…But far too much to drink! Delightful as it is to open up the fridge and see a fully stocked shelf of nothing but vegan nog, it’s simply too much for one person to polish off alone, obsessed with the seasonal beverage or not. After a couple of egg-nog-creams (Inspired by the traditional egg cream: Equal parts nog and seltzer water, plus a splash of vanilla) and then numerous ginger-nog milkshakes (Plop 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream into a blender, pour in nog to cover, add ground ginger to taste and blend. Add an extra flourish of whipped coconut creme and finely chopped crystallized ginger on top if desired), I’ve hardly begun to make a dent in that stockpile. Time to get serious and turn on the oven.
Lightly sweetened breakfast biscuits with an extra measure of holiday cheer, scones are not only an excellent way of using up some extra nog, but are also ideal for harried bakers who must soon accommodate hungry family members for Christmas breakfasts and brunches. A fine sprinkling of turbinado sugar seals the deal, providing that lightly crunchy but readily yielding crunch, adding addictive textural contrast to the whole affair. Feel free to swap out the walnuts for any other nut or even chocolate chips if that strikes your fancy, but whatever you, don’t even dream of skipping that sweet final touch.
Managing so much of this limited edition treat at once, it was inevitable that I would start serving up nog for breakfast. Happily, these scones are considerably more elegant and dignified than the alternative- A generous splash of nog over cold cereal!
Holiday Nog Scones
1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
5 Tablespoons Non-Dairy Margarine, Chilled
3/4 Cup Toasted and Chopped Walnuts
2/3 Cup + 2 – 3 Tablespoons Vegan Nog
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
4 Teaspoons Turbinado Sugar
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silpat.
Mix both flours, sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices together in a large bowl until thoroughly blended. Cut the margarine into tablespoon-sized pieces before dropping them into the dry goods. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut in the margarine until you have coarse crumbs with chunks of margarine no larger than the size of a lentil. Toss in the walnuts, and pour in 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the nog along with the vanilla. Switch over to a spatula to mix the dough, drizzling in additional nog as needed if the batter is on the dry side. You should end up a slightly sticky dough but cooperative dough.
Measure out around 1/3 – 1/2 cup of batter for each scone, and use lightly moistened hands to shape them into even rounds. You should end up with 8 equal scones. Sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of turbinado sugar.
Bake for 14 – 16 minutes, until golden brown all over. Serve warm or cool on a wire rack for later. Place in an air-tight container or wrap tightly in plastic and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Makes 8 Scones
