Monday, January 24, 2011

Raspberry Scones with Lemon Ginger Tea

Good Morning Sunshine!


I whipped up these yummy scones for breakfast this morning, er brunch rather and thought I'd share.  They are vegan-style scones so do not contain the usual milk, eggs and butter.  






Just to be clear, I am a big fan of organic pastured butter and usually rely on it for the texture and flavor it adds.  Butter does indeed bring out that comforting and satisfying flavor that we all linger for in a baked good.  I am all for quality, whole food fats, rich with CLA and omega 3s --- but more on that in a later post.  


Mmmm.... Butter (photo via)
Okay, okay - another post (stay tuned).  However, in this recipe I used melted organic coconut oil as the fat, which I am also fond of.  I like having the option of making a scone with whatever I have in my house, so if there is no butter on hand (which by the way is a crisis in our kitchen), and I want to make a batch of breakfast scones, or cake or cookies for that matter, well... no problem.  So I share this recipe with you to potentially add to your baking repertoire.


This recipe is made with a cup of fresh ginger and lemon tea that is blended into the dough.  Therefore, this recipe sort of comes with a cup of fresh ginger tea on the side.  There will be some left over and I certainly encourage you to enjoy it and sip away.  Although fresh ginger root is always my preference, if you do not have it on hand you can substitute with 3 ginger tea bags if you'd like, but be sure to brew a strong cup so the ginger comes across.


One of my favorite things to do when I get up in the morning is have a nice cup of warm water with a lemon wedge and fresh pieces of ginger (and sometimes a little honey).  It gets the digestion 'a going and primes the pumps if you will.  It's just a great habit to drink a glass of water upon awakening anyway to start the day off keeping our bodies nourished and well hydrated. 


The Raspberry Scones with Lemon Ginger Tea recipe is below.  A couple of quick notes:
  • use whole wheat pastry flour and not whole wheat flour
  • oil and water work better at room temperature


So, I hope you enjoy this delicious (lighter-style) scone, along with a warming cup of tea... and well the bicep work out you'll get from grating the apple and stirring the dough.  
Heh, you're welcome. 
___________________________

Raspberry Scones with Lemon Ginger Tea

These scones have a lovely blend of bright flavors happening.  They are a little on the lighter side because there are no eggs, butter or milk (dairy-free) in this recipe.  The freshly grated bits of ginger root help give this scone a kick, but if you want to go easy on the ginger, you can always slice the ginger into coins to make the tea and then discard the whole pieces before using the tea. 
___________________________

Tea:
2 tablespoons finely grated ginger root
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Dry:
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt

Wet:
1 apple, cored and shredded (about 1 cup)
2/3 cup sucanat or rapadura
½ cup of melted coconut oil
2 teaspoons lemon extract
Zest of one lemon
¾ cup raspberries


Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 

To make tea, infuse the grated ginger in boiling hot water for 15 minutes.  Cover tea to trap the oils.  Add the lemon and allow to cool. 

Stir together all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  In a small bowl, stir together apple, sugar, oil, extract and zest.  Gently fold in the raspberries.  Slowly begin integrating the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. 

Begin adding ½ cup of the tea to the mixture until the right consistency is achieved. You want the dough to be firm and not sticky.  Feel free to drink the left over tea as it’s wonderful for digestion!

Shape the dough into a flattened disc about 1 inch thick.  Place it on a lightly greased baking sheet and cut into 8 slices.  Pull the slices apart so the heat can circulate while baking.  Bake for 12-18 minutes.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 18 minutes

Yield: 8 scones

Copyright 2011, S. Nester, original recipe
___________________________

3 comments:

Tell me what's on your mind!

Click the comments link below the post to share your thoughts.