Earl Grey Chocolate Chip Scones

Just about every Mother’s Day I make my mom blueberry scones. And if I don’t she is up my butt about it so yeah I just do it. She is my mom after all. Anyways, I forgot blueberries the last time I went to the grocery store. Sooooo yeah. These are different scones. Earl grey chocolate chip scones.

I figured earl grey is a delicious tea so it would make for a delicious scone and chocolate chips because everyone liked them their chocolate. Is my mom going to like these? Probably not because I don’t think she likes tea but that is actually a moot point because this batch was already gobbled up by the mr and Barb. They loved them. But hey, I made scones so that counts t towards Mother’s Day right? (I know I know. I have to go back to the grocery store for the blueberries)

If you or the people you bake for like a good cup of earl grey, well these here sones are for you.

To the scones!

The stuff. Flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, earl grey tea, plant butter, plant milk, vanilla extract, and orange, a little raw sugar, and chocolate chips.

To start dough first mix the flour together with the salt, baking powder, sugar, tea, and orange zest. Next grate the butter into the flour mixture and gently toss around until evenly incorporated. Then add in the milk and the juice if half the orange and gently mix until dough starts to come together and then finally, add in the chocolate chips and finish mixing. Don’t overly mix, the dough should look kind of shaggy.

Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball.

Squash dough into a round flat disk about an inch thick then cut into 8 equal pieces.

Place scones on a lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with a little milk and then sprinkle with raw sugar.

Pop into the oven bake.

Baked and ready.. You should be too. Ready that is and baked if that is how you roll. Ha.

Place hot scones on a wire rack to cool a bit.

Now grab a plate, a hot cup of something, and enjoy.

-C

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Earl Grey Chocolate Chip Scones

makes 8 scones

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3 earl grey tea bags (or 2 tablespoons loose leaf) finely ground in a spice mill of food processor

• 6 tablespoons vegan butter (very cold or frozen)

• 2/3 cup plant based milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• an orange

• 1/4 cup small chocolate chips

• 2 tablespoons raw sugar (can use graduated if you don’t have it)

Preheat oven to 375.

Grab a large bowl and add in the flour, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, earl grey tea, and the zest of the orange. Mix together. Next grate the cold or frozen butter directly into bowl. Gently mix into the flour mixture with a fork until the pieces are covered in flour. Add in the milk, along with juice of half the orange. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Add in chocolate chips and lightly mix again until they are evenly dispersed in dough.

Dump dough (it will be slightly shaggy) on a lightly floured surface. Gather into a ball and squash into a round flat disk about an inch thick. With knife or dough knife cut in 8 even slices (like a pie). Place each piece on a lined baking sheet and brush tops with a little milk and sprinkle with raw sugar.

Place into preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or unit bottoms are browned and tops are alight golden brown. One baked, remove from oven and transfer to a wire rake to cool.

Eat warm or room temperature. Store left overs completely cooled in an air tight container for a few days.

Coconut Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars

I have been trying to find ways to use up some of my surplus of raisins. (I have like 5 lbs…don’t ask.) That is basically the reason why I made these cookie bars which I think is a good enough reason. Well that plus it never hurst to have cookies on hand, right?

Oatmeal raisin is a classic and in my mind, pretty damn classy, cookie combo. Only smart sophisticated people like oatmeal raisin cookies. Haha! But really, oatmeal and raisins are delicious and adding coconut and a little chocolate (if you want), you get a stellar flavor combination. But also smart and sophisticated.

Oh and I made these cookie bars as bars because I didn't want to deal with scooping and watching batches of cookies. And I think they are better for it.

So if you have raisins, you are pretty much all the way there to these cookie bars. If you don’t have raisins, well you can hit me up. I have a shit ton!

Now to the cookie bars!

The stuff. Flour, oats, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, coconut oil, shredded coconut, raisins, a flax egg, vanilla, brown sugar, and some chocolate chips.

To start just dump the soft coconut oil, brown sugar, vanilla, and flax egg into a big bowl. Mix until completely incorporated.

Next add all the dry in and stir until evenly mixed.

Lastly, add in the fixings! Coconut, raisins, and chocolate chips. Stir until combined.

Dump the dough into a parchment lined baking pan. Pat dough down evenly (It helps to wet your fingers so the dough doesn’t stick) then pop the pan into the preheated oven to bake.

Pull from the oven when it’s all golden brown and cookie looking like. About 30 minutes. And when you pull it out, just let it sit in pan on a cooling rack for15ish or so minutes to cool and then you lift it out.

Now you cut them up and eat them up!

Smart and sophisticated. 😉

-C

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Coconut Oatmeal Raisin Bars

makes 16 squares

• 1 1/4 cup flour

• 2 cup old fashion oats

• 2/3 cup warm coconut oil

• 3/4 cups packed brown sugar

• 1 Flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax seed plus 4 tablespoon warm water)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 cup rasinsin

• 1/2 cup coconut flakes

• 1/4 cip mimi chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350

Place the warm coconut oil into a big bowl along with the brown sugar, flax egg, and vanilla. Mix until completely combined. Add in the flour, oats, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder and mix until completely incorporated. Add in the raisins (make sure they are not all sticking together), coconut, and chocolate chips if using and mix until incorporated.

Line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment. Cut it so the ends stuck out a bit so you can grab them after. Dump the cookie dough into pan then evenly spread and press it down. Pop pan Ito oven and bake for 28-30 minutes or until golden brown, slightly darker around edges, and a tester poked into middle comes out clean.

Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool, still in pan, for 15ish minutes. Once the cookies have firmed up a bit, grab ends or parchment and remove fro pan. Cut into 16 squares. Eat.

Store cookies in a airtight container for about a week at room temperature. If you haven’t eaten them all, freeze them.

Tahini Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

I wanted to be in the kitchen so I asked the mr what he wanted me to make him. Anything he wanted, like a cake, or cookies, or donuts.

He asked for granola bars. (so cute)

I think the reason that he requested granola bars was that he knew I wanted to test out the golden syrup that I brought back from Ireland and I had mentioned that I was going to make myself some granola.  (not him, me) but I went with it. And really, I was excited to bust out the golden syrup.

Now what kind of granola bars was the question, but I didn't even ask him I just went with tahini chocolate chip. Tahini cause its amazing, chocolate chips because, just because. And the golden syrup. The bit of research that I have done on golden syrup had told me that this stuff is like glue (it really is) and that it can be used in lu of other binders that I would normally add to granola bars (like dates) It is pure can sugar that has been turned into a thick, golden syrup (hence the name) and has a more nutty, earthy flavor then just sugar, which went together quite nicely with the oats ans tahini in these bars. (next thing to try it with.. rice crispy treats!)

 So I got some kitchen time, the bars where made, the syrup was used, the mr was happy.

Win win win. WIN!

The stuff. Oats, tahini, golden syrup, cinnamon, sesame seeds, chocolate chips, and sea salt. Not a whole lot of stuff and nothing else is needed. But if you are feeling it, add some more. (cranberries, chopped dates, coconut, some nuts)

In a big bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, sesame seed and chocolate chips.

In a separate (microwave safe) bowl or jar mix together the golden syrup and the tahini. Stick it in the microwave for 15 seconds, take it out, stir it, then another stick it in for another 15 seconds. You just want the mixture to be runny. Another way you could do this is on the stove top or, Like me, place jar in the oven and stir until loose. (I don't have a microwave and I didn't want to dirty a pot)

Pour the warm mixture into the oat mixture and stir until all the oats and stuff are all coated.

Dump the mixture into a parchment lined pan and press it down as hard as you can with your hands or a bottom of a glass

And optional, but really good, sprinkle the top with sea salt. (do not use table salt)

Now here is the deal. You can do one of two things. If you want a chewer granola bar, place these bars in the fridge for at least an hour until they set up and call them done. For a cruncher bar,  stick the granola into the oven for a little bit to give them a slightly crunchier texture

I tossed my into the oven, just for like 12 minutes, just to give them a little color and a bit of crunch. (the longer you leave them in there, the harder and crunchier they become)

Pulled from the oven, chillin out and waiting to be cut.

And piled high. a stack of bars, awaiting a mouth to eat them.

What a bar. The mr is a lucky guy.

Happy day to you!

-C

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Tahini Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

makes 8 Bars

• 3 cups oats (gluten free if needed)
• 1/3 heaping cup golden syrup (can be bought at some grocery stores but can be found online as well)
• 1/3 heaping cup tahini
• teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2-1 cup of chocolate chips
• a few pinches of sea salt(optional)

Note. Feel free to add more mix ins if you want (nuts, coconut, dried fruit) just don't add more then another 1/2 cup of stuff.

In a large bowl toss together the oats, cinnamon, sesame seeds and chocolate chips. In a separate microwave safe bowl (or a pot), combine the golden syrup and the tahini. Place in microwave for 15 second increments,  stirring in between until the mixture is loose and pourable. (or heat on stove on low heat until pourable)

Add tahini mixture into oat mixture and mix until all the oats are evenly coated.  Dump into a parchment lined, 9x9 inch baking pan and evenly press the granola down as hard as you can with either your hands or a bottom of a glass (or whatever) Sprinkle the top with sea salt.

And now you have two decide if you want a more chewy granola bar or or a slightly crunchier bar. For a chewier one,  stick the pan into the fridge for at least an hour until they firm up. For a but more crunch,. place bars in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350, just until they get a slight golden brown and a little bit of crunch on top.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Once bars are ready, remove from pan, grab a knife, cut into bars (or whatever shape you want) and eat them. Store extra in an airtight container (raw ones in the fridge, baked ones are ok on the counter)