Scones are bread-like baked goodies that are usually split in half and smeared with jam or cream as a traditional morning or afternoon tea accompaniment. They are also great for brunches and picnics! Scones can be sweet or savory. My favorites flavors (to make and to eat) are cranberry-orange, blueberry-lemon, or just a plain golden raisin. Savory flavors like cheese and sage are always nice when you’ve got someone over that doesn’t have a big sweet tooth.
It’s good to be very careful when measuring and handling the dough as the slightest mistake can make them dense, hard, or super chewy. I personally like my scones to be flaker and closer to a biscuit rather than a muffin. Muffins remind me too much of cake and I always feel bit sick after trying to eat one for breakfast or tea. The sugar content in this is also quite low, as I didn’t want it to overpower the berries and make them taste too tart. If you want your scones sweeter, simply drizzle with a little agave or mix up a small batch of glaze to spread on top after baking!
Vegan Blackberry Buttermilk Scones (makes about 8 large scones)
2 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free)
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp vegan butter or hard coconut oil
3/4 cup soymilk
1 tsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup fresh blackberries
Preheat oven to 400°F. Add the lemon juice or vinegar and vanilla to the soymilk and stir. Toss together the flour, sugar, powder and salt in a large bowl. Crumble in the oil and mix until it has become little pea-sized pieces, coated in the flour mixture.
Pour in the curdled soymilk and mix only a couple times. Over mixing or kneading the dough will activate the gluten and make the scones chewy. Pour the contents out of the bowl onto a floured countertop while it is still wet, lumpy, and not fully mixed. Adding a little extra flour if needed, fold the dough once or twice. Patting the dough down, place the fresh blackberries on top and once more fold the dough—encasing the berries. Still working gently, to now not crush the berries too much, shape the dough into an even thickness and sprinkle with flour where ever needed.
Using a thin glass or biscuit cutter, cut out rounds and place on a parchment paper lined tray. The berries don’t bleed or explode too much while baking, but you can always pat a little extra dough around exposed berries if you like. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until they start to turn a little golden just around the edges. Serve warm with jam, vegan cream cheese, or vegan butter.
