Ancient Grains for Modern Meals - Maria Speck [39]
5 Bake until the scones are golden with brown edges and firm to the touch, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool a bit. Serve warm or at room temperature.
TO GET A HEAD START: See the Orange-Scented Scones with Dark Chocolate for make-ahead instructions. Scones freeze well for at least 1 month.
TO VARY IT: Use 2 teaspoons orange zest instead of lemon zest.
TO LIGHTEN IT UP: Use ¾ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream for tangier scones with a little less richness. Lowfat sour cream and 2 percent Greek yogurt will work—though personally, I would opt for mini-scones with fuller flavor (for shaping directions, see Orange-Scented Scones with Dark Chocolate). They will need a few minutes less baking time.
Tangerine-Lavender Coffee Cake
I have yet to visit the southeast of France, where purple-hued lavender fields stretch as far as the eye can see. But I have always used the pungent-sweet herb in my cooking. Tangerines with their delicate sweetness, barely acidic, strike a perfect balance in this easy coffee cake. But other citrus varieties are a fine choice as well (see below). Enjoy the cake on its own, or serve it with a bowl of creamy yogurt and freshly cut fruit. Its complex flavors make for a lovely dessert as well—top with sweetened whipped cream, or with a scoop of orange or lemon sorbet. Be sure you make this cake 1 day ahead to allow its flavors to meld—if you can resist taking a bite.
To avoid a sticky mess when measuring honey, spray or spread a thin film of oil in the cup measure—the honey will flow out smoothly. MAKES 1 (8‑INCH SQUARE CAKE) TO SERVE 12
4 or 5 tangerines
1 cup golden or dark raisins
1½ cups white whole wheat flour (6½ ounces)
½ cup fine cornmeal, preferably stone-ground (2 ounces)
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons dried lavender buds
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup honey
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup lowfat buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
SEE MEASURING WHOLE GRAIN FLOUR
1 Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square glass baking dish or coat with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, and lightly butter the paper as well. Dust the pan with flour, tapping out excess.
2 Finely grate the zest of the tangerines until you have 1 tablespoon. Squeeze the fruit to get ½ cup juice. Set zest and juice aside. In a small bowl, toss the raisins with 1 tablespoon of the white whole wheat flour.
3 Whisk together the remaining white whole wheat flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, lavender, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the eggs to blend. Gradually whisk in the honey until it is incorporated, beating quite vigorously, followed by the olive oil, about 1 minute. In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, tangerine juice, zest, and vanilla extract, and stir until smooth; gradually whisk into the egg mixture. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in 2 additions, stirring well in between with a rubber spatula until just blended. Fold in the raisins. Pour the batter into the pan.
4 Bake until the cake is golden and a cake taster or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with just a crumb or two, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. To unmold the cake, loosen around the edges with a small sharp knife and invert out of the pan onto a flat plate or a small square tray. Remove the parchment paper and invert again onto a wire rack to cool completely, right side up. Just before serving, dust with confectioners’ sugar and cut into 12 squares.
TO VARY IT: Use ½ cup juice and 1 tablespoon zest from 1 grapefruit (preferably Ruby Red) instead of tangerines, or flavor the cake with orange zest and juice.