Vegan Strawberry Lemon Scones

I used to work at a natural foods store that made all of their baked goods from scratch.  They made the best scones, that were very popular with the customers, and we would always make different flavors.  I learned how to make them from a lady that worked there before me, and then came up with a veganized version to sell there as well.  Sadly the store is no longer open, but I still love to make my own veganized version of the scones at home!  The other day I was thinking that some Vegan Strawberry Lemon Scones sounded amazing so I made a batch! 

Scones are actually quite simple to make, and they will turn out well as long as you are careful how you mix up the dough.  You always want to start with the dry ingredients, mix them together well, then mix in the fat with your hands, leaving good sized chunks of it to create flakey pockets in your scones.  I use coconut oil in these because it is what we used to use there, since it was cost effective, but you could use vegan butter instead if you are not a fan of coconut oil.  After your dough is clumpy with the fat added, you mix in the full fat coconut milk until just barely mixed but still pretty clumpy.  You want the coconut milk to be chilled, because it is important the dough doesn't get too warm or things will mix too much.  You do not want a smooth dough for these or they will be very dense which is not the goal here.  I also added in vanilla and lemon with the coconut milk in these.

Next, you want to just fold in the strawberries so that they are evenly distributed before you shape them.  You want to pat the dough into a round, not handling it too much, then cut it into wedges and place them on a parchment lined tray.  I then drizzle them with a little more coconut milk and sprinkle them with a bit of sugar to create a nice crunchy outside.  These smell amazing while baking!  So heavenly!

These scones are super delicious!  These are rich and delicious, melt in your mouth with sweet jammy berries baked into them throughout, scented with aromatic lemon and vanilla!  They are perfect with a cup of coffee or tea for a mid morning snack!  If you are in the mood for a delicious fresh baked scone that is way better than the ones you will find in most coffee shops, give these Vegan Strawberry Lemon Scones a try!

Vegan Strawberry Lemon Scones

Makes 8

Ingredients:

• 3 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour* or organic all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup solid virgin coconut oil, cut into chunks (if your house is above 65F degrees, chill it first)
• 1 1/2 cups (or as needed) cold full fat organic canned coconut milk (whisked until smooth if chunky)
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice plus 2 Tbsp lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• 2 cups strawberries, quartered (or cut into eighths if large)
• coconut milk for topping (if needed)
• graulated sugar for sprinkling

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees with the rack set at the middle position.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the coconut oil with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture starts to clump into pea sized pieces. In a small bowl, stir the vanilla and lemon juice and zest and lemon extract into the coconut milk. Add the coconut milk to the dough, and stir a few times, but do not over-mix. The dough should hold together when squeezed, but still be clumpy.
4. Fold in peaches until evenly distributed.
5. Place dough on a floured work surface, and shape into a 4 inch wide log. Use a bench scraper to cut into 8 triangles.
6. Place scones on the prepared baking sheet, reshaping slightly if necessary.
7. Brush the tops lightly with the coconut milk (only if they seem dry, you want the sugar to stick), and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
8. Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes , then after about 20 minutes you may need to reshape with 2 bench scrapers if the scones are spreading. Turn them then place back in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes more until they are lightly browned and cooked throughout.
9. Cool on a wire rack.
10. Enjoy!

*If you prefer to make these gluten free, you can swap the whole wheat pastry flour for an all purpose baking flour like Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking flour (I have tried this brand with success).