Today is our last day in Portland and to say we’ve eaten some good food would not do this city justice. I had heard that Portland is vegan mecca, which is why when Aaron suggested we spend a few days here, I countered with a full week. Today is our last day before we head down the coast along famously stunning Highway 101, and even though it feels like we’ve been non-stop eating for the last seven days, we still have so many restaurants and food carts (!!!) we want to try. Similar to Seattle, Portland is definitely a place we’ll want to re-visit.
We lucked out with a very cool and surprisingly spacious rental on the SE side near Mt. Tabor. The space is like Anthropologie but more Indonesian than Indian and with a great sense of whimsy. Unlike a lot of the places we’ve stayed, this one is designed and there are interesting pieces and little charms throughout from our hosts’ travels. We even have two giant panda and tiger stuffed animals that Honey and Barley think are toys for them (obviously). We had to hide the tiger because his tail was too tempting.
Of course, the one city where we’ve been eating out the most also has some of the nicest grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and we even have a well-equipped kitchen! When I realized we had a full-sized oven, I knew we would have to take a break from the food cart scene so I could get in my baking fix. Lavender is everywhere in the PNW right now and I let those pretty little purple flowers inspire this simple scone recipe. And what better pairing than juicy, perfectly ripe peaches? The flavor is delicate and quintessentially summer, with a generous pour of pure vanilla extract to make them even more intoxicating. Lavender peach vanilla would make the BEST perfume, but for now let’s enjoy it in baked good form.
These vegan scones are adapted from my Irish soda bread scones. Instead of mixing the peaches into the dough, I decided to take inspiration from my friend Jessie and fold in a couple of layers sort of like a calzone to make scones that are heavy on seasonal fruit and thus don’t need much sweetening at all. They’re light on (unrefined coconut) oil and whole grain too, making them perfectly suitable as part of breakfast, sans sugar crash. If you prefer sweeter or fluffier scones, see my recipe notes for a couple of easy tweaks you can make. I’ve made many variations of the dough over the years and it’s fairly adaptable. You can likely sub in fresh berries or your favorite fruits for peaches and other herbs in place of lavender if that’s what’s most appealing and/or local to you. This is a recipe that’s ideal for beginner bakers, as well as for those of us who want a no-fuss and quick treat so we can get back to exploring the outdoors, eating our way through new cities, and just generally savoring summer.
Whole Grain Lavender Peach-Stuffed Scones
Serves: 8 scones
Whole grain spelt scones that are studded with juicy summer peaches and scented with lavender and vanilla. These vegan scones are lower fat and lightly sweetened, with the option for no added sugar. They're a great (easy!) recipe if you've ever felt intimidated about baking your own scones at home.
Cuisine: Vegan Servings: 8 scones
Prep Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Total Time: 45 mins
Whole grain spelt scones that are studded with juicy summer peaches and scented with lavender and vanilla. These vegan scones are lower fat and lightly sweetened, with the option for no added sugar. They're a great (easy!) recipe if you've ever felt intimidated about baking your own scones at home.
I’ve made these scones a handful of different ways and found them to be fairly adaptable. For less sweet scones, skip the maple syrup and use an unsweetened almond milk.
For scones that are more sweet, use the maple syrup and a sweetened almond milk, reducing the milk by the amount of maple syrup (if you use 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, reduce the 1/2 cup of almond milk by 2 tablespoons) to keep the liquid ratio the same.
For lighter, fluffier scones, use 100% light spelt flour instead of half light and half whole grain flours. I’ve made these with 100% whole grain spelt and while still tasty, they’re a bit dense.
Recipe adapted from my vegan Irish soda bread scones. Fruit-folding method adapted from the very sweet Jessie of Faring Well.
Copyright © 2020 Amanda Maguire for Pickles & Honey
I loved following all of your food posts in Seattle and Portland! So much vegan yumminess. And eeee I see you tried my trifold method with the scones! Isn’t it the best?! Love! <3
Yes! The folding method is GENIUS! There is seriously so much good food in Seattle and especially Portland. I love the food cart scene. It creates such a nice community vibe. <3
Oh my gosh you did not have to do that! You’re too sweet! I’m just stoked to see someone try and love the method too :). Those food carts sound like magic – definitely a nice treat from road food for so long! <3
Oh! So happy you’ve loved all your food times in Portland. That place is bursting with a wonderful food culture! I think my favorite restaurant we ate at while doing a trip quite similar to yours (that highway cost drive *insert heart eye emoji*) was Pok Pok! Do you two get a chance to snag a bite there? And I have a free Saturday morning this weekend, so we’re gonna try out these scones in our kitchen!
Safe travels, Pickles & Honey!
Oh, I hope you love the scones! You’re not the first person to recommend Pok Pok! We made reservations there (there was a looooong wait), but ended up changing our minds last-minute because it didn’t seem very vegan-friendly. I think there was only maybe one or two vegetarian options? I’m sure the food is wonderful though!
Ahh Portland! Ever since I started watching Portlandia, I’ve always wanted to visit. It’s SO NICE going to a place that has a lot of vegan options… when I visited Denver, I was blown away by how much they had for us! I’m from CT and we are not exactly the vegan epicenter of the world 😉 And these scones look lovely! Jessie’s tri-fold method is such a great way of getting your fruit in cleanly! 🙂
It’s funny that Portlandia made you want to visit! Some of the people we chatted with were saying that they’re concerned the show is making them out to be snobs. Ha! Truly, it’s such an awesome city. Very, very livable and charming with its quirks. We also heard that a lot of people who leave Portland move to Denver, so your comment about it being veg-friendly there makes total sense.
These look amazing! I’ve never used lavender in cooking and I think I’d like to. What is the taste like? I made peach praline scones earlier this year and they were a hit too: http://www.garlicandzest.com/peach-praline-scones. Yours are next!
Thanks, Lisa! I feel like lavender is sort of a sophisticated flavor…almost like I feel a little fancy using it in recipes. 😉 I kept the flavor subtle in these if you want to give them a go! Peach praline scones sound really delicious too. <3
Lavender peach scones. Even the name is beautiful.
I’ve been on the lookout for a healthy, whole grain scone recipe for breakfasts, so I’m excited about this! I don’t think I can get culinary-grade lavender around here, but peach and raspberry sure sounds good. Can’t wait to experiment!
Right?! I love the sound of lavender peach too…dreamy.
my girlfriend and i just got back from a week spent in portland! we loved visiting so many vegan restaurants. “harvest at the bindery” and “portobello” were our favorites and we adored the bakery “back to eden”. we also visited the coast and had our minds blown by the scenery along highway 101. what an amazing week!
Hi! These look amazing! I was wondering if you can substitute oat milk for almond milk?
Yes! Oat milk will be great.