Before he stepped into the role of Chief Operations Officer of Farmer Bailey and Garden Club Plants, Thomas McCurdy was a professional baker and pastry chef. For six years, Thomas ran a successful bakery and catering operation, spending many an overnight shift baking to supply the popular Ardelia Farm stand at several Vermont farmers markets, and creating wedding cakes and desserts for events throughout New England. 

In 2019 Thomas found some time to compete on Food Network's "Chopped Sweets", winning Season One's "Breakfast for Dessert" episode. This set the stage for a season-long turn in "Crime Scene Kitchen" on Fox in 2021, where he reached the finals competing alongside his lovely mother, Cathy. 

When not running Farmer Bailey and Garden Club Plants business operations, Thomas adores entertaining at home and is known for his lavish brunches and immersive dinner parties. "My ability to focus on the details as well as the big picture makes entertaining a joy. I love every element of creating an experience," he says.

One of Ardelia Farm stand's most popular sweets were Thomas' delectable Blackberry Almond Scones, serving as a perfect treat for holiday brunches or to accompany an afternoon cup of tea or coffee.  The secret to this recipe is to build the dough the day before you plan to bake and serve, and freeze it for a few hours or overnight.  The scones should go into the oven nearly frozen for maximum tenderness. 

Thomas encourages unleashing your creativity with other combinations of berries and nuts! Cranberry walnut, blueberry pecan, and date pistachio (with a pinch or cardamom) are all favorites. Fresh or dried fruits may be used instead of frozen.

This recipe yields 8 big bakery-style scones. To make 16 smaller scones as part of a brunch spread (as shown in the photo), simply divide the dough into two discs and proceed as directed, reducing the baking time by about 15-20 minutes.

Boost your brunch game and delight your loved ones with these special Blackberry Almond Scones. Add on a luxe lemon curd for sprightly contrast. Let us know in the comments if you give them a try! 

Thomas McCurdy's Blackberry Almond Scones 

Yield:
8 scones

Ingredients

1 cup sliced almonds

2 ²⁄3  cups (370 grams) all-purpose flour

¹⁄3  cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 ¹⁄3 cups fresh blackberries or other berries

Zest of 1 lemon

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Milk or heavy cream, for brushing

Coarse sanding sugar or granulated sugar, for sprinkling 

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°. Spread the almonds on a rimmed sheet pan and toast until light golden brown, 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter and cut it into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or two butter knives until the largest butter chunk is pea-sized. Alternatively, you can pulse this in a food processor, but be careful not to overdo it.

Gently fold in the almonds, blackberries, and lemon zest, then pour in the buttermilk and vanilla and stir with a rubber spatula just until the dough begins to come together. Do not overmix; a bit of loose flour is just fine at this stage. Think smooshing rather than stirring or kneading.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and very gently shape it into a disk approximately 8 inches round and 1½ inches thick. Your hands will get sticky, and that's OK. Wrap the dough disc in plastic wrap and freeze for at least a couple of hours or up to a month. If you're in a rush you can skip this step and go directly to cutting and baking, but the scones are best if they go into the oven nearly frozen.

Pull the dough from the freezer and let it thaw just until it is soft enough to be cut with a knife, about 30-60 minutes. Cut the disk into 8 even wedges. Place the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Brush the tops with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake until golden brown, about 40-45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Serve warm or at room temperature.

**You can cut the dough right after shaping and freeze the individual wedges in a tupperware for baking in smaller quantities without the thaw time.