Lemon Cilantro Scones

I originally saw this recipe on the Top with Cinnamon blog. I've made scones before but I was intrigued to see how the flavours of lemon and cilantro tasted.

I didn't bother to peel the lemon, nor did I include yogurt. Instead I simply used a zester and added buttermilk to replace the yogurt. I thought it would be easier and quicker to mix the lemon zest and sugar with the rest of the dry ingredients. However, I do think it's worth taking the time to heat the sugar and make a lemony syrup. In fact, the last time I combined lemon, sugar and water I made Limoncello.

Other lemon recipes on my blog include:
Chia or Flaxseed Lemon Bread
Lemon Yogurt Dressing

Lemon Cilantro Scones
Makes 8

Ingredients:

- 1 lemon zest and juice

- 24g / 2tbsp sugar, white granulated
- 1tbsp water
- 120g / 4.5oz flour
- 40g / 1.5oz oats
- 1.5tsp baking powder
- small handful of coriander leaves (cilantro), finely chopped
- 56g / 2oz butter, unsalted, cold and cubed
- 60ml / 4tbsp buttermilk (60ml / 4tbsp almond milk and 5ml / 1tsp lemon juice)
- 1 egg, beaten

Method:

• In a pan, heat the lemon zest, juice, sugar, and water until sugar has dissolved and mixture has thickened, about 5-7 minutes. 
• Pour into a bowl and leave to cool.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats and baking powder. 
• Rub in the butter cubes until like bread crumbs. 
• Add the cilantro. 
• Chill in the fridge for a few minutes.
• In the bowl with the lemon mixture, add the buttermilk and egg. Mix to combine. 
• Pour the wet mixture into the large bowl of dry ingredients and stir together.
• Place the dough in the freezer for 10 minutes and heat the oven to 175C / 350F.
• Spoon out 8 round circles of chilled dough onto a lined baking tray and gently press down to form scones.
• Brush with a little milk (if desired) and bake for 25 minutes until golden.
• Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Chai Spice Iced Biscuits

I rarely make conventional biscuits/cookies that call for butter, sugar, flour and eggs. I like to experiment with substitutions and alternative ingredients. Sometimes it's trial and error! However, after receiving a cookie cutter from my chef friend, I had to bake some traditional cookies. The cookie cutter comes from Ann Clark, Ltd.

Who knew baking cookies was a science, as much as an art form! So many decisions over the amount of flour to use, white or brown sugars, melted or softened butter, baking soda and/or powder. Then there's so many arguments over the amount of time the cookie dough should be chilled in the refrigerator. I chilled the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes but I'm unsure if this made any significant difference. One reason given on the internet as to why cookie dough should be refrigerated is that it gives the gluten time to relax.

I couldn't bring myself to totally follow a traditional recipe so I did try to limit the amount of sugar and butter and reduced the quantities very slightly. I was still able to roll out the dough, cut perfectly uniform cookies and bake over two dozen biscuits, just like a regular recipe. When reviewing various cookie recipes on the internet, I found this useful resource: Cookies - Problems and Solutions

Regular icing sugar can be used to decorate the biscuits but I brewed a chai tea bag and mixed with the icing sugar to give a little extra spice to each biscuit.

Chai Spice Iced Biscuits

Makes 28

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients: 

- 112g / 4oz butter, unsalted

- 195g / 7oz light brown sugar

- 1 egg

- 300g / 11oz flour

- 1/2tsp salt

- 1/2tsp baking powder

- 1.5tsp mixed spice

- 1 chai tea bag 

- 100g / 3.5oz confectioners sugar / icing sugar

Method:

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar using a hand held mixer. Beat in the egg.

Mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and mixed spice.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet to make a dough.

Wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll out and cut into biscuits using a cookie cutter.

Bake in the oven for 13 minutes at 175C / 350F.

Whilst the biscuits are cooling on a wire rack, brew the chai tea in 60ml / 1/4 cup boiling water. 

Mix the chai tea with the icing sugar and decorate each biscuit. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Scones

How do you say 'Scone'? Does it rhyme with 'cone' or 'con'?
On online poll asking this question showed the clear winner being:
‘scone’ to rhyme with . . . ‘cone’!

Regardless of calling it a sCONE or a sCONe, this quick and simple recipe uses basic ingredients. However, I always use whole wheat flour and unsweetened almond milk. I don't add any additional sugar, preferring to sweeten my scones with dried fruit, such as cranberries.
There are lots of different scone recipes available so I may experiment in the future using egg (or flaxseed egg substitute), pumpkin puree, and/or buttermilk.

Scones
Makes 8
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 225g / 8oz flour

- 1tbsp baking powder

- 1tsp salt

- 56g / 2oz butter

- 40g / 1.4oz cranberries, dried 

- 150ml / 5floz almond milk

Method:

In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Rub in the butter to form breadcrumbs

 

Stir in the cranberries

Add the milk a little at a time to combine mixture into a dough.

Roll out on to a floured work surface and cut out 8 scones or use hands to form 8 balls and place on baking tray, flattening slightly with hands.

 

Bake at 220C / 425F for 15 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack. Serve with jam. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information: