Not all of us are veggie lovers. Lucky for me, I have never had a problem enjoying just about any vegetable.
Root vegetable desserts aren’t exactly a new concept. Carrots, beets, zucchini, parsnips and pumpkin are naturally sweet and mild in flavor. Depending on the vegetable used, you will only taste it very faintly after baking. Parsnips, traditionally used in savory dishes, can bring a subtle sweet tenderness to your baked goods. When roasted or sautéed, their sugars caramelize richly and are well complemented by a variety of seasonings such as orange or lemon zest, ginger and cardamom.
As the autumn weather turns cooler, root vegetables like carrots and parsnips convert their starch to sugar. After a few fall frosts, parsnips develop a higher sugar content than those harvested before the freeze.
I realize parsnips are not for everyone. It probably seems a bit odd to make them the ‘star’ in dessert but I have to say Brion & I loved these scones.
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- 2 3/4 cups (330 g) flour
- 1/3 cup (67g) sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 - 1 tsp ginger
- Zest of 1 orange
- 8 Tbsp (113 g) unsalted butter, cold
- 1/3 cup pepita seeds
- 1 cup (133 g) parsnips, finely grated
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup milk PLUS more for brushing
- coarse sugar for topping
Ingredients
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- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt & spices. Work in the butter using your fingertips just until mixture is unevenly crumbly. Stir in orange zest.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the grated parsnips, eggs & milk until smooth. Add parsnip mixture to dry ingredients & stir until all is moistened. Do not OVERMIX.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scrape the dough onto the parchment & divide in half. Round each half into a 7-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Using a bench knife that you have run under cold water, slice each circle into 8 wedges.
- Brush each wedge with milk than sprinkle with coarse sugar. For the best texture & highest rise, place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. while scones are chilling.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the center of a scone should come out clean.
- Remove the scones from the oven, re-slice wedges & serve warm. Wrap any leftovers airtight & store at room temperature. Reheat BRIEFLY in microwave, if desired.
For a little extra flavor you could sprinkle the scones with a coarse CINNAMON sugar instead of just plain or add a bit of cardamom spice to the batter.