) for about 7-8 minutes. Remove parchment paper with the scones to a baking rack and allow to cool.
*Iced Gems’ measurements are an approximation and you might need to make adjustments for humid or dry weather.
Homemade Clotted Cream
Directions**
Clotted cream is easy to make with just a little bit of time on your side
Preheat oven to 80° C (175° F). Pour 2 cups of heavy cream, NOT ultrapasteurized into a large 9x14” oven-safe dish. You want a dish with a large surface area so you get the most clotted cream.
Place in the center of the oven and bake for 12 hours. You can put it in the oven overnight so it’s ready in the morning (just ensure that you don’t have an oven that automatically switches off after a certain number of hours).
After a full 12 hours, remove your dish from the oven. You should see a bubbly, yellow surface, which is the clotted cream.
Allow to cool at room temperature and then cover and put in the refrigerator overnight for it to set and cool.
** This clotted cream recipe is from biggerbolderbaking.com. I’ve made it and it’s delicious!
Storage
Store clotted cream in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up five days. It can be frozen and used within six months, but allow it to thaw in the fridge before using it and mixing it well first. Do not eat it if it smells sour.
Want to see why we loved Broughty Ferry? Watch our video below!
