Coconut Scones

After my holiday in Hawaii, I drifted into island time. Without a salty ocean to wade into or a sandy beach to sip cocktails on, I opted for hot showers and drinking sweet, red wine in front of the television. After the sunshine and shaved ice, it was hard to go back to a reality full of work, workouts, and cooking my own dinner. I held onto island time much longer than I should have, trying to convince myself that it was okay to pretend I was on vacation when I clearly wasn't. I was putting off work, eating poorly, and didn't set foot into the gym for months.

Eventually even I realized these bad habits needed to change.

I set myself back to a proper work schedule. I completed a month long vegan challenge to jump start a healthier diet. Finally, after avoiding it for too long, I gathered up my courage and faced the gym this afternoon.

Before I caught island time fever, I prided myself on the fact that I regularly made it to the gym five or six hours a week. I was a fixture in the mornings, taking cycling classes and toning through weight lifting. For the first time in my life, the muscles in my biceps couldn't be crushed flat by a set of strong hands. I had calf muscles that surpassed those of my ballerina sister who can dance on the tips of her toes. I could even visibly flex my back muscles. I was proud of the sweat that dripped down my face and the results I achieved.

Then, I threw it all away.

I hesitantly walked into the gym this afternoon. The building rests only a couple blocks from where I live now, making it all the more shameful I haven't set foot in one since I moved. I got a membership to bribe myself into regular attendance and headed off to my first class in three solid months—circuit training. There were four of us in the class and it became blatantly obvious that I was having a hard time keeping up. Weights I used effortlessly just months before, suddenly felt like lead bricks in my hands. I was more than half a beat behind in my jumping jacks and I couldn't jump rope to save my life. In hindsight, I really should have chosen a yoga class.

I slowly walked back home with a proverbial tail between my legs, my muscles wobbling like a bowl full of Jello. The "truths" I had been telling myself (You're still in shape! You didn't get winded walking up that flight of stairs, it must have been from the heat) unequivocally became lies. Luckily, it's never too late to head back to the gym and fix the ails of neglect (which I'll do right after I make another batch of these scones).

These coconut scones are a delicate, subtle way to begin the day. These scones are a triple coconut threat, holding coconut oil, coconut milk, and coconut flakes in their flaked layers. The scones are dairy/egg-free, but you'd never guess it. The finished scones are glazed in a sweet coconut glaze before serving, which adds just the right amount of sweetness. This is my new favorite breakfast sweet and may be the best scone recipe I've shared with you.

One Year Ago: Black Bean Salsa
Two Years Ago: Chocolate Chip Raisin Oatmeal Cookies (sugar-free!)

Coconut Scones with Coconut Glaze

Yields 8 scones

Coconut Scones
1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (60 grams) whole wheat flour
1/4 cup (56 grams) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup coconut oil (solid state, not liquid)
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
3/4 cup (175 ml) coconut milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the solid coconut oil with a pastry blender (or your fingers) until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Stir in the coconut flakes and coconut milk until the mixture comes together.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into a disk roughly 1-inch thick. Cut the dough into 8 pie shaped wedges and move to a baking sheet. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the edges barely take on color. Allow scones to cool completely before glazing.

Coconut Glaze
1/2 cup (62 grams) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon coconut milk

In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and coconut milk. Using a spoon, drizzle glaze over cooled scones. Allow a few minutes for the glaze to set before serving.

The glazed scones also freeze well in an air-tight container. Allow scones to come to room temperature before serving.