You know those foods that evoke an emotion or memory that’s so strong you can’t not think about it every time you see it or eat it? Well for me, that’s scones. Whenever I see them, I’m brought back to “teatime” with my mom when I was younger. We’d do the whole shabang–freshly brewed tea made with loose tea leaves (my mom’s specialty was a combination of English Breakfast and Earl Grey leaves), mini cucumber & creamcheese sandwiches, and of course–scones with clotted cream (a spread similar to butter).
Given my backstory with scones, I was really adamant about getting the right texture for a scone. Not too dry, a bit crumbly, and with a rich and buttery taste. It took a while to find the right ratio of ingredients and healthy substitutes to keep this texture, while making this less of a sugary treat and more of a breakfast item or snack that would actually be filling and healthy.
English Teatime Scones
Makes about eight large scones or twelve small ones.
urrants make these scones super traditional, and you can often find them in bulk at stores like Whole Foods. If you can’t find them, use raisins, (unsweetened) dried cherries, or fresh blueberries. If you’re skeptical of chickpea flour, don’t be. Give it a chance. Chickpea flour is actually quite cheap, and it adds a great buttery taste and texture to these scones.
- 1 1/4 cup oat flour (either buy store-bought oat flour or make your own by grinding rolled oats in a food processor)
- 3/4 cup chickpea flour
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg, whisked well
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup almond milk (other milks work too)
- 3 tablespoons honey + 3 droppers stevia (or add 2 more tablespoons honey)
- 1/4 cup dried currants
Preheat oven to 350.
Add flours, sea salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk until fully combined. Make a large well in the bowl. Then add in the egg, coconut oil, applesauce, vanilla extract, milk, and honey into the well. Whisk until well combined (just the wet ingredients in the middle), and then begin to fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a spatula (not stirring motions). Once the batter is fully mixed, stir in the currants.
Spray a baking sheet with oil or cover with silpat. Use a large spoon or a measuring cup to scoop out 1/4 cup-size portions of the batter and place on sheet. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until scones are just beginning to turn golden. Let cool before eating.