on a day like today there are at least fifty shades of sunshine
When you get to my age, one of the vagaries you tend to recognize in the corners of your mind but prefer to ignore, is the process of repeating yourself. So it goes with my constant iterations of scones. If you love a crusty, on-the-drier-side, light scone with a delicate flavor profile, follow along here…..
There is nothing more invigorating on a beautiful early Summer morning such as this then getting into the kitchen. The windows are open, the light is dappling in onto the counters and I have a myriad of fruit options at the ready. There is rhubarb from earlier in the week. There are strawberries – mine and Wightman’s. There are cherries. There are meyer lemons from Eataly and there are white peaches. It’s actually hard to try to choose right now. Such is the celebration of wonderful fruits that are available. So, before I trundle into the Farmer’s Market………
Today, I wanted a sunshine-y clean and fresh scone to try. The light and fresh breezes this morning called for the lightest and freshest of flavors.
I am a huge fan of the herb Lemon Verbena. I became enamored with it even more during my trip to Positano and my little interlude with the chef there. You already know the story. The delicate and heady scent of Lemon Verbena will forever send me back there. Honestly, it is a way too underutilized herb in my estimation. Earlier this week I incorporated it into my Caprese Salad with fresh white peaches, basil, and baby apricots. Yum!
a myriad of shades of sunshine in the kitchen:
MEYER LEMON AND WHITE PEACH SCONES WITH LEMON VERBENA –
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup organic stone ground corn meal
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp fresh lemon verbena leaves, stripped from stems
8 tbsp unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
2 eggs 3/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 tsp almond extract
peel of one meyer lemon cut into thin strips
3 white peaches, ripe, diced
muscavado sugar
egg wash
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In the bowl of your food processor, whir together the flour, corn meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and lemon verbena. Add the butter and pulse 8-9 times or until the butter resembles small peas. Dump the dry ingredients into a low, wide bowl and make a well in the center.
In a large measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and almond extract. Pour into the center of the dry ingredients. Working with a dough scraper, gently pull the dry ingredients into the wet, just until the dough begins to hold together. Add the peaches and the strips of meyer lemon peel.
Finish kneading with your hands just until the mass holds together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a rectangle. Using a bench scraper cut the rectangle in half lengthwise. Cut each strip of dough into small triangles. The end pieces can be reworked into a small round and re-cut or baked in a small brioche tin that has been buttered and sprinkled with muscavado sugar.
Brush scones with egg wash and sprinkle with muscavado sugar. Bake for 20 minutes or until nicely browned, crunchy and firm to the touch. Serve warm with a dollop of sweet cream butter.
Enjoy.
