Grapefruit & Yogurt Scones

Here is what I have discovered: spring makes me restless. 

I guess they don't have the saying "spring fever" for nothing, but I've never noticed it so clearly before! I'm just so sick of my old routine- it's time to do new things, go new places, create, get inspired... 

But I still have four weeks of school.

Not that I can't do any of those things in college- that's what college is for, isn't it? It is just a tiny bit harder when you have exams and paper deadlines and such. I guess I have to cure my spring fever in little ways. When my feet get restless: go get a studio and dance. When my mind gets restless: focus on a good book (I just started this one!). 

When my hands get restless: bake scones and make them delicious.

Done and Done.

Grapefruit & Yogurt Scones (loosely adapted from Joy the Baker)

makes 6 scones

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp margarine
1 grapefruit, zested and cut in half
1/2 cup soy yogurt (plain or vanilla)

1. Preheat your oven to 425º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, grapefruit zest and salt in a large bowl. Add in the margarine and using your fingers, crumble it into the flour mixture until combined. 
3. Mix in the maple syrup and yogurt. Cut out each segment of the halved grapefruit, as if you were eating it out of a bowl, and fold them into the batter. 
4. Place the dough onto the cookie sheet and form it into a circle with an 8 inch diameter. Sprinkle the top with sugar, if you like, and cut the circle into 6 pieces. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops and edges begin to brown. Serve warm with a cup of tea!

These use such simple ingredients and are the perfect mix of sweet and tart. They are a little moister than most scones because of the grapefruit juices, but still have that wonderful flakey and crumble-y texture.

Do you get spring fever?

Golden Scones

A miracle has happened in these past few weeks: I have become a morning person.

I used to be that person that called getting up any time before 10am "early," but now here I am, up and at 'em at 7am every day. I've found that it makes me more productive. Not only do I get to see the sun rise, but I finally have time in my day to read books for fun, journal a bit, write more blog posts, and bake scones! 

Even if you are not a morning person, the promise of these delicious and crumbly scones might just get you to roll out of bed. 

Golden Pumpkin Scones (adapted from Students Go Vegan Cookbook)

Makes about 8 medium scones

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (or fresh pureed)
3/4 cup soy milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup brown sugar, plus a little extra for sprinkling

1. Preheat your oven to 450º and lightly oil a baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and stir well. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, soy milk, oil and brown sugar. 
3. Add the wet into the dry and mix until just combined. Plop the batter onto the baking sheet in 8 equal dollops. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until the tops begin to brown. 

Not only are these perfect for breakfast, but they would be amazing alongside a bowl of my pumpkin and black bean chili, or any other soup you like :)

What do you wake up for?

Lemon Ginger Scones

Home for the holidays at last. I survived finals week! I think they all went really well in the end, so now I just get to sit back, relax, and bake all day if I feel like it! Although, because I've been so wrapped up in school I completely forgot that Christmas is in 3 days. I can't completely relax- I need to do some serious Christmas shopping.

My first pre-Christmas present to my family, however, was to make them something yummy for breakfast. I've been wanting to try out vegan scones for a while, so I veganized a basic recipe from this really old cookbook we have laying around and they turned out great! Perfectly buttery, flakey and not too sweet. The lemon and ginger flavor is pretty subtle, so they're best served with jam or some extra earth balance. 

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Lemon Ginger Scones

makes 8 scones

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup (4 tbsp) cold earth balance 

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup soy creamer

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

1. Preheat your oven to 425º and lightly grease a 9" round pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Using a fork, add in the earth balance and chop it up until crumbly.

3. Mix in the applesauce. Then stir in the creamer, lemon zest, lemon juice and ginger. You may want to use your hands.

4. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 2 minutes or until smooth. Stretch the dough out into a circle and press it into the 9" pan so that it covers the whole surface. 

5. Cut the dough into 8 slices and separate the edges slightly so they are easier to cut later. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the tops just start to turn golden brown.

This is great scone base- if you take out the lemon and ginger, you could add anything you want! Fruit, nuts, chocolate... whatever your heart desires. These would be great for christmas morning :)

Also I just finished watching this movie, one of my favorite holiday classics! 
What's your favorite holiday movie?