WHOLE WHEAT SCONES WITH BLUEBERRIES AND LAVENDER

Whole Wheat Scones with Blueberries and Lavender

My etiquette colleague,  Maura Graber, invited authors Mary Platis and Laura Bashar to her beautiful Graber Olive House for a book signing event featuring their latest book, Cooking Techniques and Recipes with Olive Oil.  Since Maura knows how much I love to cook with olive oil and I truly love scones, she sent me a signed copy of the book and a wonderful bottle of her company's extra virgin olive oil.  I was thrilled!  I therefore decided to share the wonderful nutritious recipe.

Also included are instructions on how to consume these fabulous scones properly.

Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour
l/3 cup fresh lavender, loosely packed
1 tablespoon baking powder
l/8 teaspoon salt
l/4 cup raw sugar plus l/2 teaspoon to top scones
l/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
l/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt, plain
l/4 cup low-fat milk
l large egg
l tablespoon wheat bran
4 ounces fresh blueberries

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat.

2.  In a food processor, pulse to combine flour, lavender, baking powder, and salt.  Pulse l/4 cup raw sugar with the flour mixture.

3.  Pulse and pour olive oil into the mixture until crumbly.

4.  In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, milk, and egg.  Pulse and combine egg mixture with the rest of the ingredients.

5.  Turn crumbly dough onto a lightly floured surface or silicone baking mat and press dough together to form a circle or rectangle l/2-inch thick.  Press wheat bran onto all sides of the dough.

6.  Spread most of the blueberries onto half of the dough and fold the empty half over it.

7.  Press an runaway and remaining blueberries onto the top of the dough.

8.  Cut into 6 equal pieces, garnish tops with l/2 teaspoon raw sugar, and transfer scones onto prepared baking sheet.  (I used a round biscuit cutter)

9.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden.  Allow scones to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.  Serve warm or place on a cooling rack to cool completely.

NOTE:  If you do not have fresh lavender, substitute with dried culinary lavender, available in specialty food stores.

NOTE:  Once you have made these scones and you understand the consistency of the dough, you can make them without a food processor.  

Also, typically scones are made with cold butter and white flour.  These whole wheat scones are not only moist and crumbly, but also bursting with flavor from fresh blueberries and lavender.  They are perfect to enjoy with your morning tea or for an afternoon snack.  And they are so healthy too!

PROPER WAY TO SERVE AND DINE WITH SCONES

Serve scones on a serving plate with a serving utensil.  Along with the scones, serve jams or homemade preserves, fruit butters, lemon curd, and clotted cream.  Scones should be left at the table throughout the meal.

There are several ways to eat scones.  One way is to split the scone in half across the girth with a dessert knife.  Take a spoonful of jam or lemon curd and clotted cream onto the small plate.  Spread a little jam or lemon curd on a bite-sized portion of the scone’s crumb face.  Add clotted cream and eat just that portion.  If you need a cream substitute, you may use freshly whipped cream. 

A second way of eating a scone is to break off bite-sized pieces one at a time with your fingers.  Spread a little jam or lemon curd and clotted cream on a piece and convey it to your mouth with your fingers. 

A third way is to slice the scone in half like a biscuit.  You may spread jam, lemon curd, and clotted cream on the bottom half first.  Pick up the half with your hand and take a small bite.  This might be a little messy, so keep your napkin at your fingertips. 

The last way is quite easy.  You may eat the scone in either Continental or American style.  For Continental style, secure the scone with a dessert fork and use a dessert knife to cut one bite-sized piece at a time.  Convey each piece to your mouth with the dessert fork.  If you choose American style, the dessert fork is held in your right hand and is used to cut one bite-sized piece at a time and convey each piece to your mouth.

 JAM

Jam is sometimes served from a bowl.  You may leave the utensil (spoon) in the bowl for rest position and for finished position.  If your jam is served from stemware, rest position and finished position dictate that you never leave the utensil (spoon) in the stemware.  Leave the utensil (spoon) to the right of it, preferably on a plate or saucer underneath it.  If there is no plate or saucer underneath the stemware, leave the spoon in the stemware.  (See Sorbet/Soup)  Never use one’s own utensils to dip into the jam bowl.