Cranberry Apple Nut Yogurt Scones

Burr! It's cooooold here in Chicago! Slightly sweet, not too heavy, these scones are a great little treat for a cold winter morning... and considering they're nutritionally enhanced through the incorporation of whole grains, fruit, and healthy fats from the nuts, you shouldn't feel guilty if you have more than one!

If you're averse to cranberries (ahem Momo), fear not! This recipe is merely a base that can be adapted to your preferences and ingredients on hand. For the cranberries and apple you can substitute anything from raisins to blueberries, raspberries to snozberries... And your favorite nut variety can can stand in for the hazelnuts! Play around!

The Edibles:

• 1 c. boiling water
• 1/2 c. dried cranberries
• 1/2 c. dried apple, chopped
• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 c. wheat flour
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 3 T. baking powder
• 3/4 c. (1 & 1/2 sticks) cold butter or margarine
• 1 c. chopped hazelnuts
• 1 c. vanilla nonfat yogurt
• 1 c. fat free half-and-half
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

The Making:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Add water to cranberries; stir. Let stand 10 min. to plump cranberries. Meanwhile, mix flours, sugar and baking powder in large bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add walnuts and drained cranberries; mix well. Add yogurt and half-and-half; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.
2. Divide dough into 3 pieces. Pat each piece into 6-inch round on floured surface; cut each into 8 wedges. Place wedges, 2 inches apart, on ungreased baking sheets; brush with egg.
3. Bake 15 to 18 min. or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

The original recipe that inspired this interpretation said that this makes 24 scones... I made 28. I'm special like that.

Pumpkin Scones stolen from Starbucks

Despite the doom and gloom that may be around the corner as we move into fall and prepare for another frigid winter in Chicago, fall may be one of the top four seasons in my book (see what I did there...? Ha!). From cozy fleeces to crunchy leaves, vibrant trees and pumpkin pie spices, autumn is like a warm blanket that I just want to lounge around in for a while.

Among the many joys of this time of year, Starbucks caters to our love for pumpkin with its lattes and scones. Though I am averse to the lattes (I know, I was suprised as well), the scones... well, I just can't get enough! Luckily, I am not alone in my love for these semi-sweet, perfectly spiced treats. A quick Google search provided me with the following recipe. I followed it (mostly) and wowee! These are moist and DELICIOUS. You'll see that I didn't glaze them (my cupboards failed to magically produce powdered sugar), but I think these scones hold their own without any added glaze!

I'll admit that I didn't measure the amount of pumpkin I added, and I think I may have added too much, because my dough was a little thin and not very dough-like. I also used skim milk in lieu of half-and-half (it's all I had), but yes, I did use an ENTIRE stick of butter. I knew that this scone would not be truly my Starbucks clone if I didn't pump it up Paula Deen style!

The recipe says it makes 6 scones. I made 11, half tennis ball-sized scones. They were perfect.

The Scones... The Edibles:

• 2 c. all-purpose flour (I replaced 1/2 c. flour with whole wheat flour)
• 7 T. sugar
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 6 T. cold butter
• 1/2 c. canned pumpkin
• 3 T. half-and-half
• 1 large egg

The Scones... The Making:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Using a pastry knife, fork, or food processor, cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and no chunks of butter are obvious. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half and half, and egg. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
4. Form the dough into a ball.
5. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle (about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide). Use a large knife or a pizza cutter to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal portions. Cut those three slices diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough.
6. Place on prepared baking sheet.
7. Bake for 14-16 minutes. Scones should begin to turn light brown. Place on wire rack to cool.

Plain Glaze... The Edibles:

• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1 T. powdered sugar
• 2 T. whole milk

Spiced Glaze... The Edibles:

• 1 T. powdered sugar
• 2 T.s whole milk
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch ginger
• 1 pinch ground cloves

Plain Glaze... The Making:

1. Mix the powdered sugar and 2 tbsp milk together until smooth.
2. When scones are cool, use a brush to paint plain glaze over the top of each scone.
3. As the plain glaze firms up, prepare the Spiced Glaze.

Spiced Glaze... The Making:

1. Combine the ingredient for the spiced icing together. Drizzle this thicker icing over each scone and allow the icing to dry before serving (at least 1 hour). A squirt bottle works great for this, or you can drizzle with a whisk.

Jealous?

Almond Banana Muffins

For months now, I have had a box of Trader Joe’s Multigrain Baking Mix sitting in my cupboard, unopened. Though I’ve had inspirations for its use, I haven’t acted on any… until now.

I’ve mentioned before how I take after my grandma (hi, Mommom!) who will go to extremes not to waste a morsel of any food. Leftover dip? Use it as a bagel spread for the next 3 days. A loaf of marble rye looking like it will go uneaten? Not if she can help it! Thick slices of that loaf will be reincarnated as French toast for breakfast… for 5 days. Oh memories...

When I spotted a banana in our fruit basket, enveloped in brown peel, it signaled to me that its days were numbered. What else was I to do but put it out of its misery? It was the humane thing to do... and it satisfied the Mommom in me, because I ensured it did not go to waste.

And waste it most definitely did not become! Behold! A moist muffin rich in whole grain goodness, full of ingredients that can lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease. And should I add that it is boy-approved? Right on.

Makes 6 normal-sized muffins.

The Edibles:

• 1 T. milled flax seed
• 2 T. + ¼ c. water
• ¼ tsp. almond extract
• ¼ c. agave nectar
• 4 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. vegetable oil
• 1 c. baking mix (such as Trader Joe’s or Bisquick)
• ½ c. oat bran
• hearty shake of cinnamon
• 1 very ripe banana
• 10 raw almonds, crushed or coarsely chopped

The Making:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together first 6 ingredients; set aside.
3. Mix together the baking mix, oat bran, and cinnamon. Add in banana and flax seed liquid from step 2. Mix well, but don’t worry if you see chunks of banana hiding in your batter. They will become delicious morsels in your muffins. Fold in almonds and ensure they are evenly dispersed in your batter.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, using a toothpick to ensure they are fully cooked.

Umm yeah. Definitely boy-approved.

Devoured.

Protein Pancake

Similar in texture to a crepe, this pancake is a protein powerhouse, making it a great addition to a post-workout breakfast. Without real maple syrup on hand (I accept no substitutes, sorry Aunt Jemima), I resorted to topping with some blackberry jam and some strawberries. Delicious.

This recipe makes one medium pancake. I use "natural" protein powder, meaning that it is essentially flavorless, so I added a hefty dash of cinnamon and some sweetener to make it palatable. Still, flavored protein powders (such as chocolate or vanilla) are definitely an option, and you can change things up a bit if you try different flavored yogurts!

The Stuff:

• small sauté pan

The Edibles:

• non-stick cooking spray
• 2 T. protein powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/3 c. Greek yogurt
• 1 egg white
• 1 T. water (omit if not using Greek yogurt)

The Making:

1. In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients. The batter may be a bit thick.
2. Place a small sauté pan over medium heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Pour batter into pan and cook like a normal pancake. The cake will be ready for flipping once it appears less glossy and firmed up.
4. Serve with whatever toppings you desire.