I am hopelessly hooked on these scones. There’s a specialty grocer in my city that has their own in-house bakery and they make a vegan kale & onion scone. I’m not down there often, but when I do, I always buy one (or three…let’s be real here, I’m a carb junkie if ever there was one!)
I was down at said store recently and picked up a scone to eat on the way home, and I got to thinking that I could re-create these to enjoy these any time I wanted. And I also thought (as I do every time I eat them), that there’s one thing missing that would put these over-the-top: cheese.
Having perfected recipes for vegan buttermilk and vegan cheddar scones years ago, I started entertaining the idea of savory scones, and decided this one would be the first test. I highly recommend buying a full head of kale to chop for this, as you want to ensure you get only the leaves and no stems – they are tough and bitter and less enjoyable. Most fresh chopped kale I’ve purchased has both leaves and stem pieces in it, and for the amount of time it took me to pick out the stems and further chop the leaves (you need really small pieces for this recipe), it would have been faster to start with whole kale.
Because this is a savory scone, there’s very little sugar in the dough. The sweetness (which is a great contrast to the salty, savoriness of the overall scone), comes from the caramelization of the onions and kale. As I sauteed them, I used #NoBees Vegan Honey to help the caramelization process and add sweetness to them. If you can’t find vegan honey, you can use agave or maple syrup (though I’d caution to use less maple syrup as you don’t want to impart maple flavor.)
For extra flavor and a shiny, golden crust, brush the tops of the scones with a bit of olive oil (or vegan butter) before popping them in the oven. And make extra – I shared this batch with a friend of mine and she said she is “still dreaming about them” four days later! I know how she feels!
Caramelized Kale, Onion and Cheddar Scones
Ingredients:
4 tbsp olive oil, divided in half
½ large onion, diced
3 cups chopped kale, stems removed
2 tbsp #NoBees Vegan Honey (or agave syrup if you can’t find vegan honey)
1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used soy)
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt
¾ cup vegan butter, cold
1 cup shredded vegan cheddar
Directions:
Add lemon juice to non-dairy milk and let stand for 5 minutes to curdle slightly.
In a deep pan, heat oil on medium high heat. Add onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add kale and continue cooking until kale is wilted. Add honey (or agave) and toss to coat. Continue cooking until lightly caramelized. Set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 425F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Toss in cold butter and using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut butter into flour until butter is the size of small peas.
Mix in onion & kale mixture and shredded cheese. Make a well in the middle of the flour mix and pour in buttermilk. Using a wooden spoon, stir until a dough forms.
Using a ⅓ measuring cup, scoop out dough and drop on baking sheet, about 2-3 inches apart. Brush scones with remaining olive oil and bake for 17-20 minutes, or until bottoms are light brown and tops are lightly golden.
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