Highland Scones

Another goody I found in the September/October issue of Tea Time Magazine was an advertisement for Highland Gourmet Scones. All three of those words appealed to me!

• Highland (tells me there is a Celtic or Scottish element)
• Gourmet (means high quality or skilled preparation)
• Scones (’nuff said. They’re SCONES, people!)

Technically, they had me at “scones”, but the other two words sold me as well. As a read the ad, I was intrigued. They’re out of Alabama, which wouldn’t have been the first place I would have thought of for Highland scones. Orders are baked daily before being sent. I liked that. Then I visited their website, saw a bagpipe and tartan on the home page, Mark & Connie’s last names is Wallace, and discovered they had lived in Ireland for a time. Ah, ha…that’s a Highland/Celtic connection. Now I was really interested.

They aren’t inexpensive, but they most certainly come beautiful packaged and very quickly, so I was starting to think of them as easy, but thoughtful gifts I could send to a few discerning friends as holiday gifts. Shhhh….don’t tell them!

Of COURSE, I needed to try them out before I would ever send them to friends. I simply NEEDED to find out if their claims that they “combine the refined taste that comes straight from the British Isles with the warmth and friendliness that is found throughout the South.” was true. I order up one of their small assortment tins with two scones of their Lemon-Blueberry, Orange Cranberry, and Hazelnut Creme Chocolate-Chip flavors. They were flavors that appealed to ME, but for my friends, I would order some of their other flavors.

The ordering process on their website is flawless and you’re able to track your order after it’s processed. I placed the order mid-afternoon from Maine on 8/9 and the tin arrived from Alabama on 8/14. I didn’t select any expedited shipping, but they do offer it. I think four days is terrific considering it’s a baked good that needs to be created, baked, packaged and shipped per order.

I had even signed up on their website to receive notification when their fall/holiday seasonal assortment was available. I quickly received an email from Hannah about when the assortment would be available (mid-Nov.) and that I could place my order early if I wanted to. I thought that was terrific customer service.

Now…back to the SCONES! They arrived via FedExHome here in Maine and I immediately opened the box to discover a lovely gold tin with their company label. Each scone is individually wrapped & labeled with their flavor. My first scone to try with the orange cranberry and it was FANTASTIC! Large chunks of cranberries throughout and the pastry itself was light, not heavy. I could immediately tell this wasn’t a scone that had been sitting around: “Freshly baked” indeed!

The lemon-blueberry and hazelnut creme chocolate-chip flavors were equally delicious. The orange cranberry was my favorite of the three, however. I enjoyed all three of the flavors and would order them all again.

So, if you’re looking for a unique and tasty treat for yourself or a friend, I would highly recommend Highland Gourmet Scones. They take the work out of baking, packaging and shipping them yourself. I think it’s worth the money, especially if you have friends that are worth it.

Thank you for your prompt service and attention to detail Highland Gourmet!

The packaged tin upon arrival

The lovely note included

Individually wrapped scones

It’s a light scone

Loads of flavor!