Lemon & Lavender Scones & An Introduction From Rachel

Let me just start out by saying that all of your posts in this blog have helped me develop my passion for food and cooking. I've been referring to this blog during the last couple years, and I consider it one of my major text books. I wasn't afraid to try any of them, because I knew all the recipes would come out amazing! Joseph, I have made your "Make Your Indian Co-Workers Jealous Lentils" & "Non-dairy Quinotto" countless times. Anna, I couldn't have impressed my friends out on the trail without your "Russian Teacakes" & "Channa Masala" recipe. Those are just a few examples. If I haven't attempted to create all of your recipes, please know I have studied them and have taken note of your awesomeness. Good job, fellow Heininges, and thank you.

Anyway, Mom recently added me as an author for the blog, and I am honored. I see this is the first post since 2012, and I hope this post can end our blog's long hiatus.

I decided to dedicate my first post to my Lemon & Lavender Scones. If you have yet to try one of these, I suggest you get a hold of some lavender buds and get in the kitchen. I don't mean to brag, but they are very delightful and pretty easy to make. I adapted this from a couple recipes I've found on Pinterest. They are a basic lavender flavored quick bread, but what really makes these stand out is the tangy and sweet lemon glaze that is spread over them. These are great to have for breakfast with a fresh cup of coffee.

Makes 8 medium sized scones (can be doubled for 16.)
Total Prep Time: 30-40 minutes.
Oven Temp: 400 degrees.

Kitchen-Aid mixer not recommended. 

Ingredients

1/3 cup - sugar
2 heaping teaspoons - lavender buds
2 cups - all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon - baking powder
1/4 teaspoon - baking soda
1/2 teaspoon - salt
1/2 cup - frozen unsalted butter
1/2 cup - Plain Greek yogurt
1 egg

1 cup - powdered sugar

3 tablespoons - melted unsalted butter

1 teaspoon - vanilla

2 tablespoons - fresh squeezed lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine sugar and lavender with your fingers until the buds have opened and split, created a sort of lavender flavored sugar. Add in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until dry ingredients are combined.

3. Using the large holes of a cheese grater, grate entire stick of butter into flour mixture. Once the grating is complete, stir the butter into the flour until it resembles course meal. This shouldn't take very long at all, because grating the butter makes it easier to to get the consistency you need. 

4. In a small separate bowl, mix the greek yogurt and the egg together until fully combined. Add it to the flour & butter mixture and stir until the dough feels moist and starts to clump together, but do not overmix. Using your hands, begin shaping the dough into one ball, folding in the sides and remaining flour mix. 

5. Once your ball has formed, place it on a lightly floured surface. Flatten your dough with a roller, making about a 7-8" circle, about 3/4-1" thick. Using a knife or pizza cutter, slice your dough into 8 triangles, like a pizza. Place them on your ungreased parchment paper about 2 inches apart, and let them bake for 15 minutes. Once they are done, let them cool for about 10 minutes. 

6. To make your glaze, combine powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Spread over baked scones, and let them sit until the glaze has settled and hardened. 

7. Scones can be garnished with remaining lavender buds for a lovely presentation. 

Enjoy! 

xo

Rachel

Better for you Granola

If you've ever attempted to make your own granola before you know it's typically filled with fat and sugar and loaded with calories. This recipe drastically cuts the amount of oil and sugar by relying on egg whites to bind it together. I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light magazine by quadrupling it, adding a little oil (just to give it some more crunch and staying power), and lowered the amount of sugar. The result is just as tasty and more nutritious.




-4 cups rolled oats
-1 cup chopped nuts of your choice (I used sliced almonds)
-2 Tbsp of canola oil
-3 egg whites
-1 tsp vanilla
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp salt
-2 Tbsp to 1/4 cup of honey (depending on how sweet you like it)*

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Mix oats and nuts together in a large bowl.
3. Add oil to oats and nuts and stir well to coat evenly
4. Beat egg whites and vanilla together in a separate bowl until foamy.
5. Add egg white mixture to oat mixture and fold to coat oats evenly.
6. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl.
7. Fold brown sugar mixture into oat mixture.
8. Fold honey into oat mixture.
9. Spread granola onto a baking sheet (try to keep it clumped together but thinly spread enough to toast it evenly).
10. Bake for 25 min, stirring gently once after 15 min.
11. Let cool in pan before transferring to an airtight container.

*You need both brown sugar and honey for this recipe because they each serve a different purpose. Brown sugar helps to make the oats crunchy and crispy and honey helps to bind the mixture together to give you clusters. You can substitute maple syrup or agave nectar for the honey, but I don't recommend substituting for the sugar.