Dark Chocolate Scones- Simply Vegan

People often ask me why I bake...it's an interesting question.
Why does anyone do anything really?
For me, I love the process, the smells, the texture...
but mostly I love the joy.
I love looking at people's faces,
knowing that they are tasting something that I created for them with love.
Weird?
Maybe, but I don't care.
I love people, well, my people.
I'm picky.


These scones are a little bit picky too.
Picky in that I wanted to take inspiration from one of my favorite bakeries,
The Dahlia Bakery in Seattle.
I love everything about it, and their cookbook
is a little bit of heaven to a baker girl like me.
The difference with this recipe is that I want to make a
beautiful, tasty, and surprisingly moist VEGAN scone.
And I have a secret ingredient...actually, it's magically.
Vanilla Coconut Milk "Yogurt"
Have you seen this?
Oh my! It's a little bit of Vegan Heaven!
Especially when it comes to using it in baked goods.
You can use it as a supplement for buttermilk, sour cream, cream
...pretty much any diary product.
I have found that it helps maintain moisture,
while giving it a hint of deliciousness that is coconut.
Simply dreamy.
It's a must try if you, like me, enjoy the challenge of making
baked goods vegan and incredibly tasty.
And who wouldn't like those things? 

Dark Chocolate Pecan Scones

Inspired by Scones from The Dahlia Bakery
MAKES 12-18 small scones

Scones

1 3 ⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1⁄4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 ⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup cold vegan butter, cut into chunks
1/4 cup cold coconut oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 container of Trader Joe's  Vanilla Coconut Milk "Yogurt"
1 cups pecans (or really any nut that you like) finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate
Sugar Crystals

Sugar Glaze
3 ⁄4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup water or enough to make the consistency that you want
1⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Combine both flours, the brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor.
3. Pulse the mixture, and then add the butter and coconut oil until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add in nuts and pulse again.
3. Add vanilla extract and coconut milk yogurt and pulse to combine until dough comes together in a sticky dough ball.
4. Add dark chocolate chunks and pulse a couple times to incorporate.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead together just a couple times.

6. Divide the dough into 2 or 3 equal pieces and pat each piece into a flat round about 1 ⁄2- inch thick.
(Make 3 dough rounds for small scones, which I like to make and share.)
7. Cut each round into 6 wedges.
8. Place the scones on a parchment- lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20-15 minutes.
9. Let the scones cool, but still slightly warm, then drizzle with sugar glaze.