With the sun in the backdrop of a chilly Spring day I begin to think about pruning the lavender and preparing the garden that greets our summer customers at the hotel.
If you don’t have a lavender garden, nothing could please Mom than a visit to Lavender by the Bay in East Marion, just 10 minutes East of Greenporter Hotel. This lavender paradise, complete with a stroll though the purple fields, a divine shop with plants, sachets and soaps will make for a special Mother’s Day.
Rather than offering a bouquet of flowers for Mother’s Day, you can try your hand at breakfast or tea time for mom and include some scones made with dried lavender buds. Try these buttermilk scones accompanied by lemon curd, clotted cream or your favorite jam. Choose a beautiful bowl from your China cabinet and make a colorful fruit salad garnished with edible rose petals and rose water. Serve with hot or cold tea or even a glass of champagne for a gift far more memorable than a bouquet of flowers.
Ingredients
Pinch of salt
1 cup self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, plus extra for greasing
1/3 cup lavender sugar, see tip*
2/3 cup buttermilk, plus extra for brushing
cream and jam, to serve
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and rub in the butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the lavender sugar (sift the sugar to remove the lavender bits if preferred) and a pinch of salt and make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Pour in the buttermilk and mix to combine, making a soft dough.
Briefly knead the dough on a floured surface, then lightly roll out to about 3/4 inch thick. Cut scones with a pastry cutter and place on a greased baking sheet.
Brush the top of each scone with a little extra buttermilk and bake in a pre-heated oven for 12 – 15 minutes, until lightly browned on the top. Cool on a wire rack, dust lightly with powdered sugar and serve with jam of your choice and cream.
*Brushing the scones with beaten egg before baking will give them a shiny golden top.
*Tips and Suggestions
To make lavender-sugar, push 2 or 3 small, washed and dried sprigs of lavender into a jar of sugar. Leave covered for at least 24 hours before using.
