Smugglers & Scones

by Talbot, Morgan C

  A hostess’s work is never done.

  Lake’s arms circled me from behind, and he pulled me against his chest. One hand held a wrench. “Don’t tell Hilt, but I’ve escaped from his plumbing demands for a minute. I had to tell you that you’re amazing, in case I hadn’t said it recently. And—pardon my eavesdropping—if your sister’s anything like you, I can’t wait to meet her.” He dropped a sweet kiss on my temple.

  I relaxed into his warmth and smiled. My work may never be done, but who says I have to do it alone? “Second date tonight, Lake?” I gazed up at him. “It may not measure up to our first, but I’m sure we can find something adventurous to do.”

  His eyes sparkled with promise—and a little something extra. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  Lemon-Glazed Blueberry Scones

  Scone ingredients

  2 cups all-purpose flour

  1/2 cup granulated sugar

  2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  1/2 teaspoon salt

  zest of 1 large lemon

  1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold

  1/2 cup Greek yogurt, plain

  4 tablespoons milk (for thinning yogurt)

  1 large egg

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

  Egg wash ingredients

  1 large egg, beaten

  1 teaspoon milk

  Glaze ingredients

  1 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

  4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  1 teaspoon unsalted butter

  Extra zest

  Directions:

  Preheat the oven to 400°F / 205°C

  In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest

  Chop cold butter into small pieces and add to flour mixture. Combine with pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse meal

  In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt and milk until smooth

  Add egg and vanilla to yogurt blend and whisk together. Drizzle over flour mixture and stir until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Dough will be sticky.

  Using a 2/3 cup measuring scoop, add dough to scone pan sections and press into corners with spatula. If you don’t want to use a scone pan, flatten dough into a 1” high circle on floured surface and cut into wedges with very sharp knife. Place parchment paper or silicone baking mat on a baking sheet and transfer dough to it with spatula.

  Brush tops with egg wash

  Bake for 20-25 minutes.

  Let cool 2 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a cooling rack

  To make glaze, whisk confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, unsalted butter, and zest together until smooth and drizzle over cool scones.

  Additional Notes:

  Mr. Moore made his scones with heavy cream, but I found that substituting Greek yogurt, thinned with a little milk, cuts the fat content in half while preserving the luscious flavor. Plus, Greek yogurt instead of regular plain yogurt adds a sweet tanginess.

  Maple Oat Hazelnut Scones

  Scone ingredients

  1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

  1 cup quick oats

  1/2 teaspoon salt

  1/3 cup maple sugar

  1 (heaping) tablespoon baking powder

  6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

  1 cup plain Greek yogurt

  4 tablespoons milk (for thinning yogurt)

  1 egg

  1/2 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

  Extra yogurt and milk for brushing tops

  Turbinado sugar for sprinkling

  Glaze ingredients

  1 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

  1/4 cup milk

  1/2 teaspoon maple extract

  Directions:

  Preheat the oven to 400°F / 205°C

  In a bowl combine the flour, oats, salt, maple sugar, and baking powder

  Mix butter into the flour using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles crumbs

  In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt and milk until smooth

  Add egg to yogurt blend and combine. Add mixture to dry ingredients and mix until moistened. Fold in hazelnuts. Dough will be sticky

  Using a 2/3 cup measuring scoop, add dough to scone pan sections and press into corners with spatula. If you don’t want to use a scone pan, flatten dough into a 1” high circle on floured surface and cut into wedges with very sharp knife. Place parchment paper or silicone baking mat on a baking sheet and transfer dough to it with spatula.

  Brush tops with extra yogurt thinned with milk

  Sprinkle with turbinado sugar

  Bake for 25-30 minutes until the tops are golden brown

  Let cool 2 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a cooling rack

  To make glaze, whisk confectioners’ sugar, milk, and maple extract together in a medium bowl until smooth. Drizzle over cooled scones.

  Dear Reader,

  We hope you enjoyed Smugglers & Scones by Morgan C. Talbot. Please consider leaving a review on your favorite book site.

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  About the Author

  Morgan C. Talbot is an outdoorsy girl with a deep and abiding love for the natural sciences. Her degrees involve English and jujitsu. She enjoys hiking, camping, and wandering in the woods looking for the trail to the car, but there isn’t enough chocolate on the planet to bribe her into rock climbing.

  When she’s not writing, she can be found making puzzles, getting lost on the way to geocaches, reading stories to her children, or taking far too many pictures of the same tree or rock.

  She lives in Eastern Washington with her family.