Do you like cherry chip ice cream? If you do, this scone recipe is going to be your jam! Studded with vegan chocolate mini chips and dried cherry-berries, these super moist and dreamy scones are quick and easy to make. I ate these for breakfast, a snack and dessert (yes, seriously - I did); no matter the time of day or occasion, they just work. The scones are certainly best direct from the oven with a slightly crunchy exterior and a cakey moist interior but will store in an air-tight container for up to 3 days (if they last that long!) Enjoy with a steamy cup of coffee (or tea)!
Sustainability Spotlight: I used to be "afraid" of conventional baking. For some reason, generational members of my family got the bakers gene but I (most certainly) did not! Pre-kids, I even spent an entire year on a new year's resolution to be a better baker. I made a lot of baked goods and met the resolution; I was better. But, frustratingly, I still had so many epic fails in the kitchen for baked goods time after time and I kept reading / researching information on why I failed. Mostly it was because of something simple, like my eggs or dairy were too cold (or too warm) or I didn't chill the bowl of my mixer (ugh!). Then, came vegan baking! Suddenly all the little reasons why I would fail before became moot. Not baking with animal ingredients is what finally made me a great baker; who knew? I could save the planet and be a great baker - uh, yes, please!
Now I'm killing it in my kitchen, both by being the best baker I can be, but also being more sustainable in eliminating dairy and eggs from my goodies. By eliminating animal ingredients, I'm no longer contributing to the concentrated animal feed operations (CAFO) that through research and analytics have been shown to increase the methane and carbon load on the planet (and in many cases, be less than favorable ethical conditions for the animals themselves). So, if you are like me (not especially great with baking), or looking to mix it up more sustainably with your recipe repertoire, try these scones as your first foray, and I think you might discover how lovely vegan goods can be!
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour (plus more for work surface)
1/3 cup sugar (plus more to sprinkle)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (Garden of Life Plant-Based Sport)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup vegan butter (cut into pieces for easier incorporation)
1/4 cup oat milk (plus more to brush)
1/4 cup cherry juice
1 tsp fresh orange zest
2 tbsp dried cherry-berry blend
1/2 cup mini vegan chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life! semi-sweet)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large food processor pulse together flour through cinnamon until combined
Add vegan butter pieces and pulse (~20 times) till the mix is sandy in texture
Add milk, cherry juice, zest and dried cherry-berries and process (10 second intervals; ~3 times) till a sticky dough forms (dough will start to "ball" up in your processor. As soon as you see the ball, stop before over-mixing).
Transfer dough to a clean surface lightly coated with some flour. Coat your hands in flour and mix in the chocolate chips. Now, pat dough into a circle (~2 inches thick). Cut into 8 even pieces like a pie.
Place each piece onto prepared parchment lined sheet (~2 inches in between); brush with oat milk and sprinkle with sugar each piece.
Bake scones 15-18 minutes till lightly golden. Cool & serve slightly warm.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did (I even had my kids enjoying them - of course, chocolate usually entices the most fussiest of eaters so I'm sure that had something to do with it) = )
With love & hope for a better future for all of us - Jamie