last taste of summer – loaded lemon & blueberry scones

 

I’m in favour of dragging summer out as long as possible. It’s my favourite season and although I agree, autumn is fantastic, I never, ever want summer to end. I love the long days and nights, the cycling and outdoor activities, time at the lake and shore fires. I love running about in sun-dresses and sandals. I like summer fruits and salads and barbecues. And shooting stars, and fireflies, and sleeping with the windows open and the overhead fan on. 

All summer long, I make an effort to never complain about the heat or humidity. My theory is that you cannot complain all year round – if you must complain then you must limit yourself to one season. It’s only reasonable. It’s generally winter when I feel entitled to complain. Last year I made it through the winter with very little moaning at all.

So this is not technically a complaint, BUT, I’m not quite ready for the end of summer and neither are the tomato plants. They scarcely produced all summer and now, at this very late stage, they are loaded with green fruit that I fear is never going to ripen. If I can muster the time and enthusiasm, I’ll make green tomato mincemeat.

I do have to say, the one fantastic thing about the end of summer is that it’s SO good to get back in the kitchen again after months of not really baking. I hardly knew what to blog about this week because I’ve been so busy in my kitchen. Today I was up at 6am and have so far made  a batch of cheddar, sweet corn and sun-dried tomato muffins (FANTASTIC!), a New York baked cheesecake (still sitting in the cooling oven), and a large pan of Spanish chicken – currently marinating in a lemon zest and smoked paprika rub – with fresh sage and onions.

But since blueberry season ends with the end of summer, I’m posting these loaded lemon and blueberry scones while we are still getting the last fresh Canadian blueberries. It feels a bit like the last kick at the can – the final taste of summer….

Lemon and Blueberry Scones (easily made dairy-free and veganized)

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
zest of two lemons
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed (or cold vegan margarine)
2 cups fresh blueberries, washed and thoroughly drained
1/2 cup cream or milk or almond milk (I used Half & Half)
1/4 cup lemon juice

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the lemon zest. Add the cubed butter and work into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter, or a knife, or your hands until the mixture supposedly resembles bread crumbs (or something along that line). Add the blueberries and distribute gently.

Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the cream and lemon juice. Gently combine being careful not to mash the berries. The dough should be a bit crumbly but if you think it’s too dry – add another tablespoon or so of cream. You want the dough to cling together but not be wet. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and gently pat into shape – whatever shape you like, about 2 cm or 3/4 inch thick. Cut into triangles or circles or hearts…

Bake the scones on a parchment lined baking tray in a hot oven – 400 deg F for about 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

When they are almost cool (or cool) glaze with a little icing sugar mixed with lemon juice. Or not. In which case they will look like these scones below.

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