Blueberry Lavender Scones

Earlier this month, I discussed my new obsession with adding dried lavender to my treats. Well that obsession had my oven preheating at 7:30 this morning. Shortly after opening my eyes, I thought about the fresh, local blueberries in the refrigerator and how nice they would be paired with lavender in scones. This isn't a far stretch from the lavender blueberry pancakes I've been making all summer but scones are different than pancakes, that's a fact. Scones pair well with coffee or tea, and are a perfect match for my yogurt and granola breakfast. Scones are also good for traveling if you eat breakfast on the run.

The base for this recipe is from my standard scone which I shared last September. This recipe has yielded the most consistent results and held up with a few changes today. Early morning baking is typically unplanned baking; inevitably I'm short on at least one ingredient. This morning it was the buttermilk. It's always the buttermilk. A simple substitution of milk and white vinegar works just fine and I've also used soy milk successfully. Of course, neither of these were in the fridge this morning. It's been an all-almond milk summer. We also didn't have white vinegar. I worried for a minute as I looked at the almond milk and apple cider vinegar, hoping there wouldn't be a trace of either flavor in the final product. When I'm standing at the oven in pajamas and slippers, however, I work with what I've got. I'll post the recipe below using buttermilk but if you're stuck like me use the following substitution:

1 tablespoon white vinegar + almost 1 cup milk = 1 cup buttermilk

this morning's substitution: 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar + almost 1 cup almond milk

Banana Pecan Zucchini Muffins

Almost a year ago, I shared this recipe for a vegan zucchini bread, all spiced up and filled with walnuts.   That recipe calls for two whole cups of shredded zucchini making it a perfect bread when you have a garden full of giant zuccs.

This banana pecan zucchini muffin recipe is much simpler, calling for only one zucchini and adds a banana for extra flavor and moisture. The original recipe came from a farmer friend in Vermont, who made her own adaptation of the version posted on Taste of Home. On Caitlin's recommendation, I swapped out vegetable oil for coconut oil and halved the sugar. I also split the entire recipe in half (the original makes two loaves or 24 muffins).

The moisture in these muffins is perfect. They are just a bit spicy with the cinnamon and you could easily add nutmeg and/or cloves if you want to really spice things up. I dig the pecans as well, and as always you can opt to leave them out or swap them for walnuts.