Chai Scones

I'm out of OATS!
Not a crisis at all, really.
OK . . . maybe to a food blogger.

Oats are a key ingredient in the bean burgers I wrote about yesterday. I tried substituting brown rice and -- I think I used too much sweet potato this time around -- they turned to mush. A gigantic patty of delicious mush seasoned with just the right amount of cumin, thyme, and paprika.

I got nothing. I woke up early today and decided to bake scones before sunrise.

I promise I don't have some sort of baking addiction. But if I get the kitchen to myself and the house is otherwise quiet (like before Ada wakes up for the day, bless her heart), I must take full advantage.

Then while I was waiting for enough daylight so I could photograph them, I wrote a post all about how baking vegan doesn't mean using strange ingredients. The text got rather long and took on a life of its own, so I'm saving it for another day.

It's been a while since you've had a descent recipe. Let's get to it.


CHAI SCONES w/ CHOCOLATE CHIPS + WALNUTS = Vegan recipe

What you'll need . . .

• 2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1 heaping tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance*
• 1 cup chai tea, double-bagged**
• 1 tablespoon flax meal
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup crushed walnuts

* I imagine you could also use oil or butter, for that matter.
** Just brew a cup of tea, but use two bags of your favorite chai.


Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. If you have a baking stone, place it inside you oven. Otherwise, a baking sheet should do fine, just grease a bit.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, baking powder, and salt.
3. Then cut your Earth Balance/butter into small pieces and toss it in the flour mixture. Use your hands to incorporate it until the flour looks like coarse meal. (If you have a food processor -- especially if you plan to try oil -- you could also put it all in there and pulse until incorporated.) Set aside.
4. Once your tea is brewed nice and dark, pour it into a smaller bowl and mix with the flax meal. Let sit for a couple minutes. Then add in the maple syrup, brown sugar, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Mix.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a spoon until just combined.
6. Then fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts. I actually folded them together with my hands -- being careful not to knead the dough.
7. I place the bowl in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or so. Then on a floured work surface, I rolled out into a round disk and cut into 8 slices. You can make smaller scones, too. It's up to you.
8. Then place on your baking stone (or sheet) and bake for 15 minutes. You may need a couple more minutes depending on the size of your scones.
9. Let cool a bit before serving. But they are delicious warm with a cup of -- you guessed it -- chai tea.

Go forth & make scones!

(And if you do, please tell me how they turn out for you!)

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Spelt Cornbread

Guess who got a walk in yet again this morning!

We went a bit farther than yesterday, too. It feels so amazing to start in the day this way. We recently stopped Ada's 11 PM feed, and I'll write more about it on Writing Chapter Three later today. I'm just hoping her good sleep habits keep on going despite the change. This productivity kick has my mood way improved.

We ate dinosaur kale chips, chipotle tofu "steaks", and spelt cornbread for dinner last night. I'm having my usual eggs and some cornbread again for breakfast, and I'll have another green smoothie for a morning snack.


I vary my diet for obvious reasons, but if there are leftovers I like -- and there are few leftovers I actually enjoy -- I tend to gobble them up. This is the first cornbread recipe I've developed that doesn't have sugar or maple syrup in it. The flavor of the coconut oil and water gives it a light sweetness. However, you may also replace these ingredients with olive oil and plain water.

SPELT CORNBREAD

What you'll need . . .

• 2 cups polenta/corn grits
• 1-1/2 cups spelt flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 1/3 cup virgin coconut oil
• 1 cup coconut water
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 can corn kernels, drained and rinsed well (optional)

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spritz a 9 x 13 pan (I used a glass dish) with olive oil.
2. Whisk together the corn grits, spelt flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Melt the coconut oil in the microwave. Then add it to the warm water and coconut water. You need to make sure the water mixture is warm -- I learned the hard way that the coconut oil hardens on contact with cold.
4. Then pour the wet mixture into the dry and mix until well combined. 
5. Fold in the corn kernels and then spread into your baking pan.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, then check the center. It will likely still be gooey. Bake for another 5 minutes and possibly another couple after that, depending on your oven. Bread is done when center is set, but still moist.

GOAL #3: To spin off last night's topic of negative versus positive, I'm trying now to stay positive in all areas, even those I didn't previously expect were getting me down. This includes focusing on the people, places, and things in my life that most matter and letting go of negative connections and influences.

It's a big goal, and something I'll probably write more about eventually.

Strangely enough, many of these mood suckers are related to the time I spend online. Whether it's rolling my eyes at random Facebook status updates, Googling medical issues (remember when the doctor said Ada's head is too big? Yeah. No good.), or stressing because I've let my inbox overflow beyond manageable. Computers are great, but they sure do complicate life.

I'm hoping to cull the loop of websites I visit on a daily basis and limit time online in general. Sitting in a dark corner at 9 PM and mindlessly surfing isn't benefiting me any -- even if I am reading news or useful information. We have an entire bookshelf teeming with books. I have a sewing machine that gets little use. I have a birthday party to plan.

I'd rather be productive with my time. You know, actually MAKE things instead of just pinning them on Pinterest. (Though I can't see cutting out Pinterest!) We'll see how it goes!

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Three-Seed Crackers

Crackers. We've made 'em before, if you'll remember, the no-flour or yeast variety: Healthy Crackers full of couscous, oats, nuts, and spices. But these are healthy, too. And much more like what you traditionally think of when you crave the snack. Stephen ate most of them himself, so that should tell you just how good they really are!

This recipe is adapted from one that appears in Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. We just kicked them up a notch -- took out the egg and parmesan -- and added flax meal, spelt, and sesame and poppy seeds (hence the three seed in the name). Delish!




What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups unbleached white whole wheat flour (or whole wheat)
• 1/2 cup flaxmeal
• 1/2 cup spelt flour
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 teaspoons agave or honey
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• More salt for sprinkling

Method . . . 

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir together 1/4 cup of the warm water and yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes (until foamy).
2. Add the olive oil, flours, flax meal, salt, agave or honey, the garlic powder, sesame and poppy seeds, and the rest of the warm water. Attach to a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 1 minute.
3. Switch to a dough hook, and mix on medium-low speed until dough is soft, but not tacky. 2 minutes. I found that I had to add another tablespoon of water because my dough was too dry. If you encounter this issue, too, add water slowly -- in 1 tablespoon amounts -- until you reach the soft, but not tacky consistency.
4. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for five minutes (I actually just kept mine in the bowl mixing with the dough hook for that part). Form into a ball, put in a bowl and cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let sit for 10 minutes.
5. Refrigerate until well chilled (at least 1 hour) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface again. Divide into 16 equal parts (for huge crackers) or 32 (for small crackers).
7. Use a rolling pin to roll out the pieces until they are thin and then transfer those pieces of dough to the baking sheets. Brush lightly with water and then sprinkle with the extra coarse salt you have.
8. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through, until crisp and golden. Cool on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough.
9. Crackers stay good in airtight container for up to 3 days.

If you like this recipe, you'll love the Martha Stewart's Cooking School cookbook. And you still have until tomorrow night to enter our giveaway for a chance to win! It's just our way to celebrating reaching 500 subscribers (that number is now closer to 630)!

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Spelt Corn Bread: Wheat-Free Treat

Corn bread -- or is it cornbread? -- version 2.0 is both vegan and wheat free. It's a more savory example of the stuff -- incorporating some rosemary for extra flavor. (Just a tip: I find I can use rosemary and lavender almost interchangeably in cooking and baking.) What makes it wheat-free is the glorious spelt flour which is used for the base.

Spelt is not only a great substitute for "regular" flour, but it is also packed with protein and other enhanced nutrition. It has a slightly nutty flavor that works well in baking . . . is readily available at most grocery stores . . . and is easy to digest.

AND: If you'd like to try something a little crazy -- check out the pomegranate-lavender poppy corn bread recipe we posted this morning.

What you'll need . . .

• 2 cups cornmeal
• 1 cup spelt flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 cups soy milk
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon rosemary

For lack of another photo of the corn bread, I've decided to showcase my Mommie Dearest magnet. NO WIRE HANGERS!



Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 350 F, line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper or spray the bottom lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Whisk together the soy milk and the vinegar and set aside.
3. In another bowl, sift together the dry ingredients
4. Add the oil and maple syrup to the soy milk mixture. Whisk until it is foamy and bubbly (about 2 minutes).
5. Pour the wet ingredient into the dry and mix together using a large wooden spoon or a firm spatula.
6. Crush the rosemary in a mortar and pestle and incorporate into the mixture.
7. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and bake 30-35 minutes.

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