Brigid’s Magical Blackberry Scones w/ Bay Laurel Infused Custard Sauce
Scone Ingredieints:
8 tbsp. butter, cubed and very cold
1½ cups blackberries
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
½ cup sugar & extra for sprinkling
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup heavy cream
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and heavy cream. Set aside.
Combine the flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest in a medium mixing bowl.
Whisk to combine. Add the cold cubed butter to the flour mixture and massage in with your fingers. Don’t overwork butter into the flour. You want to see visible streaks/clumps of butter.
Add the milk mixture to the flour and fold with a spatula just until combined. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with flour and form the dough into a ball. Add more flour if necessary.
Roll the dough into a 12-inch square and then fold it in half, and then in half once again. Roll out the dough once more and sprinkle it with blackberries. Gently press berries into the dough. Gently roll the dough up to form a tight log and flatten it into a 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Using a biscuit cutter (or the rim of a glass) cut out your scones. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brush the tops of the scones with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until the tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before serving with custard sauce.
Bay Laurel Custard Sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
10 fresh bay laurel leaves (not California bay or dried bay leaves)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
Directions:
Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan and bring them to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Add the bay leaves. Cover the pan, remove from heat, and steep for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid through a sieve, pressing down firmly on the herbs to extract all the liquid. Add fresh milk if needed to measure 2 cups.
Allow to cool slightly before whisking in eggs, sugar, vanilla, infused cream mixture, and cornstarch. Place in a saucepan over medium-high heat and whisk until smooth. Continue whisking on the stovetop until the custard becomes thick and creamy. Remove from heat – and sieve off any lumps. Serve warm if you can!
Notes:
Exert from Website:
*Being inspired by the old customs, however, doesn’t preclude us from taking advantage of modern conveniences. So while blackberries are not seasonal at this time of the year, luckily, we can find them fresh and frozen in grocery stores. Blackberries were sacred to Brigid, and today they are often included in modern Imbolc feasts to attract Brigid’s blessings of good fortune, fertility, and healing.
Bay Laurel is an aromatic sun herb with a reputation for granting wishes, dispelling and protecting from negative energies, and attracting prosperity. Luckily, it is evergreen and found easily in most gardens. It adds just the right touch of spicy redolence to the custard, which of course also features those important Imbolc foods, eggs, and dairy! That’s a pretty powerful magical combo packed into these scrumptious scones!*
Recipe and info from Gather Victoria.com
