Friday, February 25, 2011

Spelt Raspberry Scones

(This one is for you, Rhonda! Oh, and anyone else who can't eat wheat, or dairy, is vegan or just wants to eat healthier!)

I was inspired by a recent cookbook I found at the library. It was a wheat-free, refined sugar-free and dairy-free cookbook from a New York bakery called babycakes.

Usually I avoid all those cookbooks that claim to be free of every allergen out there. Usually the recipes result in big let downs and a waste of my time, energy and money! This cookbook had some fairly big claims to live up to.

Although most of the recipes had some unusual ingredients, there were a couple recipes that I could attempt based on what I had at home. I had just bought a bag of spelt flour and was anxious to start experimenting with that again. When I found the spelt scone recipe in the cookbook, I was determined to try it. I did have to make some modifications (which I don't usually recommend in baking!) because I ran out of agave syrup but I was thrilled with the results.

This is my slight variation of the babycakes recipe. If you want their original recipe, you could go check the book out at the library too. This recipe is wheat-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free and vegan. It sounds scary based on this preface, but it is worth trying even if you aren't allergic to everything!

Spelt Raspberry Scones
These are not your standard scone (see previous posts). These are a bit more dense, full of fruit and they are delicious on their own- no accompaniments needed! These are best served warm, a few minutes after they come out of the oven with a big pot of tea.

2 cups spelt flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup boiling or hot water
1 cup raspberries (I used frozen)

1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Add melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and hot water with a wooden spoon.
4. Add raspberries and combine until mixed through.
5. On parchment-covered baking sheet, drop 1/4-1/3 cup of mix onto the pan in a mound. Shape lightly with hands (don't press down too hard!). You should have approximately 8 mounds.
6. Combine 1 tbsp coconut oil and 1 tbsp maple syrup in a small bowl. Brush onto scones.
7. Bake for about 16-17 minutes, rotating half-way through. Let stand on sheet for 15 minutes before consuming!