Yesterday I was enraged (yes, enraged) when I heard that dozens of school districts in the Chicagoland area were closing due to extreme cold, and my district was not. I braved the bitter winds (read: I put on a hat) and slugged through frozen snow (I walked at a normal pace) and mumbled to myself about how unfair the whole situation was. But in the end, I know I was never at risk of getting frostbite. I just really wanted to stay in my pajamas and eat scones all day.
I’ve been reading In the Woods by Tana French, and her main character pretty much sums it all up:
I know this is one of the unthinkable taboos of our society, but I had discovered in myself a talent for a wonderful, unrepentant laziness, the kind most people never know after childhood. I had a prism from an old chandelier hanging in my window, and I could spend enitre afternoons lying on my bed and watching it flick tiny chips of rainbow across the room.
I think I’ll call these springtime-y carrot coconut scones my wishful thinking scones, to cheer me up and brighten all the cold winter mornings on which I’d rather stay at home and spend my day staring at rainbows.
Carrot Coconut Scones with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing
For the scones:
2 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 large egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 medium carrots, chopped
1/4 cup orange juice
For the icing:
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons cream cheese
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
1. Microwave the carrot and orange juice in a medium-sized covered glass bowl for 5 minutes, or until the carrots are fork tender. Puree in a blender or food processor. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
3. In a food processor or large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, oats, baking powder, salt, and coconut.
4. Pulse in the butter (or mix with your fingers or a pastry blender) until the mixture is coarse.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, vanilla, and 1/4 cup carrot puree. Slowly stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
6. Briefly knead the dough and roll it out on parchment paper sprinkled with flour. Flatten into a disk about 1 3/4 inches high. Cut the dough into 8 wedges and transfer the scones to prepared baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool completely while you make the glaze.
7. Whisk confectioner’s sugar, cream cheese, and lemon juice together in a small bowl. If it is too thick, you can add more lemon juice (or orange juice). The glaze is very versatile — so add more or less cream cheese or lemon juice until you reach the desired consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the scones and enjoy!
Adapted from here.