Note: I forgot to post this yesterday, but I think there's still 2 minutes left in Wednesday on the Pacific coast.
Plump blueberries peek out of their scones.
Yesterday I bought blueberries at the Marylebone M&S, an impulse purchase, I admit. But they looked good in their chic plastic punnet, and were half price. Which, at Marylebone, is still expensive. (I once saw bouquets of roses there for £120. Aimed at the guilty commuter market, I'm sure.)
Anyway, it's cold enough that something warm from the oven seemed like a good idea, and I actually welcomed the extra heat from the oven. (Those of you "baking" in America can just pretend I'm in Australia. Or Antarctica.)
I adapted a recipe I've fiddled with before and made Blueberry Scones. It's easy to throw together in a few minutes, and they bake in a jiffy.
Plus, scones are naturally vegan. I've never seen a scone recipe that calls for eggs, and soy milk and margarine work as well as their dairy counterparts. I substituted orange juice for the vanilla, and added some almond meal, which just seems to go well with blueberries.
The result, while slightly undercooked (I was hungry) was soft and moist, unlike those scones you buy in bakeries.
If you're inclined, you can replace all the white flour with wholemeal (whole wheat) for a healthier, guilt-free scone. It's cheaper than buying roses.
Blueberry Scones
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Approximately 1 cup soymilk
1 ½ cup plain unbleached flour
1 cup wholemeal flour
½ cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup margarine
(non-hydrogenated)
½ cup ground almonds
1½ cup blueberries
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice (about ½ orange)
Preheat over to 425 degrees. Lightly mist a nonstick cookie sheet with cooking spray. Add vinegar to soymilk and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (except the almonds), reserving just enough flour to sprinkle on a board—about 2 tablespoons. Add the margarine and cut in using two knives or just smash it up a bit with a spoon and then use your fingers to incorporate it evenly throughout. Add the almond meal (ground almonds) and mix thoroughly.
Add the blueberries, then pour in ¾ cup of the soymilk mixture and the orange juice. Mix, adding more soymilk if the mixture is too dry.
Turn the dough out onto a floured board, and divide into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a thick circle. Using a sharp knife, score the top of each circle, dividing it into quarters.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry. (You'll have to stick the toothpick into a blueberry-free zone, of course.) Cut the circles into wedges after they've cooled, about 5 minutes.
