Nothing says spring like rhubarb! I’m a big fan, so I made these rhubarb vanilla lemon scones to celebrate the new season. Well, I’ll pretend that was the reason. The truth is slightly more complicated.
The truth: A week or so ago I bought some buttermilk, and then I completely forgot why. I know I had some idea of what I was going to make with it, but it totally escapes me now. So I decided to come up with a new use for it, and hit on buttermilk scones. What else to put in the scones was decided by my garden. I have four rhubarb plants, and one of them is already firing on all cylinders (even though slugs are trying to eat its leaves–gotta deal with those little jerks).
I shopped my garden, but even if you don’t have rhubarb plants of your own, you should start being able to get rhubarb at your local farmer’s market or grocery store soon, if you can’t already.
Rhubarb Vanilla Lemon Scones
Makes 8 scones
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp lemon zest (about 1/2 to 1 lemon’s worth)
1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup buttermilk (do not substitute)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 heaping cup small chopped rhubarb (about 1/4″ in length)
Lemon Vanilla Bean Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1-2 Tbsp half and half
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
vanilla scraped from half of a vanilla bean
OR
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (I used this kind)
Make the scones:
Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Place both types of flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and lemon zest in a large bowl, and stir to combine. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Make a well in the center, and then add buttermilk, vanilla, and egg. Stir just until combined, taking care to not over mix.
Or make the dough in a food processor. Combine the butter and flour mixture in a large food processor, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk, vanilla, and egg, and pulse just until a rough dough forms. Return the dough to the bowl.
Gently fold in rhubarb, just until barely combined. Gather the dough into a rough mass.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and pat into a 7” diameter circle. Cut into 8 wedges. Transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet. Bake until scones are puffed and golden brown, 17 to 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let scones sit on baking sheet for a couple minutes before removing to a wire rack.
Make the lemon vanilla bean glaze:
While scones are still slightly warm, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, powdered sugar, half and half, vanilla extract, and vanilla beans. (Or substitute vanilla bean paste for the vanilla extract and bean.) Whisk until smooth. If the glaze is a bit stiff, add another teaspoon of vanilla extract or half and half. Drizzle the vanilla bean glaze over the scones using a spoon. Allow icing to set completely, then serve.
