Have you seen this fantastic new book from Pip McCormac? We have and it is choc full of wonderful recipes. In fact, we loved it so much that, following a chat with Pip, we have the privilege of being able to share one of his recipes with you, so here are Pip’s Violet Scones!
Violet Scones with honeyed cream
50g butter, plus extra for greasing
225g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
25g sugar
150ml milk, plus extra for glazing
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 violet flowers, chopped, plus extra petals for serving
100g clotted cream
2 tbsp runny honey
I’ve never been a fan of the soapy taste of parma violets, but if you use violet flowers sparingly and bake them they are far subtler – a clever floral note rather than an overpowering flavour. The honeyed cream is what provides the real sweetness here; it’s thick and indulgent and removes the need for jam or butter… although a dollop of lemon curd goes well if you have a really sweet tooth.
Preheat the oven to 225C/Gas mark 7 and line and grease a large baking tray. In a food processor, mix together the flour, butter and sugar until it resembles breadcrumbs. Pour in the milk and vanilla extract and beat into a stiff dough. Add the violet flowers and give a final few pulses of the processor to combine them into the mixture. Lightly dust your worktop with flour and place the dough in the middle, sprinkling a little flour over the top. Using a rolling pin, work the dough until it’s about 2cm thick. Take a 5cm round cutter and cut out discs, placing them onto the baking tray. Roll the leftover dough out again and cut out more rounds, repeating until all the dough is used up. Try not to roll the dough too many times as this will lead to tough scones. Brush the top of each with a dab of milk and place the tray in the oven for 12–15 minutes until golden. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.
Just before you are about to eat the scones, place the cream in a small bowl and briefly fold in the honey – do not mix until combined, you want it to have a rippled effect – and top with a few violet petals. Cut open the scones, spread a bit of cream on top and serve.
This recipe is taken from The Herb and Flower Cookbook by Pip McCormac (Quadrille, £16.99)
Photograph © Yuki Sugiura
The tender, young leaves are great in salads, while the more mature leaves can be used as you would ‘ordinary’ spinach- we love them lightly steamed and finished with butter and a twist of pepper.
