Vegan Date & Walnut Scones — Delectably Mine

Lara and I hosted a baby shower for our cousin earlier this summer. She gave us free rein to serve any food we wanted, just as long as it was dairy free since she doesn’t tolerate dairy well. This can be difficult for me because I love dairy so much, and love baking with butter and cream, etc. But it can also sometimes be a fun challenge and a way to get me out of my comfort zone, a reason to try some new recipes and techniques.

Since we were doing a brunch shower I knew I had to makes scones because they’re the best! But dairy free it had to be which I have not done before in a scone. I found a good looking recipe on Serious Eats from Stella Parks which gave me confidence though so I went for it!

For the shower I made the original recipe off the Serious Eats website (see link), shaped the dough into two rounds instead of one, and cut each round into 6 scones to make a total of 12 smaller scones. (The original recipes calls for you to make 6 scones total, but I didn’t want them that big for the shower.) They turned out great! Exactly what I wanted. I flavored them with lemon zest and fresh lavender from my garden and glazed them with a little powdered sugar/coconut milk/coconut oil glaze.

I liked this recipe so much I decided to adapt it for myself! I decided to cut the original recipe down by 25% to just make 3/4 of the original recipe and shaped the dough into 6 scones. I like the size of these scones; big enough to feel substantial but yet not huge. Then I went with another one of my favorite flavor combinations; date and walnut with cinnamon.

I am shocked and surprised to find out that these are probably the best scones I have made. I just didn’t expect that. I have made a lot of scones, and like pretty much all of them, but I have been on the lookout for a specific type of scone. I want one that is tender and rich, yet not too delicate. Most of the scones I have made are so soft and delicate that they seem to just fall apart. These are sturdier, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t tender. They bake up great with straight sides and the flavor is awesome. Don’t worry if you don’t like coconut, you won’t really taste it.

Vegan Date & Walnut Scones
Adapted from Serious Eats
Ingredients

170 grams all purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
41 grams coconut oil
120-150 grams full fat coconut milk
3/4 cup (60 grams) walnuts
6 medjool dates, chopped

Glaze

85 grams powdered sugar
20-25 grams coconut milk

Directions
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, cinnamon and coconut oil in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until oil disappears into a powdery meal. Transfer to a medium bowl, then toss with walnuts and dates. Stir in coconut milk with a flexible spatula to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, pat into a 6-7 inch round. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or overnight Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400°F .

When ready to bake, use a chef’s knife, or a pastry scraper to cut chilled wheel of dough into 6 wedges. Arrange on a parchment-lined half sheet pan. Bake until puffed and golden, about 20-22 minutes. While the scones are baking mix the powder sugar and coconut milk. You want a very thick glaze (it will be thicker than you think it should be but once it is spread on the hot scones you’ll see why). Once the scones are done baking spoon the glaze onto the top of each scone while still hot. You can gently spread the glaze with the back of a spoon to help it drip down the side of each scone. Let cool before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.