I love scones. I actually love breakfast treats in general, but the scone is my absolute favourite one of them all. They’re the perfect vehicle for some jam and a most lovely accompaniment to tea. There’s a bake shop near my family’s home that sells really fantastic ones dotted with seasonal fruit. So delicious and the ideal way to connect with the season in my opinion :)
I’ve been making my own flour lately in the blender. It’s actually sort of fun! You throw the whole grains in, watch them grind up and swirl around. Then when they stop moving towards the blade, you’ve got flour essentially. The homemade stuff is a bit more coarse than what you would buy, but in some baked goods that’s just what I’m after. I wanted to work the creamy sweetness of barley into a scone with some juicy fruit and warming spice.
I roasted some lovely prune plums with maple syrup, cinnamon and a smidgin of cloves, chopped them up rough and folded all of that juiciness into a wholesome, lightly spiced batter. These are a bit heavier than traditional scones, but still a delight. My plums were a teeny bit sour and played off of the creamy, sweet batter just right.
Barley Scones with Roasted Plums
Ingredients
Roasted Plums
- 3 prune plums, pitted and cut into wedges
- 1 teaspoon melted coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch ground cloves
Scones
- 1 cup barley flour
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅓ cup agave nectar
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup hot water
- ¾-1 cup diced roasted plums (see above)
Notes
- Adapted from the Babycakes NYC Cookbook.
- In the Babycakes cookbook introduction, it advises on measuring everything (including liquids) with dry measures. This is key. Pour that oil and agave into the dry measuring cups!
Instructions
- For the plums: preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the plum wedges with the coconut oil, maple syrup and spices. Lay them out on a small parchment lined baking sheet and roast until soft, about 10-15 minutes. Set aside to cool. Chop roughly once you can handle them.
- For scones: Lower the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt and spices. Add the agave nectar, coconut oil and vanilla. Stir until a dry batter forms. Add the hot water and stir just until all of the flour is absorbed. Gently fold in the chopped plums.
- Place 1/3 cup measurements of batter onto the parchment, rounding the edges slightly with dampened fingers. Brush the tops with coconut oil if you like. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let the scones cool on the tray for 15 minutes before eating.
I am trying to reduce fats/oils, etc. Could I use water instead or half water, half grapeseed oil?
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t…..
Really nice but required quite a bit more water than listed (guess it depends on the exact flour used though).
I love your recipes your ideas and your values. Thank you. HR
This recipe has my name written all over it!
– Scones are my absolute favorite breakfast treat.
– Plums are the best fruits.
– Roasting is my favorite method – everything gets better after a visit in the oven! (Though, I´ve never roasted plums, but it must be heaven – it´s a given ;)
And now I´m keen to blend my own flour, cause I like my scones a little coarse and rustic too! Plum season cannot come soon enough!
First of all, these look and sound so wonderful. You have my Registered Dietitian’s thumbs up. Second, flour in the blender you say? Do you have one of those crazy powerful blenders, like the Vitamix, or could I use my Plain Jane KitchenAid blender? I thought about asking for the KitchenAid Stand Mixer grain mill attachment as a wedding gift, but that price was too much to bear. The blender would save buko-bucks…
Cheers,
*Heather*
Hi Heather,
Yes I do have one of those crazy 2+HP Vitamix blenders! It seriously gets the most play in my kitchen for sure. It’s worth every penny. A regular blender would work just fine, but the flour may be a bit more coarse. If you try it out, let me know how it goes. Also loving your RD approval on the scones!
Love that it’s vegan. Barley scones seem to be packed with flavor and loads of good health!