Vegan Peanut Butter and Chocolate Scones

Isn't it funny how the longer you go without writing, the harder it is to start writing again?  That's how it is with me, anyhow.   I've been kind of wracked with guilt over what I refer to (at least to myself) as the great blogbandonment of the holiday season.  I mean, of all the seasons of the year, for a baking blogger to completely go MIA during the holidays?  In a word- sacrilege.

I won't bore you with the reasons for my absence, but we'll just say it was a busy holiday season.  I did lots of baking, but photographed and blogged none of it-- just the chaos of it all.  In fact, I did do some baking projects that I photographed but never got up on the blog. They've been sitting on my computer, looming over me, creating this weird sense of obligation-- like I can't bake, photograph, and blog new recipes until I finish the ones I already started.  It's weird how we are sometimes our own worst enemy, isn't it?

But alas, it's a new year, and thus I've decided, a new start!  Maybe I'll go back and post the old baking projects someday, but for now, it's on to the new!

A couple items of note:
1. Over the holidays we acquired our very own DSLR camera (Canon Rebel T2i) and I'm learning how to use it.  I'm having a blast and I'm excited to see how my photography will evolve.  I've even signed up for a photography class next month!
2. We're eating vegan for the month of January-- thus today's recipe's overall lack of some of my favorite ingredients such as butter, cream, and eggs.  Not a permanent thing, just hitting the "reset" button for one month.

So enough small talk-- onto the important stuff.  These scones have peanut butter AND chocolate.  I'm totally going to eat them for breakfast because they're scones, which I believe are a breakfast food-- it's like dessert masquerading as breakfast food.  Oh delicious deception!

Let me just say, these things are good. And not just "vegan good". I'd happily devour these outside the confines of vegan month!

All you need is love.  And ingredients.

Better than breadcrumbs.

Adding almond milk makes dough.

Add in the chocolate chips-you don't have to use a separate bowl, I won't tell!

Press into scone pan if you have one.

Breakfast is ready!

Source: A Little Bit of Everything

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup organic granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons chilled vegan butter, cut into cubes
• 1/4 cup creamy unsalted peanut butter
• 6 tablespoons almond milk
• 1/4 to 1/3 vegan chocolate chips

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 and grease scone pan or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, vegan butter and peanut butter.  Pulse several times until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Through the top chute of the food processor, slowly add the almond milk while continuing to pulse the mixture.  The dough should have the consistency of modeling clay so if it's too dry, add a bit more almond milk and if it's too wet, add a bit more flour.
4. Take out of food processor and place into bowl.  Fold in chocolate chips. (I actually just removed the blade from my food processor and mixed the chocolate chips into the mixture in the food processor-- I *hate* dishes and will avoid creating more of them than necessary if it won't negatively impact the recipe)
5. Either press the dough into the scone pan, or shape dough into a disk and cut into 8 triangles.
6. Bake for about 18 minutes until golden.