There are days when I’m completely bereft of ideas for cooking or baking. Then there are times when it all just comes rushing, and all I want to do is be in the kitchen fearlessly creating, trying new recipes with no worries about how the final dish will turn out. There are hits and misses,but lets focus on the hits, shall we?  Like these Lavender Buckwheat Jam Scones!

My good friend Amisha THE JAM LAB  very thoughtfully sent me her extraordinary homemade Pluot & Lavender Jam all the way from the US. Gosh, the flavour is to die for! Apart from smothering our toasts, topping  porridge and yogurt with it , I really wanted to incorporate this jam to make a special treat for us.

So on a lazy Saturday morning, thoroughly inspired by the beautiful jam flavours, I got my hands in a bag of buckwheat flour and a small pack of lovely dried lavender ( purchased from Mittal Teas in Delhi). Soon enough there was a  distinctive, sweet, floral smell wafting in my kitchen. Instictively making me reach out for making a cup of tea for myself and settling down with a warm scone and  a good book.

The  coconut oil  ( or butter)  and coconut cream should be well chilled. But I was in a rush to get baking, so didn’t really bother with that this time. While the quality of scones was not compromised at all, I would recommend this step anyhow. 🙂

The scones were lightly sweetened, delicately flavoured , wonderfully tender and buttery. Just the way they should be. All that jam oozing out, crumbly dough, simply added to the rustic charm. We are looking at  comforting homey easy baking here rather than  polished perfection.

NOTES:

  • The trick to making soft and tender scones is not to overwork the dough. Therefore minimal handling gives great results. The dry and wet ingredients should be mixed in very gently. Please don’t overmix.
  • While buckwheat flour gives great results here, if you don’t wish to use it, do feel free to use all purpose or wholewheat flour.
  • You can use good quality jam for this recipe. There are many fabulous, locally produced ones available easily in any supermarket.

I’d love to hear from you!  Please leave a comment below and share a picture of your creation on INSTAGRAM using the hashtag #tashasartisanfoods.

Print Recipe

Lavender Buckwheat Jam Scones

Servings: 8 Scones
Author: Natasha Minocha

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups Buckwheat flour
  • 1/2 cup Almond meal
  • 2.5 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp Dried Lavender
  • 3/4 cup Coconut cream, chilled Or use regular cream
  • 1/3 cup Coconut oil, chilled Or use butter,chilled and cut in small pieces
  • 1/3 cup Jam Any good quality jam will do.

For topping:

  • 1-2 Tbsp Coconut cream, at room temperature Or use regular cream
  • 1 tsp Dried Lavender

Instructions

  • Pre heat the oven to 200C. Line a baking tray with silpat or baking paper.
  • In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients - buckwheat flour, almond meal, baking powder, lavender, sugar and salt.
  • Add the coconut cream and oil. Mix with a fork until the dry ingredients are just moistened.
  • Turn the dough out on to a well floured surface and press together gently till it forms a ball. If it seems too dry, don't worry, just add another tablespoon or two of cream. It will be a soft, scraggy dough ball.
  • Press into a rough rectangle, about 1/2" thick. Cut into 8 rectangles with a very sharp knife.
  • Place a teaspoon of the jam onto the rectangles and fold over covering the jam inside. Don't worry if the jam oozes out and the pastry breaks a bit...adds to the rustic charm! Just gently pat the broken pastry bits back on the folded dough. Place gently on your prepared tray.
  • Brush liberally with the cream, sprinkle with lavender. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
  • Serve warm with some whipped coconut cream. Enjoy!