Blueberry Tea Buns (Newfoundland)

canadian-newfoundland-blueberryteabuns Serve them warm from the oven just as they are or drizzle on a simple vanilla glaze to fancy them up for teatime. These sweet blueberry tea buns, or blueberry biscuits, are exactly the type of thing you would see either of my grandmothers baking at the end of summer and early fall. As soon as blueberry season starts here in Newfoundland, we can’t help but use them in delicious traditional baking like this.

3 cups all-purpos e flour, unbleached
¾ cup sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. sea salt
¾ cup butter
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup evaporated milk, undiluted
1½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Vanilla Glaze:
⅔ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 Tbsp. milk
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

I start these in my food processor because it is so fast but they can be made just as easily in a large bowl by cutting the butter in with a pastry blender or just rubbing it into the dry ingredients using your hands.

In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Cut in the butter until mixture resembles a coarse meal.

Transfer to a large bowl.

Make a well in the center of the dry mix.

Mix together the lemon juice, vanilla and milk. Pour into the well and mix only enough to almost form a dough ball.

Just before the dry ingredients are completely incorporated in the dough add the blueberries. (frozen berries especially need to go in at the last minute or they will melt and bleed colour through the tea buns. They'll taste just as good, but not as pretty.)

Roll to 1” thickness and cut out buns with biscuit cutter and place on parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake at 375°F (190°C/170°C fan, Gas Mark 5) for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Baking time will vary depending on the size of your biscuit cutter. This recipe makes 16 tea buns.

Make the Vanilla Glaze:
Simply mix together the ingredients until smooth with no icing sugar lumps.

The glaze should be thick but still pourable. If it is too thick add a little more milk, if it is too thin, add a little more icing sugar to bring it to the proper consistency.

I like to make the glaze in a small shallow ramekin, which makes dipping the tops of the scones in the glaze quite easy.

Let the glaze set for a half hour or so before serving.

Makes 16.

Cook’s Notes:

Only use real butter in this recipe. Substitutes can cause issues with sticky dough etc.
Make sure your surface is well floured before you drop the dough onto it, you can sprinkle a little flour on top before you from it into a circle to roll out. The goal is to keep the dough as soft and unworked as possible.
I usually sprinkle on flour and fold the dough only about 3 times. So, while you can add more flour while working the dough into shape, don't overdo it or your raisin will be less soft and tender.
Do not roll them too thin; never thinner than 1-1½”. The larger the buns the thicker I tend to cut them.
Make sure your oven is well preheated and use aluminum bakeware when possible. Steel/alloy pans can carry heat too quickly and like they do sometimes with cookies, spread wider on the pan before they get the chance to lift
If you don't want to bake these on a cookie sheet, you can bake them in a 9x13 pan, just like my grandmother did with raisin buns. This method will produce break apart tea buns that rise just a bit more because they support themselves as they rise. You may need a few more minutes baking with this method.