Chocolate Breakfast Scones

In honor of going egg-free and officially joining the ranks of vegan bakers, I decided to make myself a special treat for the first morning of my new dietary restrictions.  I chose the cocoa-nut (as in cocoa + coconut) scones from Alisa Fleming's excellent guide and cookbook, Go Dairy Free.  I ordered this book about a week after we found out about Warren's allergies, when I was basically living on lettuce and meat and feeling very sorry for myself.  When it arrived, it was like being handed a compass and a map while lost in the wilderness.  If you are new to living without dairy, or just want some new recipes, I highly recommend it.  You can visit Alisa's website, with recipes and dairy-free information, here.

My first foray into vegan baking was actually a lot of fun.  Part of why I fell in love with baking to begin with was the mystery of it all, how you can put a soupy mess into the oven and ten minutes later pull out a light, fluffy masterpiece.  Doing it now with all different ingredients makes the whole experience fresh again. Working with the margarine was a little tricky; it melts more readily than butter so I had to work quickly when cutting it into the dough.  I was a little skeptical as I pushed the pan into the oven, but as soon as I took the crackle-topped scones from the oven, I knew they were a success.  Rich with cocoa flavor but not too sweet, they were perfect with my morning coffee.  My husband liked them as well, but they were a bit too sophisticated for Isaac, who dismantled his to rescue all the chocolate chips.