Ginger Almond Scones
Light and fluffy on the inside but crisp top with flakey layers. A little ginger adds a warmness that pairs well with the almond flavor. Vegan and can be gluten free!
Servings - 12 scones
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour (or GF 1:1 baking blend)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons cold butter (I use Earth Balance vegan butter)
- 1-2 cups nuts and/or dried fruit (I used equal parts golden raisins and sliced almonds)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger (or 2 teaspoons ground ginger)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, corn starch, baking powder, salt.
- In a mixing cup combine the apple sauce, milk, vanilla and almond extracts, and grated ginger. If using ground ginger whisk that into the dry ingredients. I highly prefer the grated ginger though because it has a better flavor. Set the wet mix aside.
- Cut the butter into thin pieces, less than a 1/4" thick, and toss in the dry mix. Use a wooden spoon or stiff spatula to cut the butter into the dry mix so that it looks like pieces of gravel. You can use a fork or a pastry cutter, but I find the spoon works best for this. Stir in the dried nuts and/or dried fruit.
- Pour the wet mix into the dry. Mix to combine so that no dry flour remains. Make sure to get the flour at the bottom of the bowl. The dough should be stiff but a little tacky still.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Press into a mound. Divide the dough in half. Using your hands, flatten the dough into a circle that is roughly 5" around and about 3/4" thick. Place the dough round onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Cut the dough into 6 wedges. Repeat with the other portion of dough.
- Place the baking sheet with the shaped dough into the freezer, uncovered, for 30-45 minutes. This steps chills the butter again for better layering and lets the gluten relax so that the scones are more tender. You can also start the oven preheating at the start of this step.
- Brush the top of the shaped scones with a little butter and sprinkle some large grain sugar on top. I prefer raw sugar or turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes. The scones should be slightly browned on top. Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Enjoy once cooled or freeze for longer storage. Good in a Ziploc bag or covered dish on the counter for up to 5 days.