Biscuits and Bacon

I can’t believe I lived more than 40 years without tasting a Meyer lemon.  I feel like the Children of Israel, wandering in the desert for 40 years.  My first taste was life changing.  (Much the same as my first taste of Balsamic vinegar. ) I have become the Meyer lemon evangelist.  I can’t stop talking about them, cooking with them, and forcing other people to have a taste.  (Best hot toddies, ever!)

There is a reason I haven’t tasted them before.  I don’t live where they grow, and they don’t travel well.  I had some last year because a friend got them in a care package from his friend in California.  (Yes, I did live in California long ago, but it was Death Valley, people.  Not a lot of citrus trees growing there.)

This year, I found the little balls of sunshine hiding in the vast stacks of fruit at my local Costco.  They came in a pack of about a dozen.  The first pack I made almost exclusively into cocktails.  When I went back and there were more, I used those for cooking, replacing any other citrus I would normally use.  And I made marmalade so that I would have something to remember.  I am on my third package now.

We have been enjoying the marmalade at brunch for a couple weeks, and I thought maybe we should have Meyer lemon overload this week.  So, on the the scones.

This recipe is adapted from the Culinary Institute of America’s Mastering the Art of Baking & Pastry.   (Get out your scale for this one or use my rough conversions.)

180 g AP unbleached flour (1 2/3 cups)

180 g cake flour (1 1/3 cups)

14 g baking powder (1 tablespoon)

1 g salt (1 tsp)

45 g  sugar (1/4 c)

120 g cold butter, cut into cubes (1 ½ sticks)

1 large egg, plus 1 yolk (reserve white for egg wash)

250 ml heavy cream (1 cup) minus 1 tablespoon for egg wash

zest of 2 Meyer lemons

Preheat oven to 400°

Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder & zest.  Add butter and incorporate thoroughly (I like a food processor, but you can use a stand mixer or your fingers.)

In a separate container, mix egg, yolk  & cream, then add to dry ingredients and stir just until combined.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface (I use a large silicone mat) and work as little as possible until the dough is a cohesive mass.  Roll out to about an inch thick.

Cut to your preferred size and place (shoulder to shoulder, just touching) on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

Handle scraps as little as possible while re-rolling.

Mix the remaining egg white with a the reserved cream and brush the tops of the scones.  Let sit a few minutes and brush again.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, rotating pan once if necessary for even browning.

I am going to try making these into chocolate scones for our Valentine’s Wine Tasting this week.  I will let you know how it goes. 

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