Rosemary is our ingredient of the season.  Sometimes we use it in food, sometimes in alcohol and other times in our home.

Scones are a simple alternative to everyday breakfast foods.  I’m guilty of forgetting about these little treats until I see them piled up in coffee shops, but you don’t have to wait until you go out for this treat. Scones are extremely simple to make at home, and that’s coming from someone who shies away from baking!  They’re quick too.  Start this vegan rosemary tomato scone recipe, and you’ll actually be finished mixing and kneading by the time the oven is preheated.  Only dirty a few dishes will be dirtied, so you can clean up while they bake and by the time the buzzer sounds you’ll be sitting down with your morning coffee or tea.

Try this vegan version; it’s a bit healthier since it lacks the usual butter and heavy cream.  It’s always nice to build a vegan and vegetarian recipe repertoire to accommodate vegan guests, introduce healthier alternatives to dairy and meat loving friends or round out your own diet. These scones are not only yummy, but beautiful too.  The tomato gives them a nice orange color and the roughly chopped rosemary really stands out.  It’s an easy way to add a pop of color to your breakfast and you can even make them the night before (bonus!) if you’re entertaining.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 14oz can tomato sauce (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary (about 6 stems)

 Instructions:

• Position an oven rack in the lower third of your oven and pre-heat to 400°F.  Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and pepper.  I like to give it a little whisk to make sure the spices are evenly distributed throughout.
• Chop up a pile of fresh rosemary. Gently rub your thumb and index finger down the stem to remove the leaves. I like to use a large chef’s knife when chopping herbs. Gather the leaves in a pile on the cutting board.  Hold the knife in your dominant hand and rest the fingertips of your other hand near the tip of the knife.  Rock the knife blade back and forth over the leaves to chop them coarsely.  Set aside a third of the leaves then continue chopping the remaining pile until they are finely chopped.
• In a smaller mixing bowl combine the tomato sauce, olive oil, apple cider vinegar and freshly chopped rosemary.  Whisk the tomato mixture until the oil and the sauce become one.  (Cue the Spice Girls ‘Two Become One’ and continue whisking just a minute more.)
• Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, similar to making a pool for gravy in the middle of your mashed potatoes.  Pour the tomato mixture into the well and gently mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon.  Mix only until the batter is loosely held together.  It’s ok if it’s lumpy and you can see patches of flour.  Lumpy and bumpy are characteristics of a great scone.
• Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour.  Dust a little bit of flour on your hands as well. You may need to repeat this step as you work with the dough.
• Transfer the batter to your work surface and gently knead the batter until a soft dough forms.  I like to push the ball so it folds over itself and back again, then once to the left and the right.  That should be sufficient.  You don’t want to knead it too much or the dough will become gummy.  If it’s sticking to your hands or the board dust on a little more flour.
• Divide the dough in two and form each pile into a disk.  Rub a little flour on your knife and slice the disk in half then cut each half into thirds.  You should be left with 12 triangles.
• Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.  Before removing them from the oven poke a toothpick, chopstick or butter knife into the middle of a scone, if it comes out clean they’re done.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

After baking up a batch, you’ll have the perfect fuel if you frequently find yourself running out the door with no time to sit and eat.  This rosemary tomato scone recipe is practically crumb free and you won’t be left with greasy fingers either! Happy baking.

This recipe was adapted from the Tomato Rosemary scone recipe found in Vegan Brunch.