LEMON ROSEMARY SCONES

Since C&L began in September, I’ve been asked where, when & from whom I learned how to cook a few more times than I can count. At first, I wasn’t sure exactly how I should answer, because there was never a distinctive moment or reason I began cooking. Within the last year or so, a combination of desire meeting necessity has turned into something I’ve grown to deeply enjoy and has since become a huge part of my life.

2015 was a big year for me in terms of learning how to cook, making my own recipes, and researching & trying new foods. Even though I’ve called my mom a million times this year asking for her to send me recipes from home, some of my favorite new staples are recipes I tried on my own in 2015. Several have even become some of my personal go-to’s in addition to family recipes.

For my first post of the new year (since Sarah shared last week!), part of me wanted to try something new that I’ve never made before — but the other nostalgic half of me knows my true tendencies to look back at 2015 and want to share food that’s close to my heart. When I was going through photos from last year I was filled with memories of smells, tastes, conversations and learning experiences that happened in my kitchen.

That's when I decided to start off January with a series of three recipes that became important to me in 2015. In the spring of last year, I was ALL about scones — I wanted to become great at making them & tried lots of different recipes until I found my signature. (Some of my scones used Greek yogurt instead of butter or buttermilk. I also tried lots of different fruits, nuts, and spices.)

This recipe was actually found as a result of a failed attempt at sourcing lavender. My sweet friend Sophie & I wanted to make lemon-lavender scones, but ended up finding a back-up plan that involved rosemary instead. Between all my other scone attempts in 2015, this one was a keeper. I’ve fed them to countless people (giving them away, taking them to work, inviting people over to taste) and they have always received the praises that come when you mix lemon and butter with lots of other good ingredients and make some magic.

Most all of my favorite foods seem to qualify as a “breakfast” treat, although I could eat these in the morning, as a snack, or for dessert. (The sweet glaze is a treat!) You’ll notice a trend for the next few weeks, as my other favorite 2015 recipes could also be considered breakfast-y, but are all equally different and versatile. Enjoy some of my go-to scones this week & stay tuned for more favorites to come!

SCONES

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Mix cream with egg, lemon zest and rosemary and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes to steep.
Use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter pieces into the flour. Keep cutting the mixture until it resembles crumbs. Mix wet mixture with flour mixture; stir gently with a fork until combined. (The dough should be crumbly, but if it's too crumbly to work with, add in a tablespoon or so of heavy cream.)
Turn dough onto a floured surface and lightly press it together until it forms a rough rectangle. Use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. Use your hands to help with the forming if necessary. Your final rectangle should be about 18 inches by about 10 inches.
Use a knife to trim into a symmetrical rectangle, then cut the rectangle into 12 symmetrical squares/rectangles. Next, cut each square/rectangle in half diagonally, to form smaller triangles.
Transfer to a parchment or baking mat-lined cookie sheet and bake for 18 minutes, removing from the oven just before they start to turn golden. Allow to cool for 15 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

GLAZE

To make the icing, add lemon zest, lemon juice and rosemary into milk; allow to sit for awhile. Mix powdered sugar with the milk, adding more powdered sugar or milk if necessary to get the consistency the right thickness. Stir or whisk until completely smooth.
One at a time, carefully dip each cooled scone in the glaze, turning it over if necessary. Transfer to parchment paper or the cooling rack. Allow the glaze to set completely, about an hour. Scones will keep several days if glazed — store in an airtight container.