Yet Another for Your Afternoon Tea

The only real experience that I have with scones was buying a Baking cookbook at Borders when I was 17; it turned out to be British, which had me confused for quite some time. What we call biscuits, they call scones; what we call cookies, they call biscuits.

If you actually read the things that I post, then you probably know that I made some Snickerdoodle scones before and that, while they weren't terrible, they also didn't really blow me away. I have had a hard time understanding what the point of a scone is when a biscuit or cookie can do the same thing.



However, these lemon scones came about as a way for me to use excess lemons and try my hand at scones one last time. I cast my net through the interweb and found a suitable recipe for me to try. Luckily, they passed the test and were the perfect combination of buttery, tart, and crumbly. I ate them with tea, I ate them plain, and I ate them warmed up with just a smidge of butter on top. They were delicious!




Lemon Scones
Makes 8 scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
1/2 cup sour milk
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
Additional sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking sheet and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add milk and lemon peel, stirring just until mixed.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead gently six times. Shape into a ball. On a greased baking sheet, pat dough into a circle about 1/2 in thick and 8-1/2 in. in diameter. Using a sharp knife, cut wedges in the dough, being careful not to cut all the way through.

Sprinkle with sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

Hopes, Dreams, and Lemons

This story begins with a surplus of lemons. Although, it could possibly begin before that, when I bought the lemons in hopes of making lots of delicious, mildly-tart lemon poppy seed bread. I didn't want to rely on a mix any longer! Plus, I had at least two cups of poppy seeds that had been sitting on my counter for months. MONTHS. How long can those things last before they go bad?



Not wanting to tempt fate, I decided I had put the bread off for long enough and looked through my recipes on my computer for the file promisingly called "Lemon Poppy Seed Bread." When I opened it...alas! No lemons were used! Just a cake mix and a pudding mix. I know what you're wondering - why didn't I just look at the recipe before going to the store? Well, that would ruin the surprise, obviously.



So, I scrounged around and found a file named “Every Which Way Bread” that supplied me with ingredients to make just about every flavor of quick bread you can think of, excluding lemon poppy seed. This was when I decided to improvise; I have to improvise a lot. You can call it poor planning or creative expression, but baking has certainly helped me think a lot quicker on my feet.



This bread turned out to be quite delicious, and I got lots of pretty pictures from it. The only complaint I had was that it tastes exactly like the boxed mix. Seeing as how I made this bread specifically so I could get away from the mix, the only logical conclusion here is that I am cursed.



Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
Makes 2 large loaves

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup poppy seeds
Zest of 1 or 2 lemons, to taste (optional)
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat 4 small or 2 large loaf pans with vegetable cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, lemon zest and poppy seeds; stir until completely mixed. Make a well in the dry ingredients and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar and vegetable oil. Add eggs and beat slightly. Stir in lemon juice.

Pour wet ingredients into well of dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Distribute batter among the prepared pans, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Can be stored at room temperature or wrapped in saran wrap and frozen.

When Class Gives You Lemons

During the Cake and Cookie chapter in my Foods class, I noticed that we skipped quite a few recipes; specifically, these lemon squares. I'd never had lemon bars before I made these in my Foods class, so I came home and put these together. During the next class, we backtracked and I got assigned to make these for a grade, which was great because I got to change some of the sugar content and make modifications.



These squares have a really great crumbly crust and a crispy coconut topping. The filling is a little runny immediately after being cooked, but after refrigeration for a few hours, the lemon flavor really comes out. As I mentioned before, I cut the sugar the second time around and the topping wasn't so overwhelmingly sweet.



These would be really great cut into dainty squares and served at a party or shower or something dainty like that. Also, be sure to keep these covered and refrigerated if you don't finish them all in one go.



Lemon Squares
Makes 16 squares

1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
4 egg yolks (or 2 eggs)
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups grated coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 9-inch square pan.

Mix butter, flour, baking powder, and egg together; press into a uniform layer in the bottom of baking pan.

In the top part of a double boiler, mix together the beaten yolks, butter, sugar, lemon zest, and juice. Stir constantly while heating over boiling water until thickened.

Spread uniformly over the bottom layer in the pan.

Beat remaining egg well with the sugar and add coconut. Spread evenly as a topping. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

And Eating It Too

This post is actually about something I ate, but didn't make. My mom found a cake recipe she wanted try in the latest issue of Epicurious.



She rarely has the time or ability (what with me hogging the oven) to bake anything, so she leapt at the chance and made the cake while I worked one night. She and my dad even waited to cut it until after I got home so that I could take pictures, awww.



This cake was delicious; the glaze was sweet and tart at the same time, and the cake was moist all over and a little salty in contrast to the glaze. The blueberry sauce on top was warm, sweet, and sticky, and an excellent addition to the cake.



Lemon Glaze

1 1/2 cups packed powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons or more fresh lemon juice

Combine powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a small bowl. Stir with a spoon until smooth and paste-like, adding more lemon juice by 1/2 teaspoonfuls if glaze is too thick to spread. Set aside.


Lemon Cornmeal Cake
Makes 8 to 10 servings

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon finely-grated lemon peel
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, cooled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan with at least 2-inch-high sides; line bottom with parchment.

Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; whisk to blend. Whisk buttermilk, eggs, lemon peel, and vanilla in small bowl. Pour buttermilk mixture and melted butter into flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold liquids into flour mixture until just blended (do not stir). Scrape batter into pan and spread evenly.

Bake cake until tester inserted in the center comes out clean and cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.

Immediately run a knife around the sides of the cake. Invert the cake onto a rack or plate; while the cake is still hot, drop glaze by tablespoonfuls and spread to within 1/2 inch of the edge.


Crushed-Blueberry Sauce
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed (13 to 14 ounces), divided
2/3 cup packed golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely-grated lemon peel
Pinch of salt

Combine 1 1/2 cups blueberries and all remaining ingredients in medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to simmer, about 7 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until berries are very soft and liquid is syrupy, stirring often, about 7 minutes.

Remove from heat and add remaining blueberries. Using back of spoon, gently press fresh blueberries against side of pan until lightly crushed.