Fragrant buds of lavender crown these honey-kissed scones that are sure to make a regular appearance on any springtime or summertime afternoon-tea menu.
Honeyed Lavender Scones
Serves: 12 to 14 scones
The luscious texture of these scones is largely due to the secret ingredient— cream cheese! Honey, which replaces the usual granulated sugar in the recipe, adds a perfect level of gentle sweetness, while culinary-grade lavender, which is pesticide-free, imparts a delightful floral fragrance and flavor, not to mention serving as a delicate garnish. Teatime guests may find it hard to eat only one scone, especially when warm and paired with lemon curd, as pictured, or with a favorite jam, such as raspberry.
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour*
- 1 tablespoon baking power
- 1¼ teaspoons dried culinary lavender, divided
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 ounces cold cream cheese, cubed
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon cold heavy whipping cream, divided
- 3 tablespoons plus ¼ teaspoon honey, divided
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, ¾ teaspoon lavender, and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut butter and cream cheese into flour mixture until they resemble coarse crumbs.
- In a small bowl, whisk together cream, 3 tablespoons honey, and vanilla extract. Add cream mixture to flour mixture, stirring until a dough forms.
- Turn out dough onto a lightly floured* surface, and knead gently until smooth by patting dough and folding it in half 3 to 4 times. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to a ¾- to 1-inch thickness. Using a 1⅞ -inch round cutter dipped in flour*, cut as many scones as possible from dough without twisting cutter, rerolling scraps no more than once. Place scones on prepared baking sheet. Freeze scones for at least 20 minutes**.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a very small bowl, whisk together remaining 1 tablespoon cream and remaining ¼ teaspoon honey. Brush tops of scones with cream mixture and sprinkle with remaining ½ teaspoon lavender.
- Bake until edges of scones are golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
*We used King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour.
**At this point, scones can be frozen completely and then transferred to an airtight freezer bag for longer storage, up to 3 months. Just before serving, bake frozen scones without thawing, according to remaining recipe instructions and allowing a few extra minutes for proper browning and doneness.
**At this point, scones can be frozen completely and then transferred to an airtight freezer bag for longer storage, up to 3 months. Just before serving, bake frozen scones without thawing, according to remaining recipe instructions and allowing a few extra minutes for proper browning and doneness.
