Garden Rhubarb Scones

Spring is almost over and Summer is around the corner, still it is pretty nippy here and our vegetable garden is just beginning to wake up... the first fresh stalks of spring rhubarb are the best and the juiciest; and, just like last year, I didn't want to miss using them fresh from the garden this year.

Rather than the usual triangular/pie-slice-like shaped scones, I went for a smallish roundish more like cookie shape. The texture turned out better than I expected and the hint of rhubarb seemed just right, not overpowering.

And since this is my garden's first bounty this year, I'd like to send this post out for WHB: Weekend Herb Blogging started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen fame, hosted this week by Cate from Sweetnicks.

Ingredients
2-3 cups self-rising flour*
¼ cup rolled oats (optional)
½ cup butter, melted
¼ cup sugar
buttermilk, as needed
2 eggs
1 cup raisins or dried currants or dried cranberries
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2-3 cups peeled and coarsely chopped rhubarb

*self-rising flour is just all-purpose flour plus baking powder: can use 3 cups all-purpose flour + 3 tsp baking powder, if self-rising flour is not handy

Preparation

1. heat the oven to 400°F
2. microwave the rhubarb till a little mushy (no extra water needed)
3. mix the dry ingredients - start with 2½ cups of flour, baking powder and oats - then slowly cut in the butter; beat the eggs and add them in; add the cooked and mushy rhubarb; then add a little buttermilk at a time till the dough comes together to an almost cookie-dough-like (dropping) consistency
4. adjust the flour and buttermilk to get the right consistency - not quite as stiffly elastic as pizza dough, and not too loose like cupcake dough
5. either roll to about an inch thick round and cut into wedges, or roughly shape into triangles for a traditional look; I simply dropped lumps with a large spoon onto the cookie sheet, like I do for cookies; alternately, can be baked in mini-muffin pan
6. bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean

rhubarb scones

D likes scones. He likes to have scones with clotted cream. I got him a jar of clotted cream a while back, but, didn't get around to making the scones to go with it until now...

The gnarly dark green leaves along with their deep red stalks are unmistakably signaling the rise of the rhubarb again this year. This hardy perennial heralds the start of the growing season, usually the garden's first gift I look forward to each spring.



The first spring stalks are supposed to be the best, so, I wanted to use it for making some baked goodies. I like its crisp tartness. Pie is not a favorite of mine, so, I decided to try something along the lines of scones, having tried a few other things with rhubarb before...

The leaves contain oxalic acid and are toxic; the deep red stalks are the only edible portion of this plant (Rheum rhabarbarum). Botanically, rhubarb is a vegetable.

And, rhubarb is the plant I would like to share for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Anh at Food Lover's Journey.

A few uses of rhubarb (Rheum palmatum) that I found interesting:

• can be used to make an environmentally friendly cleaner for pots and pans - rhubarb brings back the shine in burnt pots and pans
• can be used as a hair dye
• can be used to make organic insecticide
  

This rhubarb scone recipe is a sweet version of the flatter soda scone, rather than traditional scones which are closer to biscuit in thickness and texture.

Ingredients
1¼ cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 Tbsp wheat gluten flour
1 cup sugar (reserve 2 Tbsp of this for sprinkling on top)
¼ cup dried cranberries
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda

½ cup ghee

1 cup rhubarb, cooked, drained and mushed
2/3 to 3/4 cup buttermilk*
*(add a little at a time to form a dough that is not runny or loose)

Preparation

microwave the rhubarb till it is soft;(no extra water needed - usually a cup of coarsely chopped rhubarb cooks in about 45 seconds to a minute); drain well, or reduce buttermilk quantity

combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, cut in the ghee till the flour mixture feels like breadcrumbs; gradually stir in the rhubarb, then buttermilk

either roll the dough into a ball and flatten to a one-inch thick disk, score the tops into wedge shapes, and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet ; OR, just roughly make triangular shaped heaps on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet

bake in a 400°F oven for about 20 minutes or till done - toothpick inserted comes out clean; sprinkle some of the reserved sugar on top

Serve warm with clotted cream or butter.