Babycakes Raspberry Scones

Last weekend, I met up with a good friend Downtown. We ran around the city, picking up a couple of espressos from Groundworks, eating yummy ramen at Orochon, and finally paying a visit to the newly-opened Babycakes NYC in Los Angeles. It's a really sweet and friendly little shop that smells like heaven. They are known for their vegan and gluten-free baked goods, which is not at all obvious from the taste and smell. And they serve Stumptown coffee. So good. And, now, thanks to my roommate, we can test out some recipes from their cookbook!

What did I choose, you ask? Raspberry Scones. I know, not the most interesting recipe I could have chosen, but, hey, they were pretty damn good! You see, it all started this morning when I woke up craving an English muffin. Well, really, I just wanted something to put some lebneh and strawberry preserves atop. After having had the English muffin, I decided what I really wanted was a scone for the lebneh and strawberry preserves.

To be completely honest, these are not the kinds of scones I like most. My favorite scones are small, tiny almost, perfectly round, warm and fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside. My favorite scones are always served with double devon cream and lemon curd. But sometimes you don't want what you always want, oui? Sometimes you want something else. Sometimes you want big fat scones with fruit in them so that you have more surface area to spread lebneh and strawberry preserves. Mmm. Thank you Edith for the homemade strawberry preserves. It worked out perfectly.

Raspberry Scones

adapted from Babycakes*

DISCLAIMER: THIS RECIPE CONTAINS SPELT
& IS NOT GLUTEN-FREE!

Ingredients: 

2 cups whole spelt flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup coconut oil, plus more for brushing

1/3 cup agave nectar, plus more for brushing

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup hot water

1 cup fresh raspberries or blueberries

Preheat oven 350F. Place parchment paper on baking pan. Only one bowl for this one! In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt. Then add coconut oil, agave, vanilla. Keep stirring, it's supposed to look like that! Then add the hot water and mix (you'll see how it changes the texture -- like a science experiment!). Then fold in the raspberries or blueberries until spread out in the batter. 

The scones won't expand too much in the oven, so make them as big as you'd like, as long as you give them about an inch apart. Brush the tops with coconut oil, and bake in center rack for about 15 or 20 minutes, until golden. When done, brush agave nectar on top of each, and then let them sit for at least 15 minutes to cool.  

*Vanilla Frosting was adapted from Babycakes by Erin McKenna. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers NY 2009.