Monday, August 17, 2009

Recipe for Lemon Verbena Blueberry Scones



Our lemon verbena is getting huge. We have it in a pot outside and it is really tall, it looks like a tree in a small pot:) If you haven't grown or experimented with lemon verbena, I highly recommend you try to find some. I love it! Sometimes I go outside just to smell the leaves, yes I am a nerd.

I hate letting good things go to waste so I decided to make lemon verbena blueberry scones. I chopped up the leaves really finely and added them into the scone mixture. To bring out the lemon flavor I also added lemon zest. I carefully stirred in the blueberries and baked up the scones. They were fantastic. The lemon verbena made the scones extra special.

Does anyone have lemon verbena recipes to share? If so, send them my way. I might try ice cream or sorbet next!


Lemon Verbena Blueberry Scones

(Printable Recipe)


1 large egg
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbs granulated sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
¼ tsp salt
5 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled

About 6 lemon verbena leaves, finely chopped

Zest of 2 large lemons

1 cup of fresh blueberries, coated with a little flour

Extra cream for brushing

Turbinado sugar


1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

2. Stir the egg and cream together in a small bowl.

3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl add the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon verbena leaves. Rub everything together with your fingers to bring out the lemon flavor. Stir in the sugar lemon mix with the flour.

4. Add the butter to the flour/lemon sugar mixture. Using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You will have some little butter clumps and some larger clumps-the size of peas.

5. Pour the egg and cream over the dry ingredients and stir with a fork just until the dough, comes together. It will be sticky. Don't over mix. Still in the bowl, gently knead the dough by hand, 8 to 10 times.

6. Carefully stir in the blueberries.

7. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Divide it in half. Working with one piece at a time, pat the dough into a rough circle that’s about 5 inches in diameter, cut it into wedges or use a cookie cutter and cut out the scones. I used a round cookie cutter. Brush the scones with cream and sprinkle Turbinado sugar on top.

8. Bake the scones for 20 to 22 minutes, or until their tops are golden brown. Transfer them to a rack and cool. These are best eaten warm and on the day they are made.

48 comments:

  1. Those look divine! I made some lemon verbena-infused vodka, with my CSA stash. I followed this recipe from a gardening site: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/herbs/msg111035368845.html

    It's quite nice over ice or shaken with a little basil.

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  2. I seriously need one or three of these with my boring morning coffee. They look SOOOO good Maria!

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  3. Ow! i have never used lemon verbena- how fun! Looks like they turned out perfect.

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  4. These look yummy even though I'm not sure what verbena tastes like. I have seen it when shopping for herbs to plant, but didn't really investigate.

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  5. Oh I bet that is just delicious

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  6. Yum! I wish I was eating one of those right now!

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  7. Yummmmm! Wonderful combo of flavors. These would make a fab breakfast for sure!

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  8. Oh sheer torture...reading your post! Love the flavours coming out of here Maria. Never smelt a lemon verbana plant...but it sounds so good. Gorgeous scones! WOW!!

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  9. I am obsessed with blueberry scones! These looks heavenly!

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  10. lemon and blueberry is my favorite combo!

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  11. Hmmmm, scones!!! Never had lemon verbena!

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  12. I love scones! Great flavor combo.

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  13. I'll be watching for more lemon verbena recipes. Mine is growing huge and I have no idea what to do with it. I love the sound of these scones!

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  14. This is such a great idea. But no lemon verbena in the garden here.

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  15. Scones are wonderful and yours are really tempting!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  16. I have still never made scones - this needs to change. I am loving this flavor!

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  17. I love scones, so I always love a good scone recipe. What I really love about your recipe is that I love seeing herbs used in unusaul ways, like the time I made apple pie with rosemary in the apples and thyme in the crust.

    I don't have any lemon verbena recipes offhand, but please post some if you get more recipes from everyone else. I'm very excited to see what you'll do wit it.

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  18. i've never quite understood why scones are so often limited to the triangle shape. i think these look much more appealing and the flavors sound fantastic!

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  19. I always read your blog when I'm hungry; not a good idea. Those scones look fabulous.

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  20. Sounds good! I'm gonna goodle that lemon verbena plant and check it out.
    ~ingrid

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  21. Now I want a scone!

    My husband loves lemon verbena soap, but I can't say I've ever eaten it. I do love the way it smells though.

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  22. Wow those look great!!! Ive never had lemon verbena!! Who great its homegrown, what a great inspiration for these lovely scones! :D

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  23. Love love love lemon verbena! Great way to use it!

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  24. I've never baked with lemon verbena but I should try (if I ever see it anywhere). I love the lemon blueberry combo. Your scones look delish!

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  25. These look and sound wonderful. They would be a great way to start a day.

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  26. i love the scent of lemon verbena and what a creative idea to use them in this blueberry scones! they look fantastic!

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  27. I haven't gone very far down that scone road, but every time you post one of yours, I'm more and more tempted. (I think my biggest hang up is that I don't think my husband would eat them and I'm not sure about the kids either, so I would be stuck eating them all, and I'm sure I would! ;)
    These look great. Oh how I need to do better (well, any) at growing my own herbs!

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  28. Lemon and blueberry are a great summer combo. And I love scones too so these look great!

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  29. Scones are one of my favorite things to bake! I wish I had some lemon verbena recipes to share, but I think an ice cream or sorbet sounds delicious.

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  30. Yum! I would love to have one tonight!

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  31. These are beautiful! I haven't had much time to bake lately, but these are going right to the top of my list!

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  32. These look scrumptious! I love the flavors of lemon and blueberry together.

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  33. I love love love any type of scones!

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  34. My poor lemon verbena died, I thought it would winter over but it did not. I will have to try again in a pot and bring it in for the winter. It does smell heavenly!

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  35. Those scones sound so tasty! I plant verbena in my garden every year because I just adore the smell... I always pick leaves off the plant and carry them around with me when I am outside with the dog. I have never really used it, though... I will have to give these a try!

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  36. Mmm I love the idea of mixing herbs into desserts and baked goods. I don't have a lemon verbena plant, but I wish I did.

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  37. I've never grown one of those plants, but if it smells like lemon, I'm going to have to try it :)

    Awesome idea with the blueberries, it makes a nice pick me up to start the day. Scones and coffee my friend :)

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  38. I always ysed lemon verbena in my "sun iced tea". These scones go well with iced tea too.

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  39. Great idea using the lemon verbena to bake with!

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  40. Lemon verbena maybe one of the only herbs I am not growing.

    Nicely done and I agree with dawn would be better with my morning coffee than the doughnuts I chowed down this morning.

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  41. Oh they look and sound delicious.

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  42. I love the idea of growing lemon verbena! These scones sound fabulous!

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  43. I love scones but never got around to making them!

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  44. Yum - these blueberry scones look fabulous. I know that Gordon from work would love these - he goes wild for anything with blueberries in.

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  45. I've never used lemon verbena so I'll have to see if I can find some around here :) The scones look terrific! I love blueberry and lemon together.

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  46. Those scones look delicious and like the idea of adding lemon verbena!

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  47. The flavor sounds wonderful. YUM.

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