LAVENDER BUTTERMILK SCONES

Let's not talk about April. Somehow it disappeared so quickly, and I was a little ashamed at the realisation that it's been six weeks since I shared a recipe here. It's good to be back, especially with a recipe that celebrates fresh, smoky lavender, which is so often misused in baking.

Lavender grows harmoniously alongside fruit and vegetable plants. While the stems, woody and resilient, stay above ground all year round, the fragrant purple flowers bloom in abundance in mid-Spring.

More commonly used for its scent, lavender also boasts an aromatic flavour which brings new dimensions of flavour to simple baked goods. Rich, buttermilk scones are the perfect base to help subtle lavender sing.

If you're reluctant to pepper your pale dough with the flowers themselves, you can bring the flavour of lavender to your baking by using homemade lavender sugar. Simply add a few sprigs of fresh lavender to your sugar jar, seal, and leave for 2-3 weeks to infuse before using.

This recipe is also available on Kitchen Garden Magazine's new website.

THE INGREDIENTS

225g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

50g unsalted butter

45g caster sugar

1 tbsp fresh lavender, finely chopped

150ml buttermilk or plain yoghurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Double cream, to serve

THE RECIPE

Preheat your oven to 220C (200C fan), and line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into cubes, then add to the flour. Rub the butter into the flour using your finger tips, until the mixture is sandy and resembles bread crumbs. Stir in the sugar and lavender.

In a second bowl, mix together the yoghurt and the vanilla. Make a well in the flour, and pour in the yoghurt. Use a round-ended knife to mix the dry and wet ingredients together, mixing until just combined. Tip the mixture out onto a floured work surface, and quickly bring it together into a rough dough. You should handle the mixture as little as possible.

Roll the dough to around 4cm in thickness, then use a round cutter to cut out 6 scones. Set these on the lined baking tray, brush with a little yoghurt, then bake in the preheated oven for 9-11 minutes, until risen and golden. Serve immediately with whipped double cream.

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BUTTERMILK SCONES {WITH CRABTREE & EVELYN}

Hello Tuesday! Call me simple, but doesn't that just sounds so much better than Monday? I hope your four day week has gotten off to a good start, and you were able to savour the long weekend in the sunshine. Bank holidays often come and go with little recognition, but there is something very ambrosial about the extra day off.

It's almost akin to that little, thoughtful gift from a friend that you weren't expecting, but was just what you needed. The timing couldn't have been better, then, for a beautiful hamper to arrive on my desk. Full to the brim with delicious goodies to pamper both body and soul, Crabtree and Evelyn managed to send me the essence of a bank holiday in a (very beautiful) box.

Now I know I don't usually blog about brands, but I've long been a fan of C&E. Their preserves, confectionery and baked goods are timeless and delicious, and come in beautiful tins that are just begging to be refilled with teabags or pencils when the goodies are gone.

In case you're interested, I've been tucking into Assorted Fudge, delicate English Breakfast Tea and some very naughty Double Chocolate Chip Biscuits.

When I'm not indulging in sweet treats (it happens occasionally), I'm often trying to coax my poor hands into looking and feeling human. Kneading, whisking and endless dish-washing doesn't half take it out of these guys. Crabtree's gorgeous scented handcreams keep your skin healthy, while their nail polishes are hiding the flour and cake crumbs that always make their way under my fingernails.

If you're looking to treat someone special, do take a look at their range. If nothing else, buy some of this strawberry jam - it's to die for. So much so, that I had to bake a batch of buttermilk scones to stop me eating it with a spoon (a terrible habit that I seem to have developed).

I followed this recipe from BBC Good Food, and they were totally delicious. I really recommend using buttermilk - it adds a depth of flavour and also helps keep them fresh for longer. Win win, some might say.

Finally, I have a small favour to ask of you. I'm keen to hear whether you'd like to hear from more of my favourite brands on Pudding Lane. As you know, I only work with brands that I genuinely respect, and will never endorse something I don't love. Drop me a comment, tweet or email - I love love love hearing from you.

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