Apricot Ginger Scones (Vegan)

I have revised this recipe since it was originally published. You can find the revised version here.

Usually when trying something new I try to limit changes to one thing at a time so I know which new thing is the problem if my “fake it when you bake it” recipe goes awry, but I was pretty sure this was going to work out okay, so I used soy milk to see how vegan would work for scones. I’ve had this flavor combination in mind for a while, but only just recently threw a bunch of ingredients together and tried it out. Oh, wonderful!

I love crystalized ginger. I put it in my tea sometimes, or snack on it. But I realize that its combination of sharp and sweet may not be to everyone’s tastes, and I didn’t want it to overwhelm the other flavors so I used less of it than the dried fruit. More than 1/8th cup, but less than 1/4 cup. The ginger and nutmeg play very well together. Also, because the crystalized ginger is lightly dusted with sugar — and the fruit is sweet, too — I can get away with very little added sugar in this recipe. You might could pare the added sugar down even more, depending on how sweet you like your scones.

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 Tbls baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbls sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 8 Tbls margarine
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup dried apricots, diced
• slightly less than 1/4 cup crystalized ginger, diced
• 2/3 cup soy milk (I used Silk organic unsweetened)

Preheat oven 425. Stir together all the dry ingredients (first five ingredients). Then blend in the margarine with a fork, pastry cutter, or just use your hands, until it’s all worked in evenly. Toss in the fruits and stir in well so that it’s evenly distributed. Pour in soy milk. Stir until the dough starts to come together, then use your hands and knead it until it makes a firm round of dough. Divide into two more or less equal pieces. Shape each into a ball and then a flattened round probably 5 or 6 inches in diameter. Place the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet. Cut each into 6 equal wedge-shaped pieces. Separate the wedges on the baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until done. (If the wedges don’t come out equal sized, then test the larger ones with a toothpick for doneness when you take them out of the oven.)

This is heavenly! Good as is, or broken apart with a dab of margarine inside. You could put jam on them, but this has so much fruit and flavor that jam might be overkill! 😉