Orange Scones

YUM.

It hasn’t been until the last few years that I have gotten into scones (I think that I used to confuse them with biscotti and assumed that they would be dry and hard), and even then I haven’t made them with much frequency. I was pleasantly surprised when I bit into my first scone – rich, moist and just a little bit sweet. Much like a sweet version of a savory biscuit. I decided it was high time to make scones again the other day, and I’m glad I did – although I wish I hadn’t eaten them all already. I could so go for another right now!

Orange Scones
This recipe makes approximately 8 large scones, and is based upon the cranberry orange scones recipe at epicurious.com.

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
• 3/4 cup vegan butter, cut into chunks
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (the juice of a medium sized orange is about 1/4 cup)
• 3/4 cup vegan milk

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Sift your flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda together in a large bowl.

Sifting the dry ingredients together

Grate your orange peel. I used a medium-sized orange and it yielded me approximately 1 tablespoon of orange zest. Also this grater is awesome.

Getting my grated orange peel

Mix the orange peel with your sifted ingredients.

Mixing orange zest with the sifted dry ingredients

Add your vegan butter and mix together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal. You can probably also use a pastry cutter if you do not want to mix with your hands.

Mixing the vegan butter with your dry ingredients

If you haven’t already, squeeze your fresh orange juice.

Fresh orange juice

Mix the orange juice and vegan milk together, then gradually pour it into your mixture, tossing with a fork until moist clumps form.

Mixing together the wet and dry ingredients

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead it briefly to mix the dough well (about four turns). Form the dough into a circle, about 1/2 inch thick.

Nearly there...

Take a knife and cut into 8 wedges. Alternatively, you can use a biscuit cutter to cut several round pieces. Place the scones about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet.

Cutting the orange scones

Bake in your preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until the tops of the scones are golden brown.

Vegan scones fresh out of the oven

After taking the scones out of the oven, let them sit on their baking sheet for about 10 minutes. You can then serve them warm or at room temperature. I recommend using vegan clotted cream as a topping or they are delicious on their own.

Also, while I am not a huge fan of cranberries, I do think that these would taste really nice with some cranberries and/or some slivered almonds mixed in. Or instead of orange zest and juice, consider lemon zest and juice. Be creative – you’re sure to come up with some really fantastic variations.

Vegan orange scones

Do you ever make scones? What is your favorite kind?

Be Sociable, Share!

•