+GF
From start to finish, this recipe takes less than an hour and has options for both gluten-free and wheat-eatin’ readers. The chunks of rich, dark chocolate in the scones make breakfast feel just a little more fancy than usual and totally acceptable as an after-dinner treat, too. —AS
MAKES 14 MINI SCONES OR 6 LARGE ONES
2 cups (250 g) gluten-free all-purpose flour (or 2 cups [260 g] whole wheat flour)
⅛ tsp salt
1 tbsp (12 g) baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum (omit if using whole wheat flour)
3 tbsp (36 g) organic sugar
½ cup (115 g) cold vegan butter or shortening
⅔–¾ cup (160–180 ml) cold nondairy milk
½ cup (90 g) chocolate chips or chopped bar chocolate
Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, xanthan (if using) and sugar. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until uniform crumbs form (sometimes it helps to fork the butter into the flour if you’re having trouble with your knives). Pour in the cold nondairy milk a little at a time, mixing until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon until they are evenly distributed.
Roll the dough onto a clean, floured surface and, using a rolling pin, roll out to about a 1 inch (2.5 cm) thickness. Cut out scone shapes using a cookie cutter or the top of a round, glass cup. We used a glass cup with about a 2-inch (5-cm) opening. It’s important when cutting shapes that you push the cutter straight down into the dough and not turn or wiggle the cutter too much, or the dough will lose some of its air and be much denser.
Once your shapes are cut, place them onto a greased cookie sheet and bake them for 15 to 18 minutes, until they turn golden on the bottom and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool for several minutes and enjoy!
We got 14 mini scones from this recipe, but if you prefer larger, normal-size scones, you should get about 6. Scones save well in an airtight container for several days.