My Pantry Shelf

My little man turned 5…  I know, its huge!  His preschool honored him with the sweetest  (and most scientific) of ceremonies in which he holds a globe and walks around a candle, representing the sun, the number of times the earth has circled the sun since his birth.  Ah, the true meaning of a birthday!  Love it.  Of course, after the ceremony he shared a birthday snack with his friends.  This is always a challenge as the school has a no-sugar policy.  Actually, I love that they restrict sugar and encourage healthy, organic, whole foods.  I am glad that he is not gorging himself on sweets every time a classmate has a birthday.  Still, I wanted to make him something that still felt and tasted like a treat.  Though he asked for berry muffins, I opted for Buttermilk  Berry Scones.  Scones are easier to adapt for low or no sugar than muffins.

This scone recipe is my favorite, I have made it many, many times with different fruit and nut additions.  Once, years ago, I accidentally made it without the sugar.  They still tasted great!  That is what gave me the idea to make these delicious scones, packed full with berries, but without the forbidden sugar.  Wait, don’t get scared off, I have included the sugar in the recipe below for those of you with a sweet tooth.  Plus, these are nowhere near guilt free.  They are made with a literal pile o’ butter.  See…

The beauty of this recipe is that it is incredibly versatile.   Mix the batter with fresh fruit or dried.  Add seeds and nuts on a whim.  Include the sugar for a traditional breakfast scone or leave it out to make a savory dinner scone.  You can cut them up in many different ways.  Usually, I make a rectangular shaped slab and cut the scones into triangles.  This time my little big guy used a biscuit cutter to make mini scone circles to share with his classmates.  These scones are really easy to make and always turn out great.  Plus, despite the aforementioned pile o’ butter, this recipe is actually lighter than others you may find that keep the butter and use cream in the place of the buttermilk.  This biggest reason to make these though, is that they are delicious, no matter what you do.  Serve them for your friends, they will thank you!

Buttermilk Berry Scones

adapted from Bon Appetit

makes 12 scones

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar- plus 1 1/2 Tablespoon to sprinkle on top (omit for a savory scone)

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup chilled unsalted butter, diced

1 cup buttermilk- plus 1 Tablespoon to brush on top

1 1/2 cup frozen berries (or other additions)

1 1/2 Tablespoon Meyer lemon zest

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or baking mat.

Sift together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt)in a large bowl.  Work the butter into the dough until pieces are the size of small peas.  You may use your hands, a pastry cutter, or pulse using a  food processor.  Toss berries in flour mixture.  Mix lemon zest and buttermilk.  Pour buttermilk mixture into flour/berry mixture.  Use a spoon to mix until a dough ball forms.  Turn dough out onto a board and gently knead one or two times to fully incorporate the ingredients.  Flatten into a 1 inch tall slab and cut to your desired shape.  (For a traditional triangular scone, press into a slab 4 x 12 inches.  Cut the dough at angles across the shortest width of the rectangle to create triangles.)

Place scones on prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with reserved buttermilk and sprinkle with reserved sugar (for sweet scone).   Bake for 18-22 minutes, depending on the size of the scone.  Pull from the oven when scones are lightly golden brown.  Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Here is a printer friendly version of the recipe: Buttermilk Berry Scones

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