Pan-Fry

Whole grain scones with green cardamom and lingonberry

by:
January 29, 2011
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves 8
Author Notes

With the theme of cardamom I decided to add some to whipped cream/ homemade butter, use that in a recipe and also serve it on the side. Depending upon how much cardamom you like, you can decide how subtle or loud you would like the spice to be. So I decided to make scones. I have been loving the white whole wheat flour which comes from another strain of wheat than the red berry; it gives you all the nutrients of whole wheat, but is much lighter for baked goods. —Sagegreen

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/2 or 1 teaspoons cardamom seeds, divided, more or less, to your taste
  • 8 ounces heavy cream, whipped to some stage of butter, with any reserve of buttermilk saved
  • 2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour (organic King Arthur)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/3 cup light muscovado sugar, packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon lingonberry jam
  • 1 teaspoon Meyer's lemon zest
  • demerara sugar for topping
  • more lingonberry jam for serving
Directions
  1. Take all the cardamom seeds from the pods (anywhere from 6-14 pods, depending upon how much cardamom flavor you like) for a total amount of 1/2 tsp. or 1 tsp.(which is what I prefer) Bruise these with a mortar and pestle. Pan fry for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
  2. With cold beaters whip the cream until it is very stiff and begins to turn yellow. Add 1/4 or 1/2 tsp. of the cardamom seeds into the mix. If you elect to use an early stage of butter/more whipped cream, use 2/3 cup for this recipe in the batter. If you use actual butter, then use 1/3 cup butter and @1/3 cup of buttermilk. Pour off any buttermilk from the mix, chill, and reserve in the fridge. Chill 2/3 cup of the cream/butter (or 1/3 cup of butter)in the freezer for about an hour or two. Store the remaining butter/cream/buttermilk in the fridge. This recipe will work with any stage of butter from your 'advanced cream,' to 'early butter,' or as actual butter. Have some buttermilk on hand the closer you come to actual butter for later.
  3. Then fluff up the flour before you scoop it out to measure. Shake the flour from the scoop into a dry measuring cup. Level off each cup for accurate measure. Add the 2 1/4 cups to a mixing bowl. Add the powder, soda, sugar, salt, and remaining cardamom evenly to the flour.
  4. Take out 2/3 cup of the well chilled cardamom cream/butter (or the 1/3 cup of chilled butter). Using a pastry cutter or fork quickly mix this butter in to the flour mix.
  5. Add in the eggs, lingonberry jam, and lemon zest, mixing just until everything comes together. If the dough is still dry with just butter, add a tablespoon at a time of the chilled buttermilk, just enough so the dough will come together. How much you need will vary depending upon the weather and the moisture in the cream/butter. Do not overmix and do not let the dough become sticky.
  6. Form a circle that is about an inch thick. Cut the circle into 8 wedges. Place these on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly brush a touch of buttermilk or cream/butter on top of each if you like. Sprinkle demerara sugar on top of each scone.
  7. In a preheated oven of 375 bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm with homemade cardamom cream/butter and lingonberry jam.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • nannydeb
    nannydeb
  • Table9
    Table9
  • mrslarkin
    mrslarkin
  • Kitchen Butterfly
    Kitchen Butterfly
  • TheWimpyVegetarian
    TheWimpyVegetarian

14 Reviews

nannydeb January 31, 2011
Saved to my recipes to try!
 
Sagegreen January 31, 2011
Let me know how they work out for you if you do make these, nannydeb.
 
Table9 January 30, 2011
These look so yummy Sagegreen! I adore scones, and cannot wait to try these.
 
Sagegreen January 30, 2011
Thanks, Table9. Let me know what you think if you do make these. I have been enjoying all your recipes!
 
mrslarkin January 30, 2011
Wow these sound so delicious, Sagegreen!
 
Sagegreen January 30, 2011
Thanks, mrslarkin! Coming from our scone expert, that is a great compliment. I learned how to make pretty good scones up at King Arthur last month. This was great fun to experiment with the degree of whipped cream to butter. I have always adored clotted cream in England with scones, so that is what prompted me to stick more to the cream end of the butter here.
 
Kitchen B. January 30, 2011
I love the combination of fruity ligonberry jam and the cardamom scones. And whipped cream.......yum SG
 
Sagegreen January 30, 2011
Thanks, KItchen Butterfly. I experimented using different stages of whipped cream to butter and this works with all stages. The more butter, then the more you need of the reserved buttermilk.
 
TheWimpyVegetarian January 30, 2011
This looks and sounds great. I recently taught a class where I had everyone make homemade butter from soured cream. Such a fun class. And I have some butter I made in the freezer right now that I can add some cardamom to and make these scones :-)
 
Sagegreen January 30, 2011
Thanks, ChezSuzanne. Your soured cream butter sounds delish!
 
Greenstuff January 29, 2011
Sagegreen, you've really got me thinking. One of my very favorite very old Swedish recipes (for a cookie) uses cream instead of butter, and you've re-introduced that technique in a mixed Scandinavian-modern American way. Thanks for some food for thought.
 
Sagegreen January 30, 2011
Thanks, Greenstuff, for your great observations! My niece just moved to Stockholm, so I have been thinking Swedish. The butter I made really was right on the cusp of remaining cream. It worked very well with the scones very chilled.
 
drbabs January 29, 2011
delish! and gorgeous photo.
 
Sagegreen January 29, 2011
Thanks, drbabs!