I confess...I was bad. Although I vowed to get only my semi-annual jumbo pack of toilet paper at Costco, I wandered by the books and started flipping through BabyCakes: Vegan, Gluten-Free, And (Mostly) Sugar-Free Recipes From New York's Most Talked-About Bakery by Erin McKenna. It was speaking my language and the recipes looked delicious, so of course it somehow ended up in my cart. I tabbed a bunch of recipes to make and started with these Raspberry Scones. (It was a tough call between the scones and the Banana Chocolate Chip Bread, apparently a passion of actress Mary-Louise Parker who wrote a tribute to it in the book. Still the scones won, although there are bananas ripening on my counter that will go into the bread this weekend!)
Erin McKenna says: "This is as close to a traditional scone as BabyCakes NYC comes. I 86'ed the butter obviously. and played up the sweet, all without abandoning the light-yet-satisfying texture. I find that raspberries, more delicate than currents or other popular berries used in scones, have a tanginess that's a perfect accompaniment to morning tea."
Raspberry Scones
BabyCakes, Erin McKenna
(Makes 8 Scones)
2 cups whole spelt flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup coconut oil, plus more for brushing
1/3 cup agave nectar, plus more for brushing
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup hot water
1 cup fresh raspberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the oil, agave nectar, and vanilla and stir together until a thick, slightly dry batter is formed. Pour the hot water into the batter and mix. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the raspberries just until they are marbled throughout the batter.
For each scone, scoop 1/3 cup batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Space the scoops 1 inch apart to allow them to spread. Lightly brush the tops with the oil. Bake the scones on the center rack for 14 minutes, rotating the sheet 180 degrees after 7 minutes. The finished scones will be golden and slightly firm. Remove from the oven and brush with agave nectar.
Let the scones stand on the sheet for 15 minutes, then carefully slide a spatula under each and transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Store the scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Notes/Results: Excellent! They are light and moist with an excellent flavor. Maybe a bit more "muffinish" than scone-like in texture, they are still delicious and went perfectly with a cup of berry-flavored green tea. I realized as I was about to make the scones, that the spelt flour I had was white-spelt, which is a bit lighter textured than whole spelt flour. I don't think it made a huge difference, but I plan on trying them again with whole spelt to see. I will make these again with the raspberries and I think they would be great with blueberries or blackberries too. They are quick and super-easy to make, pretty guilt-free without all the butter, and good enough that even we gluten-eating omnivores can happily enjoy them. I am looking forward to trying the banana bread and some of the other recipes from the book.
Yummy! Looks so Delicious..
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing recipe:)
Have a wonderful Thrusday~
I'm afraid I have no spelt or agave so the package of raspberries burning a hole in my refrigerator, so to speak, are still up for grabs. These look lovely. How do these substitutions affect the nutritional value? I'm guessing the oils boost it right back up to where butter would have it, don't they?
ReplyDeleteThey look fantastic, and if ou haven't seen it yet, go to the babycakes website and look at the clip. Made me want to be a cool NY baker (sadly not in this lifetime)!
ReplyDeleteThese scones look delicious - a very nice breakfast!
ReplyDeleteThat book aisle at Costco's AND BJ's is so tempting. And I have no self control. Especially if the one near me had the Babycakes cookbook! These look delicious. I like muffin-y scones.
ReplyDeleteI purposely avoid the book section at Costco for that same reason. It's too tempting!
ReplyDeleteI've never tried spelt flour, but I'm slowly expanding my repertoire so perhaps someday I'll be adventurous enough to try them!
They look delish! Pass one here, I haven't had breakfast yet.
ReplyDeleteI have never been to a Costco, I should go one time. I do have spelt flour though, I thought it was a kind of wheat - I had no idea it was gluten-free.
they look beautiful, enticing and delish! would it be bad of me to dip one in chocolate? LOL
ReplyDeleteArlene--the nutritionals are not listed. The coconut oil is for sure a fat but is considered by many to be a "better" choice than butter due to the Omega-3's in it. It is thought to be a more heart-healthy choice than butter and is the oil of choice at BabyCakes for their vegan baking. So they aren't perfect for sure!
ReplyDeleteNatashya--spelt is an ancient grain and is like a distant cousin of wheat so it contains some of the same properties including gluten. Many people with wheat sensitivities can still digest it but if someone has gluten allergies they should probably avoid it. It is in some of the recipes in the book like this one, but there are a variety of gluten free flours they use in other recipes throughout the book. The banana bread for example uses Bob's Red Mill GF baking mix.
ooh scones or chocolate banana bread was a tough call, looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be a Babycakes coming to LA too. It'll be fun to try.
ReplyDeleteNever tried raspberry scones; it looks so good!
ReplyDeleteThese do look very, very good. I think the raspberries might just take them over the top.
ReplyDeleteI've seen the author of this book on Martha Stewart before. I've thought about buying the book for my little guy who is allergic to so many things. I've tried some gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free, soy-free recipes. With so many substitutions it doesn't usually taste right. It's good to know you enjoyed this one. I'm curious to know what you think of the banana bread recipe and I will look forward to that post.
ReplyDeleteThese look so yummy! I bought the book, too, but haven't had a chance to make anything out of it.
ReplyDelete