I love eating a hearty breakfast. I always keep a box of bars in the house so I’m not tempted to start the day without something healthy and filling in my tummy. But lately I’ve been making a batch of scones on the weekend to get me through the week.
And bonus – these are all done in one big mixing bowl. Easy clean up – gotta love that.
Apple Walnut Scones
1 c whole wheat flour
1 c white flour
1 c oats
1/4 c brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 oz (4 Tb) reduced fat cream cheese (neufchatel) – cold
2 Tb reduced fat butter – cold
1/4 c walnut oil
1 apple, diced small (about 1 c)
1/2 c diced walnuts
3/4 c fat free yogurt (I use Stoneyfield Vanilla)
1 tsp vanilla extract
turbinado sugar for sprinkling (about a heaping tablespoon)
- Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use the parchment paper – it means no clean up!
- In a large bowl, combine the flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Toss with a whisk.
- Cut the butter and cream cheese into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Combine with a pastry blender.
- Add the walnuts, apple and walnut oil and toss to coat.
- Blend vanilla extract and yogurt and and use a fork to add to the flour mixture. Mix until the dough forms clumps. It will still be somewhat dry and will not hold together.
- Flour a kneading surface and turn dough out onto it. Using floured hands, knead dough as little as possible to combine. I knead 4 times. Really – you don’t want to work the dough much or the scones will get tough.
- Shape dough into an oblong square. Cut in half, and then cut each half in half again and then into thirds for a total of 12 pieces.
- Take each piece and form it into a round shape approximately 3″ wide. Place on parchment.
- Sprinkle the scones with the turbinado sugar.
Bake until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before eating.
Remaining scones can be stored in an airtight zipper bag in the refrigerator for a week. When ready to eat, either sit it out to come to room temperature or reheat in a 400° oven for approximately 10 minutes.
The recipe is versatile – try pears instead of apples or pecans instead of walnuts. I bet dried cranberries would be good too.
Healthy, hearty and filling – just the way I like my breakfast.
I’ll catch you on the purl side.
