Blueberry and Lemon Thyme Scones
with Sweet Lemon Cream
Makes 12 scones
For the Scones:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
11/2 cups cake flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 cup Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking (or 1/2 cup sugar)
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3 sprigs lemon thyme, whole leaves, stems removed
1/4 pound (1 stick) butter, cubed
3/4 cup buttermilk
For the Sweet Lemon Cream:
8 ounces Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking (or regular sugar to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lemon, grated zest and juice
1. For the Scones: Heat oven to 400 degrees. In large mixing bowl, combine the first 9 ingredients. By hand, work the butter into the dry flour mixture to the texture of coarse crumbs. (This is fun for the kids, but can get messy.)
2. Slowly fold in the buttermilk, mixing just to moisten and form a dough. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead gently until blended. Do not overwork the dough.
3. Roll or pat the dough to 2/3-inch, cut 2-inch rounds, put on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Serve warm with Sweet Lemon Cream.
4. For the Sweet Lemon Cream: In a mixer bowl, whip the cream cheese, sweetener, vanilla and lemon zest and juice at medium speed until light and smooth. Serve with scones.
Per scone: 226 calories, 4 grams protein, 21 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams sugar, 15 grams fat, 42 milligrams cholesterol, 424 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber.