Blueberry Orange Scones

I get the urge to bake the way some people get the urge to lace up their sneakers and go for a run or pop into the nearest cafe for a steaming cup of coffee.  That's why on a recent Saturday morning I rolled out of bed - hair untamed, make-up unapplied - and began making scones in my pajamas.

Now I'd be lying if I said I hadn't had visions of baked goods dancing through my head since the beginning of the week.  But there's nothing like starting out a weekend with warm, doughy goodness straight from the oven.  It's a small miracle that I had the self-restraint to stay away from the oven that long.

These blueberry-orange scones aren't like the scones I've encountered before (but maybe that's because I was spoiled by having my first-ever scone in Dublin).  But that's fine by me, since these scones remind me of one giant, albeit oddly shaped, muffin top.  They're very moist, so moist, in fact, that you don't even need to butter then (that being said, everything really is better with butter).

Blueberry Orange Scones (yields 8)
Adapted from Food Network

For scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into chunks
1 cup milk, plus extra for brushing scones
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

For glaze:
1/2 cup orange juice, freshly-squeezed
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
zest of 1 orange
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl.  With two forks (or a pastry cutter), cut butter into the mixture of dry ingredients, until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in milk and mix until just incorporated.  Fold blueberries into the batter; be careful not to crush them, or you will have purple scones.

Press out dough on a lightly floured surface and cut into eight equally sized triangles.  Place dough on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

While scones are baking, prepare the glaze.  Mix orange juice and confectioner's sugar in a microwave-safe bowl until well-combined.  Stir in zest and butter, and then microwave  the mixture for 30 seconds.  Whisk glazes to remove any lumps, then brush over the slighty cooled scones.  Let the glaze sit for a minute, then serve and devour scones.