Savory Herb Sun-Dried Tomato Scones

I had to make this recipe twice - and I'll tell you when I get to the problem, below. Hopefully you'll have success on your first try, as these savory scones make a delicious accompaniment to a bowl of soup or main course salad. You can freeze leftovers for up to 2 months; simply thaw at room temperature before eating.

Cover 1/2 a cup of sun-dried tomato halves (packed without oil) with boiling water, and let stand for 20 to 30 minutes, until soft. Drain well, and chop; set aside.

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Lightly spoon 2 cups all-purpose flour into measuring cups, leveling with a knife. Combine the flour in a large bowl with 1/4 cup shredded vegan cheese in place of Romano (I used the vegan mozzarella from Galaxy Foods), 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, and a dash of ground red pepper. I realized I was out of ground red pepper, but since it was just a dash, I omitted it without compunction.

Cut 1/4 cup of chilled vegan butter (such as Earth Balance) into small pieces, and cut the pieces into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or two knives - the mixture should resemble coarse crumbs. Stir in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

Make 1 cup of vegan buttermilk by pouring 1 tablespoon lemon juice into a measuring cup, then filling with plain soy milk (such as Silk) to equal one cup. Let stand for 5 minutes to clabber (sour) the mixture.

Now! Here is my word of caution. The first time around, I poured in the whole cup of 'buttermilk', and stirred to combine, as directed. The original recipe cautioned that the result would be sticky, but mine was so wet and gloppy it was utterly unworkable - even after I dumped in extra flour! Realizing I had a hopeless mess on my hands, I cleaned the dishes, cleaned up the kitchen, tossed the gloppy dough, and started over... I know, I'm a perfectionist.

So when I reached this step the second time around, I slowly poured in my 'buttermilk', stirring as I went, and judging the texture of the dough. When it was sticky but still usable, I stopped, which was around 3/4 cups of the 'buttermilk' instead of the full cup.

Now, turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and, using floured hands, lightly knead the dough about 4 times. Divide in half and place on the baking sheet you previously lined with parchment paper. Pat each half into a 6-inch circle - re-flour your hands if you need to. Lightly score the dough to cut each circle into 6 wedges, but don't cut all the way through the dough.

Bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes - the tops should be nice and golden.

Each of the 12 scones is 140 calories. They'll pull apart quite easily along your scored knife cuts.

Cost:
sun-dried tomatoes $2.69
all-purpose flour $3.99
vegan cheese $3.39
fresh thyme $4.98 (which includes buying it twice...)
baking powder $
fresh rosemary $2.49
dried oregano $4.49