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.