1/2teaspoonfinely grated lemon zestjut the outermost part, optional but highly recommended
6tablespoonscold unsalted buttercut into 1/2-inch cubes
2/3cupwhole blueberries
1/2cupcold waterreally ice cold
1/4cupheavy creamplus additional 1 tablespoon to brush on top
1tablespoonTurbinado sugar, or other coarse grind sugarto sprinkle on top
Instructions
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a large baking sheet pan with parchment. Set aside
Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Toss the pieces of butter into the flour mixture to coat. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour until the mixture is mealy and small pieces of pea-size butter remain. (I prefer using my fingers for more control and tactile satisfaction. But if your fingers are warm, you may have to use a tool to prevent the butter getting too soft.)
Add the blueberries and toss with a fork to combine. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the 1/ 2 cup ice cold water and 1/ 4 cup heavy cream. Continue tossing with the fork until the dough is just evenly damp and shaggy. Be careful to not overwork the dough too much. Add more water if needed, 1 teaspoon at a time, if the dough is too dry to work with. (it will be shaggy, with some dry bits, but needs to hold together enough to retain its shape when forming the dough into biscuits.)
Drop six mounds of dough onto the baking sheet, spacing at least 1-1/ 2 inches apart. This will be about 1/ 2 cup each of dough. Pat and shape the dough into as round a shape as the dough allows, firmly patting any stray bits of dough into place.
Lightly brush the tops with 1 tablespoon of heavy cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar, or any other coarse sugar crystals.
Bake until deep golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool for about 5minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
The baked biscuits will freeze well. To serve, thaw and reheat in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes. Take care to not overdo the reheating to avoid over-dry biscuits.