Avocado Choco-Chip Scones - Vegan with Flavor

I had a dream about Avocados.  Obviously I'm a food nerd, or I have very disturbing Jungian Dream Symbol dysfunction.

Actually I do a lot of my idea forming during late night quiet in my head.  Here's how this one unfolded:

* If avocado can be used instead of butter in a lot of baking, maybe I could use it in scones (even though the "flaky" in scones is vital and butter plays a major role.)

* But, maybe the avocado would get too mushy, it can't be rubbed into the flour like cold butter cubes...unless...it's cubed, and so cold it's hard enough to be rubbed into flour.  (FREEZE THE CUBES FIRST.)

* I'd have to work fast, but maybe if it holds-up the avocado chunks would melt in the heat of cooking, the way the pieces of butter fat do, forming steam pockets. That is what creates the flakiness in pastry.

* Folks who don't want to use butter, but hate butter substitutes would really love that, plus the added healthiness of California Avocado - wow, this could be great.  

* Who needs good pastry without butter? Vegans.  It's hard to find good Vegan pastries with flavor and moisture and not too much sugar.

But, that means no eggs either (FLAX MEAL is a great substitute AND - there's another healthy addition to use.) Oh wait, Vegan also means no cream, or milk or yogurt. COCONUT MILK - I love it, and it works so easily not to mention the taste.

* Hmmm, I'm hungry - wish I had a leftover Choco-Chip cookie - (LIGHTBULB - make the scones CHOCO-CHIP!)  It's true, I would almost eat anything with Chocolate Chips in it, but even I couldn't eat it for breakfast if it didn't taste worthy.

The next morning - I cubed, and froze and scooped and scored myself a batch of the flakiest healthy scones ever made in my kitchen (and I make a lot of them: Nutella, Olive Oil Cranberry, Banana Oatmeal Ricotta.)  

Then came the test - my teen son.  I woke him out of a Summertime late sleep with a small plate that held 2 "hot from the oven" Avocado Choco-Chip scones and a few Melon wedges.  I waited.  I heard him on the phone with a buddy.  I wondered if he nibbled the scone and dismissed it.  That seemed impossible as I had already eaten two myself (hey, they're small.)

When he emerged from the cave he calls his room, the plate was empty (cue the Angels choir.)  Maybe you think a teen boy will eat just about anything, but you're wrong.  It's quite unbelievable sometimes the weird stuff they eat, but they are also bizarrely picky. The topper came when he asked me if there were more.  

Oh yeah, there were more. Then I told him they were VEGAN.  He paused, and only remarked, "Oh, yeah?  I'll take one to Jileanne, she'll love it."  

Success - Dreams DO come true - if you bake them. 

Don't be afraid of these, if you don't eat Vegan.  There's nothing but tons of flavor and easy fixing in this recipe.  I thought about calling these: The Avocado Choco-Chip "Don't hate me because I taste so good without butter, cream or eggs" Scones, but it was hard to fit on a picture.  

Recipe:  Flaky Avocado Choco-Chip Scones 

          (with no butter, eggs or cream)

-makes 12-  

1 Large Avocado - (peel,cube small,then place cubes in Freezer for 20 minutes)

2 cups Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

2 Tablespoons Sugar

1 Tablespoon Flax Seed Meal (I use Bob's Red Mill)

pinch Salt

1/2 cup Chilled Coconut Milk

1/2 cup Chocolate Chips

1)  While Avocado cubes are chilling, whisk together in a bowl, the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and Flax Seed Meal.

2) Working quickly, rub the chilled Avocado cubes into the flour mixture with your fingertips until the pieces are small pea size, generally.

3) Pour in the chilled Coconut Milk and toss together with a fork.

4) Add the chocolate chips and continue to fold in with a fork until the dough holds together.  Empty it onto a flour covered work board or parchment covered counter.

5)  Divide the dough into 2 halves and pat each one into a circle about 6 inch diameter.  Cut each one in half, then each half in thirds (creating 12 small triangles.)

6)  Place on a parchment covered baking sheet, brush with extra Coconut milk and optionally sprinkle with sugar. Cook in Preheated 400F oven for about 18 minutes. ** You could also Freeze these before baking, and bake later (up to 3 weeks.)

Sweet food dreams~