Day 79 - Banana-Date Scones and Hummus with Caramelized Shallots

Banana-Date Scones

Yessssssssssssss! 

And this, from a non-scone-fan.

When I hear the word "scone," I think of choking down dry crumbles of floury mass, tempered only by slatherings of dairy and jam. I guess that's probably what scones are: an excuse to eat clotted cream or butter and sugary fruit spreads.

Well, that all stops here. These are moist and delicious - no toppings necessary! And they are sweetened only with nature's candy, no white sugar here! Dates, bananas, and brown rice syrup provide all the sweetness these scones need.

I do not enjoy eating dates out of hand, but I sure do like them in breadstuffs! It's a bit of a chore to chop the sticky little mothers, but it's strangely fun and satisfying to toss the pieces in flour to separate them.

I didn't have rice milk on hand, but I did have coconut milk (not the canned Thai kind but rather the soy milk kind) which acquitted itself nicely.

Typo alert: Listed in the ingredients  following the spices is 1/2 teaspoon salt, however in the directions, there's no mention of salt. I put it in anyway with the spices, and I think the typo is that it was omitted in the directions.

These are so easy to make and couldn't be more delicious. I ate one still warm (yum) and then I tried one that had cooled down (also yum). Then the next day I tried another one per I&T's suggestion, split and toasted with vegan margarine (extra yum). I've shared them with two friends who've also given big thumbs up.

Now, I know I just said how great these are, but I want to talk about something that I'm finding is affecting my experience of all of the baked goods in this book. As wonderful as they all taste while you're eating them, I can't help noticing that they all leave me with a similar aftertaste, one that I don't experience with non-vegan baked goods. It's a chemical kind of taste, which leads me to think it might be the baking soda and/or powder. And that makes me wonder... Might there be something in eggs that somehow masks or absorbs this chemical taste? Anyone who's also found this aftertaste or has any knowledge of this phenomenon, please weigh in!

SFO: 10

Hummus with Caramelized Shallots 

You would think that by combining the deliciousness of hummus with the deliciousness of caramelized shallots, you'd create this amazing superfood that would conquer the world with its nuclear deliciousness.

And yet, I fear this is a case of diminishing returns. What I love about hummus, the interplay between creaminess and salt and tartness, is overwhelmed by the sweetness and unctuousness of the shallots. 

Don't get me wrong, it's edible. I'm eating it. It's not going to waste. But is this preferable to plain old hummus? I say no.

SFO: 10