Orange Vegan Scones with a Hibiscus Tea Glaze

Something magical happened when John and I vsited a little tea house in Seattle, Washington a couple years ago.
We fell in love with tea.

And not just any tea. Really good tea.
We adored the Oolong and Blue People.
And tried Organic Green and Blueberry.
And then there was Strawberry Red, Traditional Black and Coconut.
But the one one that captivated my heart with its whimsical shape, vibrant color and nectar-like flavor was hibiscus.

Hibiscus tea is made from the hibiscus flower and has a delightful floral taste and a slightly tart bite that makes it a refreshing and not overly sweet. It’s also high in Vitamin C and is thought to help lower high blood pressure and cholesterol. Plus, it’s hot pink. Who doesn’t love drinking hot pink tea?

Is there anything more beautiful to photograph than fresh orange zest? I think not.
Not to mention, it goes perfectly with hibiscus flower.

I couldn’t help but add hibiscus to the glaze.
And I knew orange would be delightful in these scones, which are more of a traditional British version, from what I understand of the original recipe.

They are round in shape, slightly healthier, and more appropriate for an afternoon treat with hot tea.
And may I suggest, hibiscus tea?

Orange Vegan Scones with Hisbiscus Tea Glaze
adapted from vegan yum yum | makes ~12 scones

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup Earth Balance Margarine
3 Tablespoons sugar or maple syrup
1/2 cup soymilk
zest of one orange
2 Tablespoons orange juice

Hibiscus Tea Glaze
4-5 Tablespoons brewed hibiscus tea {or other fruity tea}
1/3 crushed hibiscus tea flower {optional}
pinch of orange zest
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Mix the wet ingredients together (soymilk, orange juice and zest). Using a pastry cutter or a fork, blend the Earth Balance into the dry ingredients until there are no chunks of margarine left and the mixture looks like damp sand. Pour in the wet ingredients and mix with your hands to form a soft dough. Only mix until just combined, adding more flour if the mixture is too wet. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and roll out to a slab ~3/4″ thick. Using a biscuit cutter or a glass with about a 2″ diameter, cut out your scones. Press the scraps of dough together, roll out again, and continue cutting scones until you’ve used up your dough.Transfer scones to a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper, or a non-stick mat. Brush the tops with a mixture of soymilk, powdered sugar and orange juice {optional}.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, being careful not to overcook. Prepare the glaze while baking by whisking ingredients together. While cooling, top with the glaze. Devour right away or wait until slightly hardened. Best with tea or a glass of milk. But feel free to indulge how you wish.

Such a beautiful, pink, glossy glaze.
Think I could’ve eaten the whole bowl.

I followed the original recipe closely except I think I git a little lax while letting them toast under the broiler to brown a bit more. They got away from me just a little and got a bit too brown for my liking, but were still incredibly tasty. So, that is my one piece of advice to help you have a better scone than I did: be careful to not overbake.

The orange in the scones is definitely slight but lovely, so if you want more orange flavor, add more zest. I did like the size of these as opposed to a wedge because they were less filling. And the glaze, of course, was my favorite part.

I sampled one immediately after glazing for quality control purposes and was quite pleased.
And then I ate one more, you know, for further quality control measures.
I have high standards to keep in my kitchen, after all.

Enjoy!