Chocolate Chip Scones

As requested, here is a fabulous recipe for vegan scones from The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. I doubled this recipe for my family and we ate on these yummy treats for days.

Chocolate Chip Scones

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer (equivalent of 1 egg)

2 tablespoons water (I think warm works best)

2 1/2 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 c granulated sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 c of non-hydrogenated nondairy butter, cold ( I use Earth Balance)

1 cup of nondairy semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup nondairy milk ( I use soymilk)

Extra milk or water as needed

2 to 3 tablespoons nondairy milk for brushing tops

Cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling on top

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Lightly oil a cookie or baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

In a food processor or by hand, whip together the egg replacer powder and water until think and creamy. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and cut it into small pieces with two knives or with a pastry blender. You're not creating a paste; you want a coarse crumbly batter that resembles bread crumbs. (To make flaky scones, leave some of the butter pieces as large as peas.) Stir in the chocolate chips.

Add the milk and egg replacer mixture, and keep the mixing to a minimum to avoid developing the gluten in the flour (which produces tough scones). Mix with a wooden spoon, fork, or your fingers just until the dry ingredients are moistened or nearly moistened. The dough will not be completely smooth like bread dough.

Gather the dough into a ball (you may need to add just one more teaspoon of nondairy milk or water, but you will be able to form it into a ball), and place on a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough out to a 1/2-inch-thick (1.3 cm) round, and cut into 8 or 10 pieces - triangles are a traditional shape. Place them 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) apart on the baking sheet, brush with nondairy milk, and sprinkle with some cinnamon and sugar.

Bake until the tops are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a rack or serve warm.

Yield: 8-10 scones