Notes
Here are a few tricks for getting the perfect vegan apple scones.
Combining Flour and Butter
It’s important not to overwork the ingredients at this stage. The risk is that the butter will melt with the heat of our hands and activate the gluten in the flour. Too much gluten activation will make the scones tough instead of light and flaky. Try to rub the flour and vegan butter together just enough to combine them and flatten out the cubes of butter. It’s fine if there are still flecks of butter in the mixture – this will help the dough to stay light.
Keep Everything COLD!
Again, throughout this process, it’s important to keep all your ingredients as cold as possible. While preparing your little apple cubes to go into the scones, be sure to chill your flour and butter mixture. It’s also a good idea to chill your apple sauce if possible – and definitely don’t add it if it’s warmer than room temperature. If you’re finding the dough difficult to handle at any point, just give it a chill in the fridge for ten minutes before moving on.
Rough is Good!
The great thing about scones is that rougher = better! Don’t overmix your dough at any point as it’ll make everything tough and dry. Keep the dough shaggy and uneven textured. When Shaping your scones, don’t worry if they’re a little wonky and uneven. This is the best part about scones! The rougher the surface, the more craggy and crispy it’ll turn out. Oh, and don’t forget to brush with plant milk and sprinkle with sugar before baking.
Keep One Eye on the Scones While Baking!
The apple cubes have a tendency to protrude and can burn in the oven, so keep one eye on the scones while baking. If they look like they might brown a little too quickly, move them a little lower in the oven or use a pair of chopsticks to pull off the offending apple cubes before they burn!
