This is turning into some sort of an Iron Chef thing where I get inspired by a certain ingredient or combination of ingredients and return to them day after day. In this case, I had pulled the lavender from the back of the cupboard and resolved that I had better start using it before it went bad, combined with a good price on lemons at the Gourmet Market at Emporium. Continuing on the theme, I decided to try a recipe for Lavender and Lemon Buttermilk Scones.
Now, buttermilk biscuits are one of my specialties, one of the few recipes that I can make (and actually follow the recipe!) from memory and that I can turn out consistently, time and time again. Scones and biscuits are relatives and the biscuits I make reminded a former British roommate of mine of scones, so I figure I can move from one to the other pretty easily.
The recipe I used was from the EatLocal blog on WordPress, but like many similar versions of the recipe I found online, this one was credited as being adapted from Leslie Mackie’s “completely fabulous” Macrina Bakery Cookbook, so that’s maybe where credit is really due.
Lemon Lavender Scones
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
2 tsp dried lavender, divided use
4 tbsp chilled butter
½ cup nonfat yogurt
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
Heat oven to 400°F. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest, and 1½ tsp of lavender.
Cut butter into pieces and cut into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter, or crumble in with your fingers. Separately, whisk together yogurt and buttermilk. Combine wet and dry ingredients to form a dough that will be wet and sticky.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead a few times, then shape into a square about 1′ thick. Using a kitchen knife, cut the dough into eight triangles. (As you can see, I used a biscuit cutter for a round shape.)
Transfer to an oiled baking sheet (I just used parchment paper instead of oiling and brushed the tops of the scones with cream) and bake 20 minutes, or until scones are golden brown.
Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet. Meanwhile, dissolve powdered sugar in lemon juice and mix in ½ tsp lavender, then drizzle over scones.
I wasn’t terribly patient – we were hungry and had a condominium juristic meeting to attend – so I put the sugar-lemon glaze on while the scones were warm, so instead of glazing it just absorbed. Still, they tasted really good. The tops also cracked, which leads me to believe I should have turned the oven down a little. My oven is a convection and I think you’re generally supposed to cook at a slightly lower temperature but I don’t always heed this advice.
Anyhow, hope you enjoy these scones as you begin your weekend!
christao408 
You know I will. Thanks for this unusual twist to the biscuits and scones.
I would love to get my hands on some of those! They look much too appetizing to be merely trapped within a two-dimensional medium!
Ah, food porn to go to bed by. Thank you for that.
I should read this entry tomorrow morning. They look yum.
Oh that loooooooooks yummmmmmmy.:) I also just mix and match whatever I have in my cupboard. To start, I don’t have lots of ingredients. Or sometimes It goes expired without me knowing. My ex-roommate’s girlfriend once throw out all my expired stuff. It fit in a HUGE garbage bag.
Some people have resorted to licking their monitor screens when you post these kind of photos… I always thought then silly. Just call me silly. I’m waiting for breakfast and this is making it delightfully difficult.
*takes a big bite into a red pepper*AND THE SECRET INGREDIENT IS…
@ZSA_MD – @Southeast_Beauty – @Passionflwr86 – @foggysunnymorning – Thanks for the kind words; glad you enjoyed.@murisopsis – I’m not sure I’d want to be the one using the computer after you, then…@yang1815 – We were going to film Tawn trying the scones and then dub over an unrelated voice taken from one of the judges in the original Iron Chef.
I can see you are a fan of the Barefoot Contessa? Delicious scones!
@christao408 – DO IT!!! That would be so hilarious!!!
i think you would find the website ideas in food really interesting if you’re not already reading it!i’m not a big fan of scones because i find that most of the ones i buy are pretty dry.. but these look so beautiful & delicious. i’ve never had lavender pastries before either~ also, can you recommend a good buttermilk biscuit recipe for me?!
@CurryPuffy – There’s an interesting Barefoot Contessa story, Gary. I was actually working as the theatre operations managers for the Hamptons Int’l Film Festival for two years and the cinema we used in East Hampton was a block from the original BC store. I didn’t know what it was at the time other than a cute little shop where I got my morning coffee and nice pastries. I liked their logo and bought a mug at the end of my trip there.It was only in later years that I came to know and love the work of Barefoot Contessa and Ina Garten. Sadly, the original store is closed but I would still like to go back to East Hampton some October. It is a cute town.@iskrak – Was there a particular website you were recommending me? It looks like it may have been cut off in your comment. Or were you recommending Barefoot Contessa? As for buttermilk recipe, here’s the tried and true recipe I use:Buttermilk Biscuits2 c all-purpose flour1 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp salt1/3 c vegetable shortening or good quality lard3/4 c buttermilkPreheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a bowl, combine dry ingredients, mixing well. Cut in shortening until it is the size of peas. Make a well in the center of the ingredients and pour buttermilk, mixing with a fork only until it has just come together. Be careful not to over-work as this will make the biscuits tough.Turn out the dough on a well-floured board and knead six times. Pat the dough to about 3/4 to 1 inch high. Cut out using a biscuit or round cookie cutter and place biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. When finished, let rest 4-5 minutes before serving. Makes 10 2-inch biscuits.Technique: – When cutting biscuits, push straight down and do not twist the cutter. If you twist the cutter, you seal the edges of the biscuits and they will not rise as high.
those look so good! I was going to make biscuits this week but think I scone it for a change up! My Grandmother use dot make scones since she was from Canada with a huge British influence there. 🙂 I never made them. Wish me luck and success. You’re quite the cook, glad I subscribed! Lovely!
SCONES!! my fav! just the thought of dabbing some butter, jam and whipped cream on some of those still hot scones just make me… urgh! (i may have to steal your recipe).
I had no idea you can eat lavender or even use it for cooking / baking.
@ElusiveWords – Food grade lavender is edible, yes, but it must have been grown strictly with no herbicides or pesticides.@rudyhou – You cannot steal what I would freely give, Rudy. Please take my recipe, bake, and be happy!@Ikwa – Thank you for the compliement. I’ll wish you all the luck but know you’ll be successful even without luck.
I LURRRVE buttermilk biscuits.Not sure about scones or lavender part though…lavender always make me feel like I am eating potpourri
@Wangium – The lavender is pretty subtle, so I don’t think you’d get the potpourri effect with these scones. But when you come visit, I’ll bake you some regular biscuits, without the flowers.