My mother in law is amazing. She’s always known how to make ordinary moments graceful and full of beauty…it’s just one of the many things I love about her. Her home is always open, there always seems to be a pot of tea brewing, and if you give her 20 minutes notice she’ll have a plate of warm scones waiting for you too! She knows just how to create a quiet little bubble of peace with a pretty table, a conversation that fills you up, a bit of art, and some well-chosen words of wisdom.
And scones. We can’t forget the scones! Her recipe has changed over the years, and it lends itself well to various types of flour. Grain free? We can do that! Depending on the season and the mood, her scones might have currents baked in, or walnuts and cinnamon. Ginger scones are a specialty of hers, cranberry are a great pick-me-up, and chocolate chips are popular with the grand kids. But one of my favorite combinations is lemon-blueberry…fresh blueberries (frozen are too moist), Meyer lemon, and a touch of honey. Delicious! The sweet blueberries and tangy lemon really make these scones flavorful, the perfect accompaniment to a quiet moment carved into your busy afternoon.
To make the scones, start with organic raw almonds. Pulse these in your food processor until you’ve got almond flour. With the courser texture of the almond flour, it’s nice to balance things with something that’s more fine and soft…banana flour works well (or, if you don’t have it, arrowroot flour also works). Stir in some baking soda, and then mix together coconut oil, egg, maple syrup, lemon zest and juice. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Finally, carefully fold in the blueberries. Press the dough into a parchment lined pan, bake, and serve with love!
- 1 cup organic, raw almonds (or substitute one cup prepared almond flour)
- 1 cup banana flour (or substitute arrowroot flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup organic coconut oil
- 1 organic, cage-free egg
- 3 tablespoons organic maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons juice from a Meyer lemon
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 cup organic blueberries (fresh work best)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a food processor, pulse the almonds until you have flour (or use 1 cup prepared almond flour).
- Combine the almond flour, banana or arrowroot flour, and baking soda in a bowl and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the coconut oil, egg, maple syrup, lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Mix together the wet and dry ingredients. The dough will be crumbly but packable, if it's too dry add water a tablespoon at a time until it holds together when you squeeze it. Carefully fold in the blueberries.
- Press the dough firmly into a parchment-lined pan (I used a spring-form pan lined with a circle of parchment paper, but you can also use a pie plate or round cake pan). Bake for 30 minutes.
- Allow the scones to cool for a few minutes, then cut and serve! These go great with homemade berry jam, or a drizzle of honey.