Perfect Tea Time Scones

In my family, scones are one of our favorite weekend breakfasts or mid-late afternoon snacks, probably because we buy so many Costco 6 packs of raspberries, but we can never eat them fast enough. As a result, I needed to come up with creative ways to use the berries before they became inedible.  Luckily, I found a super quick and tasty scone recipe that I've now been using for years (the best recipes are the ones you always repeat!).

Babycakes NYC's cookbook (where my previously posted banana bread recipe is from) became one of my best loved sources for recipes during my vegan stage, and has remained so even after I gave in and began eating "normal food" again. The recipe is for raspberry scones, but it's quite easy to swap out raspberries or add in other ingredients such as nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, and other berries. My favorite is sticking with the raspberries, and adding in some slivered almonds, which get nice and toasty in the oven. Pour on some simple lemon glaze for an extra yummy treat.

before

after...lemon glaze and all, yum

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup agave nectar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup hot water

1 cup fresh raspberries

1/2 cup slivered almonds

for glaze

1/4 cup powdered sugar

juice of approx. half a small lemon (add a little at a time, until you get a thin, pourable consistency)

Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix in oil, agave, and vanilla until a slightly dry, crumbly batter is formed. Add in hot water, mix. With a rubber spatula, fold in almonds, then raspberries, until they are evenly distributed. Raspberries are VERY delicate, so be gentle (it's ok if a few of them get smashed). Measure out 1/3 cup batter for each scone, placing them on the baking sheet. You should end up with 8 or 9 scones. 

Bake for 14-16 minutes, until the scones are slightly golden in color, but not too dark. While scones are baking, in a small bowl mix powdered sugar and lemon juice to make the glaze. Set aside.

Let scones cool slightly on baking sheet, then transfer onto wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle on lemon glaze. Enjoy with a nice, hot cup of tea!