Strawberry Almond Scones

My husbands Aunt Carol provided the inspiration for these lovely tea scones. I experimented with a batch and they disappeared somehow!

This recipe is so versatile ~ you could substitute other types of dried fruits and nuts and they'd be just as tasty.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup margarine
3 Tbsp. chia gel (or other egg replacer to equal 2 eggs)
3/4 cup canned coconut milk or cream
1/2 cup fresh or frozen, thawed strawberries, chopped
1/3 cup almonds, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. almond extract
Soy milk
Sugar

Instructions
Combine flour, 2 Tbsp. sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Cut in margarine with a fork or pastry blender until mixture looks like crumbs. Make a well in the center of the mix and set the bowl aside.

In a 2 cup measure or small mixing bowl, combine coconut milk, egg replacer, almond extract, and strawberries. Add all at once to the dry ingredients. Add almonds and stir with a fork until just moistened.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Quickly and gently knead by folding and pressing dough for 12 strokes or until dough is nearly smooth. Pat or lightly roll dough into an 8-in. square. Cut into 16 squares.

Place scones on an ungreased baking sheet and brush tops with soy milk. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown.

Let scones rest slightly to cool, then drizzle with powdered sugar glaze.
*1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp. vanilla, 1 Tbsp. soy milk or water. Mix well in a small bowl and add enough water or milk to make a drizzling consistency.

White Chocolate Cherry Walnut Scones

I'm a mom. When I moved from Detroit to a small town in Western Michigan, I missed my involvement in a moms group. I enjoyed conversation with other women who were experiencing the same challenges I faced every day; I enjoyed the refreshments and warm atmosphere there. So, one of the first things I did when we moved? Started planning a moms group...

And, for our first meeting, I made this tasty rendition of an English Tea Scone. I love scones anyway, but these are special- all crunchy and only slightly sweet.

My professional taste tester (hubby) suggested keeping them a little more simple, so you can exercise your own creativity and mix and match flavors to your own preference.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 Tblsp brown sugar
1 Tb. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup margarine
4 Tbsp. Chia gel (or egg replacer to the equivalent of 2 eggs)*
3/4 cup canned coconut milk
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (opt)
1/2 cup white chocolate chip (opt)
Soymilk
White Sugar

Instructions:

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in margarine until it resembles coarse crumbs. Toss in dried fruit and chopped nuts and combine with flour.  Make a well in the center of dry mixture and set the bowl aside.

Combine egg replacer, coconut milk, and vanilla in another small bowl. Add all at once to dry mixture. Using a fork, stir and press until the dough comes together and forms a ball. 

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Quickly knead dough by folding and gently pressing about 12-14 strokes or until it's nearly smooth. Pat or lightly roll dough into a large circle. Cut into 8 equal wedges. 

Place scones 1-in. apart on a lightly oiled/sprayed baking sheet. Brush scones with milk and sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake in a 400• oven for 12-14 minutes or until golden. Remove scones from oven. At this point you can drizzle with an orange glaze** or just serve as is...nice and warm.

* Chia gel can be made by combining 2 Tbsp. Chia seeds with 1 cup of water. Stir well and set aside for a few minutes to allow gel to form. 2-3 Tbsp. = 1 egg. Chia seeds are extremely high in protein and are very good for sustained energy.
** Orange glaze: 1 cup pwdrd. sugar, 1 Tbsp. orange juice, pinch of orange zest. Mix together sugar, orange juice and zest, adding additional juice until it becomes a drizzling consistency.

You don't have to be a mom to enjoy these little treats... :-)

~ Modified from the original recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book.