Happy Spring Friends! It’s official. A few weeks ago, I started saying “Happy Spring!” and “We made it friends, we made it!” but it was premature of me. I forgot to factor in the yearly April snow storm we get here in Minnesota. Well, we had our blizzard last week, I dug out the snow stuff, the snow started melting the next day, I put away the snow stuff (please just get the snow boots out of my sight already) and we celebrated the melt with walks to the park and scones. Specifically, Lavender Lemon White Chocolate Scones

Lavender Lemon White Chocolate Scones

The players:

•  Lavender. Don’t let the whole lavender thing scare you. Yes, it looks like a flower but it is actually in the mint family! The flavor is sweet and floral but not overbearing.
• Lemon. So tangy, so fresh, so bright. May be the star of the show here, but in a “humble, would never flaunt it” kind of way.
• White Chocolate. This stuff is just sweet. And “just sweet” is a perfect touch in these scones! My kids obviously love it. If you need dairy free, just check the ingredients. There are brands that make dairy free white chocolate!
• Dairy free/gluten free. Just use your favorite gluten free flour. I really like Cup 4 Cup (though the multipurpose flour does contain dairy). My friend loves the Namaste brand. I think the think I got most excited about with these is the ease! No cutting in butter or coconut oil. Just a can of coconut milk is what you need here for the fat. Rest assured the coconut flavor doesn’t come through strong at all.

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So, you’ll have your dry ingredients mixed (the lavender and lemon zest smell so good!), you’ll add the coconut milk (how easy was that!), now just stir, and fold in the chocolate. The start of something good friends.

If the dough is very sticky and difficult to work with, feel free to pop it into the freezer for 10 minutes before shaping. Using a little flour on your hands and knife is a good idea for these. Next, sprinkle on some sugar, make a glaze, smile at the sun and listen to the birds sing as you wait for these babies to bake.

Ahh, here you go. These are so good y’all. Especially fresh out of the oven. They are tender with a slight crumb and flavors that will make your garden beds bloom just from the scent wafting out of your kitchen.

Two extra minutes? Go ahead and mix up the lemon vanilla glaze for that something extra special. I am partial to a glazed scone but just the sugar on top will work beautifully.

These are best eaten with windows open, in bare feet, a sunny spot, and next to people you love. In a pinch, a rainy day with blankets, a good book and a cup of tea will work too.

Oh! Here’s an experiment for you northerners. Next time you are at a park or on a walk, look for people with faces directed towards the sun, eyes closed and contended smiles. Y’all, I counted 3 the other day. It’s a glorious thing, warmth of spring. And a bite of these scones will make it officially, official: spring has sprung!

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