Before Christmas this year, my parents took the entire family to Arizona. Entire meaning my brother and his wife, my sister and her boyfriend, my little sister, and my boyfriend and me. This was the first time Josh had met my brother (it only took a year and 8 months), and consequently it was the first time all nine of us had ever been together. With all of us getting older and in different states and stages of life, it's rare that even the six of us are together. It's safe to say I was beyond excited about this; I love my family.
The weird thing about being in Arizona around Christmas though: it doesn't feel like Christmas. It's 70 degrees and sunny, yet they are playing Christmas music and there are Christmas trees everywhere. They even decorate the cactus with Christmas lights (which is actually really cool). In order to try to get us little more n the Christmas mood, I made these gingerbread scones for the family!
These scones were a definitely winner. Nine out of nine voted yes. That right there is an accomplishment in itself. They're sweet, but not too sweet. They taste like gingerbread, but not too much. They're light and fluffy, like a scones should be. The glaze on top gives them the perfect amount of moistness. If we're being honest, I probably could have eaten them all by myself. Oh, and did I mention that unlike 99% of scones out there, they're dairy-free? (YAY!)
Random things to note: Use refined coconut oil, so the coconut flavor does not come through. I do love coconut, but in this case, we don't want that flavor to shine through. Also, it may seem weird to grate the coconut oil, but do it. It helps make them light and fluffy, just like a good scones it supposed to be. To do this, I froze it in the measuring cup, then scooped it out with a big serving spoon and used this to grate it against a cheese grater. Lastly, usually I am one to skip the steps that ask things like, "brush top with egg whites." Just do it. It seriously does makes them 10 times more pretty to look at, and it helps to seal in some moisture.
Adapted from Pinch of Yum
Makes 12 scones
Ingredients:
Gingerbread Scones:
1/2 cup coconut oil3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
3/4 tsp ground ginger, heaping
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
additional flour as needed, for rolling
1 egg white, for brushing
Maple Glaze:
2 Tbsp coconut oil1¼ cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1-2 Tbsp water
Directions:
1. Measure out coconut oil and put in the freezer while you prep the other ingredients so it will be cold and firm enough to grate.2. Mix flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, salt, and baking powder.
3. Whisk the eggs, maple syrup, molasses, and almond milk.
4. Grate the coconut oil using a cheese grater and work into the flour mixture with your hands or with a pastry cutter until crumbs form. It's okay if there are visible chunks of oil.
5. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour/oil mixture until just combined.
6. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and form into two thick circles about 5 inches in diameter. Transfer to the freezer to chill for 15 minutes. While freezing, preheat oven to 425 degrees.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take the dough out of the freezer and pat it together a few more times it so it's a tight circle. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet.
8. Cut each circles into 6 wedges with a sharp knife and space the wedges out so they won't touch when they rise in the oven. Lightly press each wedge with palm of hand to flatten slightly to 1/2-inch thick.
9. Brush the top of each wedge with a thin layer of egg whites for shine.
10. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
11. For the glaze, melt the coconut oil. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and maple syrup. Stir until smooth. Add water if needed to thin out the glaze. Spoon over the tops of the baked scones
