Black and Blue

Summer is coming to an end. It’s hotter than it has been all summer, and the stone fruits are just not what they were 6 weeks ago. Gone are peach pies and juicy nectarines. Rhubarb is still here, and so are strawberries (aren’t strawberries always here?) and because this is my first summer selling pies and cakes, I have noticed that blueberries and blackberries are coming in strong now. I’ve been selling 1-2 pies per week, which is has been very manageable; so this week I have challenged myself to make and sell one blueberry or blackberry pie per day. So here goes. Let’s the black and blue game begin.

Blackberry pie
Blackberry pie ready to bake

Peach Scones

I just can’t help myself…the peaches at my local produce market invade my senses with that peach-smell. You know how that smells. It smells like firm, juicy peaches. So much so that my mouth was watering as I walked up to select some for some pies. My mouth is watering now just thinking about it.

Peaches and good vanilla ice cream. That’s a thing for me. So I started to wonder what a peaches and cream scone might taste like. Can I take a cream scone and add peaches and make it reminiscent of peaches and cream? I’m up for the challenge.

The challenge

I made four different varieties of scones: a cream scone with peaches, a lavender roasted-peach scone, a brown butter peach scone and a peach scone with a vanilla glaze. I made the cream scone with added peaches and the peach scone with vanilla glaze in the evening, baked 4 of each, and stuck the remainder in the freezer. I brought them to the office the next day and had a taste test. We all preferred the peach scone with vanilla glaze. My takeaway from that day confirmed my belief that DAY OLD SCONES ARE NOT GOOD. They just aren’t. Every bite I take I think I wish it were fresh.

 

From the top: roasted peach and lavender, brown butter peach, cream scone with peaches, peach scone with vanilla glaze

I went home that night and made the other two variety of scones: lavender roasted-peach and brown butter peach. Pause a minute. Think about that. Mmmmmm. I froze each of these that night, and baked up four of each variety the next morning and brought them into the office fresh. What a difference. (Note to self: fresh scones only.) The winner? The lavender roasted peach. The brown butter peach came in second. I did not taste the brown part of the butter. I’ll try it again and see if I can brown the butter a little more to get more flavor out of it, or add more salt, because when all else fails…add salt.

The winner: Roasted Peach and Lavender Scones

I do offer Take and Bake Scones for you to pick up frozen and bake for yourself (or your family, if you must share). Prices vary, depending on size. I still have some frozen peach scone trial size, if you want to try the taste test yourself. They are $1.50 each, you pick them up frozen, I provide baking instructions and glaze if needed. You can also get a Peach Scone Sample Pack for $6.

 

She Bakes is your neighborhood bake shop. We make only 1-2 items per day, made available to you on a first come, first served basis. Drive by and pick up your item when you’re in the neighborhood, or on your way to or from work.