Apricot, cranberry, and almond whipped cream scones

vegan apricot cranberry and almond whipped cream

Boy, I sure have been posting a lot of cake lately. How about we switch things up a little bit por un momento, bake something that may actually contain some amount of nutrients in it for once?

Scones to the rescue!

As a relatively healthy baked good, I think these scones do a fine job. They’ve got a bit of whole wheat pastry flour and some nutritious (and fibrous) dried fruit, not to mention a healthy serving of coconut oil, which may or may not (depending on who you talk to) be a relatively healthy source of fat. Not to mention, these scones are incredibly low in sugar, with their only source of refined sweetener coming from 2 tablespoons of agave nectar (not including the maple syrup glaze). You can thank Shauna Sever, author of Real Sweet—the cookbook from which this recipe is ~~stolen~~ adapted—for that.

Yeah, they aren't the most photogenic of baked goods.

But what makes these scones is unique is the use of whipped cream in the batter to create a light, fluffy texture that you can’t get just by using a shit-ton of baking powder. The original recipe in Real Sweet uses heavy cream, of course, so I broke out the coconut cream instead and tried to make my own vegan whipped cream for the recipe. And you know what? It worked! I had to admit, I was a little surprised, since that was a major substitution—but hey, I ain’t complaining.

Now if only they were prettier to look at.

As far as scones go, these are pretty hearty too. You can actually eat one for breakfast and not be hungry 30 minutes later. Shocking, right?

(Not that it matters, but I recommend apricot jam. For obvious reason. Mmmmm...)

Anyway. Here’s the recipe.

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Apricot, cranberry, and almond whipped cream scones

Adapted from Real Sweet by Shauna Sever

Makes 8 scones

Ingredients

80 grams • dried apricots, diced • ½ cup

40 grams • dried cranberries • ¼ cup

28 grams • water • 2 tablespoons

2 grams • vanilla extract • ½ teaspoon

1 gram • almond extract • ¼ teaspoon

120 grams • whole wheat pastry flour • 1 cup

128 grams • all-purpose flour • 1 cup

12 grams • baking powder • 1 tablespoon

2 grams • finely grated orange zest • 2 teaspoons

3 grams • salt • ½ teaspoon

85 grams • coconut oil • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons

34 grams • sliced almonds • 1/3 cup

240 grams • coconut cream (the fatty part that rises to the top of a can after refrigerating) • 1 cup

42 grams • agave nectar • 2 tablespoons

15 grams • nondairy milk • 1 tablespoon

20 grams • maple syrup • 1 tablespoon

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine apricots, cranberries, water, vanilla, and almond extract. Heat in a microwave until steaming, about 45 seconds. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together pastry flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, orange zest, and salt. Add coconut oil and rub into the dry ingredients with your fingers, until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Uncover the bowl of dried fruit. The fruit should be nicely plumped without too much liquid left in the bowl (drain off any excess). Light pat the fruit dry with paper towels, then add to the dry ingredients and toss with your hands to combine.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine the coconut cream and agave nectar. Beat to soft peaks.

Using a spatula, gently fold coconut whipped cream into the flour mixture. After several folds, the dough will begin to come together. When no large streaks of cream are visible, stop folding. Be sure not to over-mix.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times to smooth out. Pat into a disk about 8 inches across. Dust a bit of flour on top of the disk and invert onto the baking sheet. Cut into 8 triangles, but do not separate the pieces.

Combine the milk and maple syrup in a small bowl. Brush on top of the scones. Bake for 15 minutes, until the scones are golden all over. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Munch.

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