baking lemon lavender scones!
As much as I want to be a naturally gifted baker, the universe seems to have other plans for me, sabotaging every seemingly foolproof recipe I happen upon. Today’s mishap? Lemon lavender scones. It seemed easy enough. Besides, my favorite local cafe had once served gluten-free, homemade lavender scones from a local baker and I had dreams of recreating them, minus the idyllic background with a fresh, vanilla cappuccino in the background with swirls of white smoke billowing out of the enticing froth.
First things first — the recipe! There weren’t many comments or ratings on this particular one, but I felt drawn to it based on the pictures, so I went with my gut. Naturally, as someone who can get easily distracted, I had to print the recipe out and have a pen in hand to mark each step I completed. There’s nothing worse than forgetting if you’re on your third or fourth scoop of an ingredient. The recipe called for:
1½ tablespoons (10 grams) of flaxseed meal (ground flaxseed) whisked with 2 tablespoons of water
2½ cups (313 grams) of 1 to 1 gluten-free baking flour
½ cup (50 grams) of powdered sugar
1 tablespoon of ground dried culinary lavender
4 teaspoons of baking powder
½ teaspoon of fine sea salt
½ cup (4 oz) of almond milk (plus more for brushing the tops)
1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1½ tablespoons of lemon zest
1 teaspoon of vanilla
¾ cup (6 oz.) of vegan butter (cold and cut into chunks)
1 tablespoon of granulated sugar for sprinkling on the tops (optional but recommended)
After pre-heating the oven to 425 degrees, I created a flax egg (my first time successfully doing so) and set it aside to… turn into a flax egg or let whatever the magical process the vegan baking forefathers discovered happen. Then, I mixed my dry ingredients: powdered sugar, flour, lavender, baking powder, and salt. Then, my wet ingredients: milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. I skipped the zest, because working with lemons is not my forté. Too much acidic juice flying all over the place (with the chance of splashing into your eye) for my liking. I then added my flax seed egg into the bowl of wet ingredients, and then combined it with the dry.
After everything was mixed together, I started molding them into the shape of scones. Looking back, I probably made them way too big, but the ones from the cafe I frequent were about that size, so that was my standard for comparison. Then, I popped them on my parchment paper-covered baking sheet and stuck them in the oven for 20 minutes, which turns out, is the perfect amount of time. No notes.
Finally, they were done! I excitedly took some photos and took a bite, and… it was one of those moments of unsure eye squinting. The texture was amazing, which can be hit-or-miss for vegan/gluten-free baked goods. So, there was that. But the lavender was overpowering. It almost resembled Rosemary bread - very herby. So, I drizzled the lemon glaze recommended in the recipe over them and it softened the aromatic taste. Overall, I’d rate them a 7/10, with points off for the lavender overtaking the recipe. I’d also make them slightly sweeter next time. I definitely plan on trying again, though! One day, I’ll be one of those bakers who can intuitively sprinkle a little bit of this or add some of that and have a custom recipe turn out perfectly. One day. Until then, trial and error.
