Almond Bliss Scones

JD decided he wanted to make a 20-pound turkey for Thanksgiving. Since we both live (separately) in apartments with tiny kitchens, we decided that he'd make all the non-vegan essentials--turkey, giblet gravy and stuffing (plus a small batch of vegan dressing), at his place, and I'd make all the other dishes vegan-friendly, at my place. We had agreed on a 6 pm dinner. But the turkey wasn't going to be done by then, so we pushed it back to 7 and I cooked all my dishes at a leisurely pace, watching a movie and relaxing as I prepped so that everything would be fresh and hot when the turkey was ready....when it wasn't done at 7, and I had already cleaned my kitchen, I decided to whip up a quick batch of scones, since the oven was already at the proper tempurature.

These scones feature almonds, coconut, and chocolate (like those candy bars), are a joy to make, but absolutely blissful to eat. I made similar scones for JD's family the first time I met them, and they all loved them. I've never met anyone who didn't like these, and a batch never lasts more than twenty four hours.

Almond Bliss Scones
Christina Terriquez

Yields: 6-9 scones
Baking time: 20-25 minutes

1 cup organic whole wheat or whole spelt flour
1 cup organic unbleached white flour or white spelt flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch unrefined sea salt
1/2 cup safflower oil or vegan butter substitute such as Earth Balance or Soy Garden
1/2 cup agave nectar, maple syrup or organic unrefined sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1/4 cup dairy-free, fair trade dark chocolate chips (or your favorite vegan chocolate bar, chopped)
1/4 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2-1 cup unsweetened soymilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift flours, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

In a separate large bowl, mix sweetener and oil or margarine with extracts. Add dry ingredients and mix until a sandy texture is reached. Add chocolate, almonds, coconut and mix well. Add 1/2 cup soymilk and stir gently. If dough is too dry add a bit more soymilk, being careful not to overmix.

Scoop by 1/4 cup scoops onto a stainless steel cookie sheet or glass baking dish. Bake for about 20-25 minutes.

Notes:

I like to use the big coconut flakes, but you could use shredded coconut

This recipe is very easy to change. I like making cranberry coconut walnut scones, or chocolate pecan scones. Simply substitute 1/4 cup of up to three of your favorite ingredients in place of the coconut, almonds and/or the chocolate.

Great with coffee, tea or grain coffee as a light breakfast or for dessert.

The last bite