Strawberry Rhubarb Scones

Earlier this month I was asked to start off a monthly breakfast club at work. I was pretty excited about the prospects of making a breakfast for more than one as I would finally have someone else to cook for besides Jack. He was quite happy as well as it gave him a break from all of the baked goods. It took me forever to decide what to cook as I really wanted the menu to be liked by most people, therefore I went with smaller recipes, but greater variety. I also wanted to incorporate my love affair with local foods into the breakfast items, and decided on using local rhubarb, and of course, local eggs. As spring progresses though, I hope to continue to utilize more and more of local foods.

I finally decided upon Orange Chocolate Chip muffins, a variety of cheeses and crackers, homemade buttermilk bread and jam, fruits, and Strawberry Rhubarb Scones. This was my first attempt at scones, and I must say, it was a hit. This particular recipe called for more heavy cream and less butter, so the baked good turned out less crumbly than most store bought scones. The dough is rather sticky and pliable, but this also made it easier to work with. The key in rolling and cutting it is to keep the flour handy and use plenty of it. Flour will be your best friend in this recipe.

The scones, and the breakfast itself, turned out magnificently, though the scones were a hit! I would definitely make them again, and look forward to berry season to try the same recipe with a different fruit!

Rhubarb Cream Scones (adapted from Gourmet via Smitten Kitchen via The Good Wife)

Ingredients:
2½ cups (12 ounces) all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar (3.5 ounces) plus 3 tablespoons
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
2 cups diced rhubarb (¼-inch cubes), about 3 stalks
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:
~Preheat oven to 400F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Adjust a baking rack to the middle position. In a small bowl, mix the rhubarb with 3 tablespoons sugar.

~In a food processor, pulse the flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, and salt a few times, just to mix. Distribute the butter evenly over the dry ingredients and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to a large bowl.

~Stir the rhubarb into the flour mixture. Lightly beat the egg, yolk, and cream together in a bowl (use the same one you used for the rhubarb), then add this mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined.

~On a well-floured surface with floured hands, pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick round (about 8 inches in diameter). Using a 2-inch round cutter or rim of a glass dipped in flour, cut out as many rounds as possible, rerolling scraps as necessary. Arrange rounds about 1 inch apart on baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until pale golden. Transfer the scones to a cooling rack and let them cool slightly before serving.