Cookies and Candids

Still on Sara’s farm, we planned a day at the river. We bought lots of sandwich-making ingredients, snack foods, filled our coolers, planned to pack our swimsuits, towels, and lots of sunscreen, and prepared for the drive and hike down to utopia the next day. But we were missing one thing! Something sweet to snack on. We had lots of blueberries from our picking adventure, and what is better than fresh berry scones? Clearly, we needed these for our river trip. So we got to baking, and made these scrumptious treats. Of course, we couldn’t resist the tempting smells wafting out of the oven while the scones baked, and we ate many of them that night while they were warm, and the next morning for breakfast before going to the river, but we still had some left over to enjoy while lounging on the beach after our boulder-climb through the cool blue waters of the Van Buren River (or the Mad River? I can’t remember. But whatever it was called, it was beautiful).

The scones were moist, soft, and crumbly, and intensely rich. The original recipe calls for pure butter, whole milk, and buttermilk, and when I’ve had them in the past, while they were undeniably delicious, it was difficult to eat a whole scone in one sitting because they are so heavy. The vegan version doesn’t lose any of it’s “perfect scone texture”, but it becomes lighter, flaky, and even a little fluffy, but steers clear of any sort of muffin-like consistency.

We were not very nice people, and tempted the chickens with them. They were mad:

Originally from the Cheeseboard Cookbook, I altered this scone recipe to be vegan, as well as substituting blueberries for currants and adding almonds. The recipe I’ve included here is the one I used.

Makes 15-20 scones
Prep time including baking: 45 mins.

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup cold Earth Balance, cut into 1-inch cubes
3/4 cup almond milk
3/4 cup vegan “buttermilk” (3/4 cup non-dairy milk mixed with 1 tsp. lemon juice, set aside for a few minutes to curdle).
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Topping:
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
Sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder together into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl.

If using a stand mixer:
Add the salt and sugar to the bowl and mix with the paddle attachment on a low speed until combined.  Add the Earth Balance and cut it in on low speed for about 4 minutes or until it is the size of small peas. Make a well in the center and add the non-dairy milk and buttermilk. Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together; some loose flour should remain at the bottom of the bowl. Add blueberries and almonds.

If making by hand:
Add the salt and sugar to the bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the Earth Balance and cut it in with a pastry cutter or 2 dinner knives until it is the size of small peas. Make a well in the center and add the non-dairy milk and buttermilk. Mix briefly, just until the ingridients come together; some loose flour should remain at the bottom of the bowl. Add blueberries and almonds.

Gently shape the dough into balls about 2 inches in diameter (they should have a rough, rocky exterior) and place them on the prepared pan about 2 inches apart.

For the topping, mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture on the top of the scones. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool.