Continuing my kick with the Jan/Feb issue of Everyday Food, I bring you a healthy breakfast recipe from page 68.  I first tried scones in college, and loved them.  They're a biscuity muffin, and their dense, crumbly texture always goes great with coffee, tea, or even cold milk. 



These particular scones come together quickly and easily, and it's a lot like mixing up a quickbread.  You don't need an electric mixer; a wisk and rubber scraper work nicely to incorporate everything.  The recipe itself is also somewhat flexible.  I have made these twice in the last week, and the first time I used dried fruit, as the recipe suggests.  The second time, however, I used frozen blueberries, and the result was no less delicious.  The oats lend a nice bite and texture to the scone, as well as a health boost.  The whole wheat flour gives you a whisper of nuttiness.  They are relatively low in fat and sugar, making them a better alternative to a doughnut or biscuit.  Make them the night before and store them in an airtight container.  They're the best fast food breakfast you could want. 

I will post the recipe as it is written in the magazine and post my own changes below in notes. 

Raisin and Oat Scones
from Everyday Food, Jan/Feb 2011 issue

3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp coarse salt
3 Tb. packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup raisins or dried cherries
2 tsp. fennel seed (optional)
3 Tb. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt, sugar, oats, raisins, and fennel seed, if using.  In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and melted butter until combined and then add to the flour mixture.  Stir until the batter is evenly moistened (do not overmix).  Drop batter by 1/3 cupfuls, 2 inches apart, on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake until golden brown, 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through.  Let scones cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. 

Notes

• As stated in the description, the first time I used dried cherries instead of raisins, and the second time I used frozen blueberries.  I imagine that most any dried fruit would work here; just snip or cut larger pieces so that each piece of dried fruit is about the size of a raisin. 
• A note on using frozen fruit here: if you use frozen fruit rather than dried, keep it frozen.  Fold the fruit in after the other ingredients are mixed.  Due to the shorter baking time, your blueberries will still be chilled even out of the oven.  When the scones cool completely, however, you won't notice a thing, and reheating them works well, too. 
• I used light brown sugar in place of dark brown because it's what I had.