So it is only August still, but I am ready for fall. Then again that’s not saying much, because all year round I am ready for fall. Fall vegetables and fruits, fall flavors, Halloween and Thanksgiving, even that smell in the air… I could wax poetic about fall for a long time. So this morning in the hour after I woke up and before I had work I decided to try my hand at some Pumpkin Cranberry Scones from (where else?) Veganomicon.
Since I’ve never made scones before, I probably should have been intimidated, but I wasn’t. I am intimidated by new places, new jobs, new people, and new lifestyles, but not new recipes. I’ve yet to find a recipe I wouldn’t just jump in and try. Which is not to say I never fail, I just never seem afraid when it comes to cooking. Probably why I love it so much.
Nomnomnom!
These scones were amazing. Seriously (In case the photo of Adam above didn’t convince you). I liked them better than any I’ve had anywhere (especially those tasteless tough vegan ones at Peets)! And they were so easy. I even added extra baking soda on accident, it was fine! I never knew. My coworkers didn’t seem too worried either. My serving suggestion for these, by the way, is to eat them about one minute after they come out of the oven with vegan margarine slathered on it.
Even the kitten wanted more…
Mom, are there any more scones?
Recipe: Pumpkin-Cranberry Scones
from Veganomicon
2 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole-wheat)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups sugar (you could probably even cut this)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (I love cinnamon, added way more)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom (Um, I didn’t have any. Left it out.)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (left this out too…)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup nonhydrogenated vegan margarine, cold
3/4 cup sold soy creamer or rice milk
4 teaspoons ground flaxseeds
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (I left this out too…honestly, I don’t understand the world’s obsession with lemon zest, it always overpowers other flavors.)
1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped coarsely (I used dried, since it isn’t really fall yet)
3 tablespoons shelled pepitas for garnish (not a fan-left these out too)
Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment or grease it well.
In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder and soda, sugar, spices, and salt.
Mix in margarine with pastry cutter, fork, or your hands if you’re like me.
In another bowl whisk ground flaxseeds and creamer.
To this bowl add pumpkin, molasses, and lemon zest (if using). Stir to incorporate.
Pour the pumpkin mixture into the middle of the flour bowl and fold together, then add cranberries and fold again. Don’t overmix, no one likes tough scones!
At this point the recipe says to roll out the dough and cut it into triangles, but hell I’m lazy. I just plopped them onto the tray, and while not as pretty, they tasted just fine!
Also, the authors say this recipe takes 45 minutes and makes 12 scones. It took me less than 30 and I made normal-person-sized scones, so it made at least 20, maybe more.
anotherberkeleyvegan 