Everyone needs a stress reliever, a way to blow off some steam and unwind. Some people may find that in exercising or playing a musical instrument. Others may resort to composing angst-filled songs, journaling or talking to a good friend. I’ve found that some of these are effective, healthy choices — but when push comes to shove, all I want to do to wind down these days is bake vegan orange poppy seed scones.
So I do. Last week I baked them three times, if that gives an idea of how busy my semester has been. I am so grateful to have nine housemates — there is never a shortage in demand for my baked goods, vegan or not.
Scone recipe
This recipe is adapted from my favorite vegan cookbook, “Vegan with a Vengeance,” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Her recipe is for plain scones, but I add orange zest and poppy seeds to make them orange poppy seed scones.
You will need:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (I often use half whole wheat)
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 orange (for the zest)
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup milk substitute (such as soy, rice, hemp, etc.)
- ¾ cup milk substitute, plus 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (sometimes I use ¾ cup orange juice instead of the milk substitute, and it has always worked)
Here’s what you do:
1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and grease a baking sheet.
2) Sift together all your dry goods, including sugar, in a large mixing bowl.
3) Take your orange, and grate the peel into your dry goods bowl.
4) Pour in your liquids and stir. The texture should be light and fluffy. Sometimes the dough seems too gooey, so I just knead in a little more flour.
5) Make ¼ cup-sized clumps of dough and place them your greased baking sheet, spaced evenly apart.
6) If you want, sprinkle sugar on top of the dough.
7) Bake 12-15 minutes, until your little masterpieces are lightly brown on top.
8) Eat the zested orange for your daily dose of vitamin C.
Vegan for February
If you didn’t read last week’s article, allow me to give a brief update: basically, a group of friends and I decided to go vegan for a whole month. We chose February, the shortest month of the year, and called it “No Face February.” We happily filled ourselves with veggies, beans, grains, tofu and fruits during that time, and found veganism to be a generally healthy, enjoyable diet.
Comfort food and vegan health benefits
While eating healthily is an important lifestyle, we also need at least some comfort food in order to have a healthy soul. Doesn’t it make you feel good to have a cookie every once in a while? I think baked goods and other forms of comfort foods are certainly gifts. They are not to be consumed excessively — but, when the right amount is eaten, they just hit the spot.
Having no desire to starve my soul, I spent my wind-down time in February exploring the world of vegan baking options. I made various types of vegan cookies, brownies and scones, mostly from the aforementioned cookbook.
One of the benefits to vegan baking is the absence of milk. As a result, those who are sensitive to lactose or are lactose-intolerant can freely enjoy anything vegan. However, I did try making these orange poppy seed scones with whole milk instead of milk alternatives. Some of my housemates told me they prefer the vegan version — but, this recipe swings both ways, just in case you were hesitant to try the recipe due to a lack of vegan ingredients.
As ironic as it may seem, simply substitute milk for the milk substitutes. So, whether you make them vegan or not, please relax, unwind, and enjoy those orange poppy seed scones.
