Rhubarb Scones

I was gifted yet another bag of rhubarb yesterday...this time from Casey. The rhubarb came from Washoe...taller rhubarb is getting closer in proximity to RL! I plan to put up some rhubarb compote, more jam, and perhaps freeze some, but in the meantime I had thought last night I would get up this morning and make a low-gluten rhubarb muffin. That is until I stumbled upon a link David Lebovitz shared on Facebook about Weck canning jars. I was curious what the link had to say of the these beautiful canning jars. Turns out the link went to Food52 website with another link to an online mercantile out of California for purchase of the jars. I personally do not own a single Weck canning jar, but someday I may treat myself.

OK, so for the Food52 website....cool stuff here! I'm always amazed at the great sites a person can just stumble upon. This site developed out of the result of folks testing recipes for The Essential New York Times Cookbook by Amanda Hesser. I will take time later to explore...on with the post! On the Food52 site there are pictures and recipes submitted by other people??? That may not be an accurate statement since I haven't spent alotta time on the site, but bottom line...there was a recipe for Naughty Rhubarb Scones. Use the link if you'd like to read more on how that name came to be and see her recipe. That inspired me to "move away from the laptop" and make a breakfast scone. I used a scone recipe I've had since the days of cooking at the Lazy E-L Ranch. I ending up making a "healthier" rhubarb scone by using low/no-gluten flours and buttermilk rather than white flour and heavy cream. I'm including both recipes so that you can see the variations.

Rhubarb Scones with Coconut & Toasted Almonds

makes 8

1 cup Bob's Red Mill spelt flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill oat flour
1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill almond flour
1/4 cup organic dessicated coconut
1 tbsp baking powder*
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup organic cane vanilla sugar
1/4 cup cold unsalted organic butter
3-4 oz buttermilk
2 eggs
3 stalks rhubarb, cut 1/4" dice
1/4 cup toasted almonds, slivered, sliced or whole chopped

egg wash (1 egg mixed with a splash of water)
demara sugar

*I used this amount to obtain extra oomph for the low gluten flours

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix first six ingredients. Cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles small peas. Whisk two eggs and add buttermilk. Add rhubarb and almonds and stir to incorporate. Add wet ingredients and stir just until incorporated. Scrape out onto a floured work surface and shape into a seven inch circle. Divide into eighths using bench scraper. Using bench scraper again, place individual scones onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and brush with egg wash and sprinkle with demara sugar. Return to oven and bake an additional 10-15 minutes longer. Serve warm.

Basic Scone Recipe

makes 8 scones

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter
3 oz heavy cream
2 eggs
1-1 1/2 cup fruit (blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, etc)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix first four ingredients. Cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles small peas. Whisk two eggs and add heavy cream. Add wet ingredients and stir just until incorporated. Work in fruit. Scrape out onto a floured work surface and shape into a seven inch circle. Divide into eighths using bench scraper. Using bench scraper again, place individual scones onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until done. Serve warm.

I had a latte to go along with my breakfast scone that was topped some of the newly canned strawberry-rhubarb jam and homemade creme fraiche. Notice the darling vintage dinnerware place setting I happened upon at the thrift store. Five piece place setting under $3.00USD. It is Crookville China out of the 50's. I found a pretty extensive website for identification of American dinnerware out of Ohio made during the early to mid 1900's...I'm particularly fond of Homer Laughlin China...they have a dedicated website.

Oh, and yes, its May 29th, a friend and co-worker just rolled into town after spending 8mo in Florida. He hates it, but mother nature is "gifting" us with one of those wet spring snows...this one could work out to be a "doozy"...I heard 9" last night...guess time will tell. The poor rhubarb plants in town sure have it tough.