Aaand the herb harvest continues this week with these lovely scones. Right about now everything is growing like crazy in the garden. I don’t know why I get so much pleasure out of using fresh herbs in baking. Maybe it’s because I find endless inspiration and flavor options right outside my door.
Back in the reality of my kitchen, there is always what seems to be the endless problem of using up buttermilk. I had bought some to create chocolate mini cupcakes with rainbow frosting for a local Gay Pride event and there I was, stuck with half a jug.
I admit scones are a copout sometimes because they are so easy to throw together. In this recipe, the buttermilk adds especially good flavor.
I have been obsessed with lemon verbena ever since I discovered it last summer. I bought a small plant at the end of the season and only could eek out this buttercream frosting before it was all gone. This year I bought three plants and they are thriving.
I made a simple scone batter and threw in fresh chopped lemon verbena. The result was a fantastic, somewhere between a sweet and savory scone with a pleasing punch of lemon flavor. You can glaze these if you want but neekid, they’re just fine.
- 3 cups flour AP flour
- 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
- 2+1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 12 tablespoons cold butter cut in pieces
- 1 cup buttermilk plus a few tablespoons more to brush on top
- 1 cup rinsed and finely chopped fresh lemon verbena leaves
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a food processor and pulse until combined.
- Add the butter into the dry ingredients and pulse until the ingredients become a crumb texture.
- Pours in buttermilk and lemon extract. Pulse until it forms a sticky dough.
- Mix in the lemon verbena until just combined.
- Dump it out on a work surface and knead a few times until smooth. Pat into a circle.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the scone dough into triangular pieces and lay them on the baking sheets.
- Brush the tops with more buttermilk.
- Bake until slightly brown 12-15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
