Coming in from outside, after playing snake-in-the-grass with bare feet, and the sun shining on my back, I relished the cold chill of my moms sun-made Lipton's tea; I was eight.
At ten, I thought I'd grown up. So, I began taking pleasure in a mug filled with warm tea alongside my mom and her guests; my snoopy mug being my favorite. From chamomile to mint and even robust black tea, I began sampling.
I always thought it was quite elegant to drink from nice China teapots with cup and saucer. Of course my mom was nice enough to oblige me with this indulgence, often allowing me to hold my own tea parties well into college with her dainty antique plate ware accompanied by lovely cloth napkins. It's a fond memory of mine.
Though I dabbled for a year or two with a coffee fascination, it never quite suited me. My love of tea continued. Also reaching adulthood, I wanted something to accompany my tea drinking. So, I began making biscottis and scones. To me, the slight sweetness of these pastries are a great pair; not to mention their crumbly texture.
To this day I keep a well stocked assortment of tea for my own guests pleasure, and am known for my own sun-brewed peach iced tea. It's also a joy to watch my own children enjoy a tea party with their friends the same way my mom allowed me to.
The scone recipe I have included for your enjoyment was one I adapted to being Vegan from the 2000 December issue of Bon Appetit: Chocolate Chip Scones. Though I have plenty of flavor varieties, these satisfy me with my sweet craving. They marry well with a nice English Breakfast tea. Find what suits you. Happy tea drinking. I hope you enjoy the scones.
CHOCOLATE CHIP SCONES:
(yield: 6-8)
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. organic cane sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
6 Tbsp. chilled Earth Balance
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup almond milk
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Emergen-C egg Replacer egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Almond Milk and 2 Tbsp.organic cane sugar for glazing
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Pre-line baking sheet with Parchment Paper, unless you have scone making pans (oiled/dusted
with flour). Sift 2 cups flour,
1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into large bowl.
2. Add Earth Balance and lemon peel; with a pastry whisk or fingertips until Earth Balance is reduced in size.
3. Mix in chocolate chips.
4. Whisk almond milk, along with lemon juice, Emergen-C egg replacer egg (follow box directions), and vanilla in a small bowl
to blend.
5. Add milk mixture to dry ingredients; mix until dough comes together in moist clumps.
6. Gather dough into ball. Press dough out on lightly floured surface to 8-inch round; cut round into 6 wedges. Transfer
wedges to prepared baking sheet or scone pans and form.
7. Allow scones to bake for 10 minutes, brush scones lightly with milk and sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar. Bake until
scones are crusty on top and tester comes out clean.
8. Serve warm alongside your choice of tea (or coffee)
