These rhubarb scones are inspired by my mom’s buttermilk scones. I loved coming home to warm buttermilk scones out of the oven. I’m making my little riff on it though. For that, I’m going with rhubarb scones. Rhubarb has to be one of my favorite vegetables that comes with summer. It’s tart, bright, and beautiful. Instead of balancing the acidity with sugar, we’re making pickled rhubarb. Using mild vinegar rounds rhubarb into a pleasant flavor. My mom may call my scones extra, but that’s alright with me.
Buttermilk Scones
There are a few things that help make a great buttermilk scone. having very cold and fine butter makes for a flakier crumble. I like to keep a few sticks in the freezer when I plan of baking in a few days. There are a couple of techniques but for scones, I like to grate butter fresh out of the freezer. Grating helps the butter mix into the flour and create fine particles. Grating the butter from frozen makes sure it melts less. We want Ice cold butter to cut into the flour. I like to grate my butter first then put it back in the freezer. I’ll way out the rest of my ingredients after. If you have one a granite counter helps here too. Granite pulls heat from the surface keeping your work surface cool. Perfect for working with dough, chocolate, and pastry.
Pickled Rhubarb
I feel like most recipes like to hide the acidity that rhubarb brings to the table. We use a lot of sugar to balance it in baked goods. But have you ever tried pairing them with pickled rhubarb? The combination is pretty gosh darn tasty. One key to making the most of the rhubarb flavor is to use suitable vinegar. Champagne vinegar is an excellent choice, as its mild acidity complements the rhubarb without overpowering it. The added sugar in the pickling process helps to bring out even more of the rhubarb’s natural sweetness. If you don’t have champagne vinegar don’t worry. There are other options. Apple cider vinegar is another good choice, as its fruity notes also work well with rhubarb. For a milder flavor, rice vinegar can be used, while white wine vinegar provides a slightly sharper taste.
Ideas for Rhubarb Scones
Take out the rhubarb and you have an all-around buttermilk scone recipe. A great base for any other scones you want to make. Plaine scones are great or you can play around with alternate fillings. I love rhubarb but take this recipe through the seasons. chocolate chip and blueberry are two of my favorite mix-ins. Ginger and orange scones are killer too. Here are a few other buttermilk scone ideas.
- blackberry scones
- raspberry scones
- cheese scones
- pumpkin spice scones
- cranberry scones
Lately, I’ve been adding aromatic bitters to baked goods. They have a complexity that subtly comes through. I love them here for the rhubarb scones. It’s a slight savory touch perfect for buttermilk scones and pickled rhubarb. There are so many bitters on the market. I often use two to four dashes with vanilla or hazelnut extract. If you have them: grapefruit, Cardamom, or black pepper bitters would be great with rhubarb scones. Take this recipe through your creative field and make something unheard of.
I hope you enjoy this summer recipe. rhubarb scones are defiantly a must. Pickled rhubarb just brings more interest. These would be perfect for strawberry shortcakes. Rhubarb and strawberries are the eternal tag team. Here’s a link to my strawberry shortcakes that would go great with these. If you want more rhubarb recipes here are a few others on the blog
Make sure you give these rhubarb scones a shot this season. Pairing it with champagne vinegar is a fun way to highlight the acidity. Plop them in some buttermilk scones and it’s a sweet treat. Add different mix-ins or flavorings and play around. Thanks for stopping but the blog and enjoy these rhubarb scones.
Fresh Rhubarb Scones
Ingredients
Pickled rhubarb
- 1/2C (67g) rhubarb
- 1/3C champagne vinegar
- 2 tbsp (23g) sugar
- ½ tsp (3g) salt
Rhubarb Scones
- 2C (250g) whole wheat flour
- 1/4C (50g) sugar
- 1 tsp (5g) baking powder
- 1/2C/ 1 stick (113g) butter
- 1/2C (120g) buttermilk
- 1 egg
- ¼ tsp (1g) Vanilla extract
- 2 dashes aromatic bitters
- ½ C pickled rhubarb
- ¼ c (22g) oats
Brushing mixture
- 1tbsp Honey
- 1tbsp Pickle liquid
- 1tbsp Buttermilk
Instructions
Pickled rhubarb
- Add the vinegar, sugar, salt, and rhubarb to a bowl and let sit for at least 30 minutes. when ready to use strain off the liquid.
Rhubarb scones
- Place the butter in the freezer for at least 30min. Pre heat the oven to 400F
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. whisk to combine. Combine Buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and bitters in a separate bowl.
- Grate the butter with medium teeth in a box grater.
- With a paddle attachment mix the dry with the butter on low. Keep mixing until the butter turns to fine crumbles. After pour in the wet. Mix until crumbly and transfer to a floured surface. Mold into a ball. Fold the dough onto itself 5 to 8 times. rotate 90 degrees each time. Stain the rhubarb and add. Fold a few more times and form into a 1 inch thick & 6 inch round disk. cut into 8 wedges.
- Transfer to a baking sheet. Brush with buttermilk mixture and oats. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Until the top and edges begin to turn brown. Allow to cool before serving.
