Parve Scones

I will start all of you off easy with my parve scones. Some people even prefer them to my dairy ones. Scones are the perfect snack for shabbat afternoon, served with tea and jam. You can make them in advance and freeze them. The recipe below contains the quickest way to shape them -- just shape the dough into a pancake and place into a round pan and score triangles.

Here are some other options for them:

1. substitute 1/4 cup whole wheat flour for 1/4 cup of the all-purpose flour --noone but you will know
2. make this recipe your own --add 1/2 cup chocolate chips, dried cranberries, raisins, currants, any kind of chopped nut or any combination thereof
3. you can make them in any shape you like - just roll out the dough and cut into triangles, or use cookie cutters to make circles, hearts, flowers, stars, whatever you like

I freeze them baked and defrost only 1/2 hour before serving.

SCONES

2 cups plus 3 tablepoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold margarine, placed in freezer for 15 minutes
2 eggs, divided
1/2 cup soy milk

Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease an 8-inch round baking pan and set aside. (Note: these do not bake as well in disposable aluminum pans)

In a medium bowl, sift together the 2 cups of flour, sugar, and baking powder, and salt. Place into the bowl of a food processor with a metal blade. Cut the chilled margarine into small pieces and scatter over the dry ingredients. Process for about 10 seconds until mixture resembles sand. Add 1 beaten egg and the soy milk. Process just until dough starts to come together, about 5 seconds. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of flour on your counter. Remove dough from the processor, place on your counter and knead gently until dough is soft. Add a little more flour if the dough seems sticky. If you are adding chocolate chips, dried fruit or nuts, knead them in now.

Shape dough into a ball and then flatten into a pancake the size of your baking pan. Place the dough into the pan. With a sharp knife dipped in flour, score the top of the dough into 8-12 wedges. Beat the remaining egg and then brush the top of the dough.

Bake 15 minutes or until the top is just beginning to brown. Let cool 5 minutes and then remove from the pan. Cut on the scored lines into 8 - 12 wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

It's 2009, welcome to the Kosher Baker’s Blog, the place to discuss your Kosher baking needs. Discuss with me your questions, successes, failures, ingredient challenges, and great finds around the world. Share with me your stories of great and horrible parve (dairy-free) desserts you have encountered.

You know who you are, one of those people who rolls their eyes at the mere mention of parve desserts. You find them disappointing, whether purchased in a bakery or served by a home chef. I have spent my entire baking career since 1996 fooling people who do not believe my desserts contain no dairy and thereby convincing them that parve desserts can be great and often taste like their dairy counterparts. I even spent several years living in Europe eating outstanding Kosher dairy-free desserts. I travel often and return home to create dairy-free versions of desserts I taste. I was in Paris in June, hitting 5 pastry shops per say so that I could create those desserts for a Kosher audience.

Kosher bakers tell me all the time that they need more parve dessert options and they crave new ideas. Your prayers are answered: I have written an entire cookbook on parve desserts that I hope to publish soon. I will use this blog to post some of those desserts. The day of the kichel and 3-color rainbow sponge cake is over. Bad parve desserts are a thing of the past. You can do better and now you have me to guide you. Join me in my journey to keep bringing to you the best parve desserts, some traditional desserts I have updated as well as the desserts found in today’s trendy restaurant. Tell me what you need. Tell me what desserts you wish you could make parve.