Putting banana in a scone is a little unconventional, yeah, but banana and cranberry is one of my favourite combinations. I wasn’t feeling my usual loaf, so I decided to do a little experimenting with a scone. Sometimes I see misguided people describing their fantastic new scone recipe was SO MOIST and I cringe because scones are a lot of things, but moist absolutely, positively not one of them. Eat a muffin, loaf cake or quickbread, if you need something dense and moist. Scones should be tender, light, so buttery they’re almost flaky and they should be a blank enough canvas that you can spread some marmalade or jam on them.
I try (and usually fail) to put cranberries in almost everything, so I’m extra happy when it works. My little jewels. Banana lends a lot of moisture to anything you put it in, but I was careful to use them as flavour, part of the sweetness of the dough and the egg replacer. Add some fresh cranberries and a little glaze and you’ve got yourself a tasty, handheld, homemade breakfast. I’ve tried this dessert both gluten-free and not, and it works perfectly both ways. If you want to glaze these, go right head, but I don’t think they need it, as a little cinnamon sugar is the ideal topping for me.
Banana Cranberry Scones
Makes 8
2 cups all purpose flour (My gluten-free mix; use brown rice for the rice portion)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup non-dairy margarine, chilled and cut into 8 pieces
1 cup mashed banana, about 2 bananas total
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (sub lemon juice)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup non-dairy milk (I used vanilla rice milk)
~ 2/3 cup chopped fresh cranberries (frozen will do just as well)
Cinnamon sugar, for a topping
Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients. Cut the chilled non-dairy margarine into the flour mixture, until it starts to resemble oatmeal. In a small mixing bowl, combine the mashed banana, vinegar, vanilla and non-dairy milk. Pour into the flour mixture and stir until it just comes together. If you’re finding it a little too dry, add a splash more of non-dairy milk. Turn over onto a floured counter and knead lightly until it comes in a smooth enough dough for you to roll out into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick (just over a centimetre). Fold the dough into itself three times and roll out to the same size again. Repeat twice. Cut in half, then into quarters. Cut those quarters into triangles. Place the scones on the baking sheet, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and bake for 25 minutes, until the bottoms have gone golden-brown. Serve warm or at room temperature, with whatever suits your fancy.