Coconut-Lavender Scones

I was bored while the guy was working on the floor of my guest room.  It's going to look great, but the constant drone of the sander and smell of various chemicals made me want to bake something as an antidote.  Last week, I made a 1/3 size walnut cake and iced it with some leftover coconut icing I found in the freezer.  That reminded me of the many flavors that unexpectedly blend well with coconut.

The recipe here is based on my standard scone recipe from the Tea Book.  All I did was add dried lavender, lavender extract, and unsweetened coconut flakes.  In lieu of the extract, you could make lavender sugar by placing half a teaspoon of dried buds in a tablespoon of sugar and letting it sit at least 24 hours.  Use the entire portion when you add the sugar to the mix.

1 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 Tb butter
1 Tb sugar
*1/3 C milk
*1/2 tsp lavender extract
*1/2 tsp dried lavender
*2 Tb unsweetened coconut flakes

1.  Preheat oven to 425º.  Into a bowl, sift flour and baking powder.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in sugar.

2.  Make a well in the center and add milk and extract.  Stir until partially moistened, then add dried lavender and coconut.  Continue to stir until a dough forms, then knead several strokes to get the last bits evenly mixed.

3.  Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and pat down to 1/2".  Either cut out rounds or make a large disc and divide into portions with a knife.  Place on baking sheet.  For softer scones, have them touching.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, until well-risen and lightly golden.  They should not get dark.  Cool on a rack for about 5 minutes before serving, then break apart and serve warm.

4.  Because of the delicate nature of the flavors, serve with butter or Devon cream, but not jam.  The preserves would overpower the flavors in the scones.

Makes 4 to 6, depending on serving size

Difficulty rating  π