Whole Wheat Gingerbread Scones

Gingerbread season is here! If you’re mourning the passing of pumpkin season, as I lamented a few weeks ago, ushering in gingerbread with a similar flavor profile is a surefire way to comfort yourself. These scones, the recipe scribbled on a piece of scrap paper from some unknown recipe source in my mom’s kitchen, have been begging to be made and I’m not ashamed to admit it was October when I first gave them a try. 
Now that we’ve fallen in love, these will be made all season long! My main complaint about scones is that they never taste as good after the day they’re made. While these only lasted two days, they reheated nicely in the oven and were amplified with a bit of butter and jam. My brother-in-law liked them because they weren’t sickly sweet and with only 1/3 cup of sugar in the entire batch, they are definitely breakfast material. I was glad I added a sprinkle of raw cane sugar before baking, it added the perfect amount of crunch and sweetness. The crispy exterior gives way to tender insides and even though the original recipe called for shaping the dough in rounds and cutting into triangles, I liked the rustic look of the drop scones!










One Year Ago: Caramelized Onion Dip and Frozen Coconut Coffee Bites
Two Years Ago: Slow Cooker Tequila Turkey Chili and Spinach Salad with Cinnamon Apples, Goat Cheese, and Walnuts
Three Years Ago: Pumpkin Gingerbread Mini Loaves  and Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate and Cranberries
Four Years Ago: Pumpkin Cheesecake Spice Bars

Maple Cranberry Scones

Although I get a lot of recipes and recipe inspiration from magazines, cookbooks, and other food blogs, I do enjoy the challenge of recipe creating when I have the time and creativity strikes! It was for this reason that I agreed to be a Tonewood Maple ambassador. Though I had never heard of the company before, maple is a flavor I enjoy and I thought it would be fun to create a few recipes using their products.
When I received their maple seasoning and maple flakes, I hemmed and hawed for awhile about what I could do with one of the other. That is, until I realized it was a no-brainer: scones! I've been on a major scone kick lately, whipping them up for weekend brunches or mid-week snacks. In addition to adding maple flakes to the batter and sprinkling them on top, I also used maple syrup in the batter. In fact, the syrup was the only sweetener in this recipe, making these a little more guilt-free! The maple flavor was fairly subtle, so if you want the taste to come through more, I recommend adding an addition 2 tbsp of maple syrup, or including some maple extract.
As I've discovered with most scone recipes, these are best the day they're made. If you aren't going to finish them off, share them, or freeze and reheat in the oven! I would've used fresh cranberries if I had them, but if you'd rather not use dried or fresh cranberries, chocolate chips, raisins, or nuts would also be good in these. I made my scones on the smaller size, but if you prefer thicker scones just use more dough for each. The maple flakes are completely optional, but if you're interested in using them, you can spend $25 on Tonewood's site and receive the maple flakes for FREE if you order beginning on December 1st!
Note: I am not being compensated by Tonewood Maple for this post. They sent me a few of their products to use, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

One Year Ago: Tortellini with Butternut Squash, Mushrooms, and Fontina and German Chocolate Cake Pecan Pie Bars
Two Years Ago: Pasta with Bacon and Cauliflower and Pumpkin Cream Oreo Tarts
Three Years Ago: Sea Salt and Poppy Seed Crackers and Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Scones
Four Years Ago: Creamy Wild Rice Soup and Streusel Coffee Cake

Lemon rosemary makes me think of a soap-flavor. Maybe it's because my sister-in-law and brother-in-law just made us some rosemary soap. Or maybe it's because lemon rosemary sounds so dang refreshing! What works as a soap flavor also works as a scone flavor, thankfully! This was my first time baking with Meyer lemons and I can now understand why everyone goes crazy for them. They're much more fragrant than normal lemons and not quite as bitter.
My scones are a little brown because I used half whole-wheat flour. I listed only all-purpose in the ingredients list because we're going for light and fluffy scones here. Whole wheat flour makes them a bit heavier, so add at your own risk. This dough was easy to work with, which is how I managed to form triangles this time around. These were best the day they were made, but will keep in an airtight container for a few days. Enjoy the fresh flavors rosemary and lemon give!
Thanks for entering the Brookstone Chocolate giveaway. You guys love chocolate-covered things--I got hungry reading all about it! The winner is commenter #45...Kelsey! Kelsey, email me at natalie@thesweetslife.com to claim your prize!
One Year Ago: Chocolate Liqueur Ice Cream 
Two Years Ago: Garlic and Sundried Tomato Hummus
Three Years Ago: Whole Grain Challah with Cranberries

 On the short list of my obsessions right now: the chocolate orange flavor combination and Les Miserables. Les Mis comes as no surprise. Coming from a family that truly loves and appreciates theater—especially musicals—I knew I was going to love the movie production of the epic show, even though I had never seen the stage version. My prediction proved right—I loved everything about Les Mis, the music, the storyline, and the way it come to life on the big screen. My biggest regret is not seeing the live performance when it was in St. Louis a few months ago. I definitely won’t make that mistake again!


Two Years Ago: Crockpot Chicken Wings
Three Years Ago: Cranberry Orange Nut Bread

I don't think I tried a scone until I was twenty-one or twenty-two. It's the kind of thing I remember my grandma ordering when we stopped in at a coffee shop and I usually picked up an over-sized muffin or a piece of banana bread. For some reason a scone never sounded or looked appealing. I've since changed my mind and I make them fairly frequently now. I like them because the dough comes together easily and they don't take long to bake...I'm all about instant gratification!

My only complaint is that scones really are best the day they're made, and not much longer. If you're going to make them, be prepared to eat the whole batch pretty quickly...or find some friends to share with! Though Everyday Food had a note on the page saying these keep well in an airtight container for up to 3 days, I think they're best the day they're made. If you can't eat them warm from the oven, I recommend reheating a bit--you can't beat a warm scone with butter and jam!

I followed the recipe instructions exactly, which yielded 18 pretty small scones. Next time I think I'd cut into 6 squares to yield a total of 12 scones. The dough was easy to work with; I had no problem forming and cutting these to shape. Texture-wise they were light and flaky, and the citrus flavor was present without being overpowering. Recently I've decided that oranges are an overlooked fruit--here's to bringing them back into baking!


Orange Poppy Scones
from Everyday Food May 2011


Ingredients:
-2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
-1/4 cup granulated sugar
-1 tbsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
-1/2 cup + 2 tbsp buttermilk
-Zest from 1 orange plus 1/4 cup orange juice
-1 large egg yolk
-1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
-coarse sugar, for sprinkling
-butter and jam, for serving

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, work butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal (a few pea-sized pieces of butter remaining is fine).
3. Stir in 1/2 cup buttermilk, orange zest, orange juice, egg yolk, and poppy seeds with a fork, just until combined (I added a few tsp of buttermilk because the dough seemed too dry!).
4. On a lightly floured surface, place dough and knead with hands a few times. Shape dough into a 7-inch square. Cut into 9 squares and cut each square into 2 triangles (18 total). Transfer scones to prepared baking sheets.
5. Brush scones with remaining 2 tbsp buttermilk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until pale golden, rotating sheets halfway through. Allow scones to cool on wire racks. Serve warm with butter and jam.

This content was originally posted on Honest Cooking in my featured column "Cooking the Magazines".

These scones were the very last thing I baked in my kitchen before moving. They were made out of necessity as I was furiously trying to use any miscellaneous ingredients AND was in need of a snack. Enter coconut milk, buttermilk, and pomegranate seeds and thus these scones were invented.

I hesitate to call them scones, as they lacked that buttery crumb found in many varieties (like my lemon ginger scones!) and instead yielded more of a cake-like texture. Because of the absence of butter--hence the name "lite"-- they were a little on the dry side, making them a good accompaniment for coffee or tea. Coconut is one of my very favorite flavors, and I had no problem polishing off the majority of the batch (don't judge, moving is hard work!). Next time I'll try to be better about sharing!

One Year Ago: Lindsay's Chocolate Cafe Chocolate Chip Cookies


Coconut Pomegranate Scones (Lite!)


Ingredients:
-1 cup whole wheat flour
-3/4 cup all purpose flour
-1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
-2 large eggs
-1/2 light coconut milk
-1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
-1/2 tsp coconut extract
-1/4 cup sugar
-1 tbsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Mix together flours, coconut, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs with coconut milk and buttermilk.
3. Add liquid mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Fold in pomegranate seeds.
4. Place large spoonfuls of batter onto prepared baking sheets (I got 12 scones). Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Nerd alert: I love the library. Seriously love it. Now, don't get me wrong. I wasn't one of those bookworms holed up in the library through my college years. In fact, despite the rather impressive library at Truman State University, I spent as little time in there as possible. But now that I'm out of school and with free time (though limited) to read for fun, I'm perfectly content to spend large chunks of time browsing the shelves at the library. Luckily for me, University City has a fabulous library within walking distance that I find myself frequenting on a weekly basis. For a long time, I stuck to the fiction sections. I'd arrive with my list of books I wanted to read and I'd go searching to see which were in stock and which I had to "order" from another library (another fabulous feature of U-City's library!). Recently, however, I've discovered the extensive selection of cookbooks, and suddenly a whole new world was uncovered!

I tend to get a lot of recipe inspiration from other blogs, recipe websites, and my various cooking magazines. Little did I know, there is also a wealth of resources at the library for me to take advantage of. I have spent many hours paging through cookbooks in the back of the library, carefully selecting a few to take home for a few weeks. Other times, I go online and request a specific cookbook that I've read or heard about, and then pop in when it becomes available. Such was the case recently, with the Flour Bakery Cookbook. When I visited Boston last September, I went crazy for the baked goods at Flour Bakery. Needless to say, when I heard that Joanne Chang, owner of Flour Bakery, had a cookbook out, I wanted to get my hands on it as soon as possible!

Neither the cookbook nor the library disappointed me in this case. I had the book in my hands within two weeks of requesting it and spent some time flipping the pages before settling on these lemon ginger scones. Unfortunately, vacation got in the way of my plans and suddenly the book was due. Being the good library patron I am, I scribbled down the recipe and returned the book...only to later discover I had only written down half of the recipe instructions!

Thus, these scones are an adaptation of Chang's recipe, at least when it comes to method. The ginger flavor, despite having three types of ginger in them, still wasn't prominent enough for me, a huge ginger lover. Next time I'll up the ginger as well as the lemon zest. Don't omit the lemon glaze, it's the perfect topping on these melt-in-your-mouth treats!


One Year Ago: Cinnamon Rolls


Lemon Ginger Scones
adapted from the Flour Bakery Cookbook


Ingredients:
-2 1/2 cups flour
-1 1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/4 tsp baking soda
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/3 cup granulated sugar
-1/2 tsp ground ginger
-1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
-2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest (1 1/2 lemons)
-3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 8-10 pieces
-1/2 cup cold nonfat buttermilk
-1/2 cup cold heavy cream
-1 cold egg
-2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
glaze:
-1 cup confectioners' sugar
-2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (1 or 1 1/2 lemons)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. With a stand or handheld mixer, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, ground ginger, crystallized ginger, and lemon zest on low speed until combined.
3. Add butter beating on low speed until butter is somewhat broken about (about 30 seconds). Mix in egg, buttermilk, cream, and fresh ginger.
4. Remove from mixer and with your hands, turn dough over several times to mix in loose flour.
5. Using a spoon or your hands, drop dough onto baking sheets (I lined one with parchment and left one plain--it baked fine on both and didn't stick, but the parchment paper ones were a little less brown on the bottom), about 2 inches apart from each other. Do not flatten dough as scones will spread a bit when baking! (I dropped mounds about the size of 2 golf balls.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until scones are light golden brown on top. Cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes.
7. Whisk confectioners' sugar and lemon juice to make a smooth, thick glaze that easily pours (can be made ahead of time and can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week).
8. When scones are cool, brush tops with lemon glaze and serve.
**Scones are definitely best on the day they're made but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. After the first day, reheat in the oven at 300F for 4-5 minutes.

If you're of the belief that scones are nothing more than dry and lifeless blobs, then these scones are for you. One bite into these and you will take back every bad thought you ever had about scones. These are everything scones should be: tender and moist with pockets of sweetness from the golden raisins.

I was a little concerned when these first came out of the oven. The edges were crisp and the raisins that were on the outer edges looked a little charred. I hesitantly took a bite and all fears were subsided. The crispy edges were in perfect contrast to the tender insides. I made these for a group of guys who came one morning to help Ryan insulate our attic. Ryan, my most honest critic, ate three. I always take that as a good sign! So whether you're a scones lover or a scones hater, I'm convinced you'll love these. Try them and let me know what you think. You could easily add other dried fruit (cherries, cranberries, or blueberries would all be good!) or omit altogether.


In case you still have leftover turkey:
Turkey, Cranberry, & Goat Cheese Paninis
Pomegranate Spinach Salad with Persimmon & Turkey
Loaded Turkey, Vegetable, and Wild Rice Soup


Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Scones
adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook


Ingredients:
-1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
-1/2 cup half & half
-1 large egg
-3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
-1/3 cup sugar
-2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp cinnamon
-10 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/4" pieces and chilled
-1 cup golden raisins

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450F. While oven is preheating, spread oats on a baking sheet and add to oven for 8 minutes, until lightly toasted. Remove oats from oven and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together egg with half & half. Remove 1 tbsp and set aside for glazing.
3. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon (approximately 4 pulses) until well-combined. Place the butter chunks on top of the flour mixture and process until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal (12-14 pulses).
4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the oats and raisins. Fold in the liquid mixture until everything is well combined.
5. Drop 8 equal-sized chunks of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

I tend to get antsy if I'm away from my kitchen for too long. Don't get me wrong, I love and appreciate a cooking break from time to time (which is why I love to go on vacation), but I always find myself eager to return and get busy whipping up healthy dinners and deadly desserts. Cooking nerd? I think so!


A few weekends ago, Ryan and I found ourselves in Wisconsin for a wedding. We stayed at my grandparents where we were spoiled with fabulous meals, incredible wine, and an all-around relaxing time. Come Sunday, after spending more than six hours in the car, I was itching to make something. Our fridge was nearly empty, but I spotted pumpkin left over from the pumpkin nutella bread and inspiration struck.

Normally, I closely adhere to recipes when baking and if I want to get creative, I experiment more with cooking. Begin tangent: One of those cooking experiments paid off...Foodbuzz and Electrolux selected my cranberry bruschetta as a winner of the contest I entered and I'll now be headed to the Foodbuzz Food Bloggers Festival in San Francisco in a few weeks to present my recipe! I'm still in shock I was selected. Anyone out there reading who will also be attending the festival? Leave me a comment, I'm nervous about going and would love to know some friendly faces beforehand! End tangent, back to the scones..

 For whatever reason, I decided to make these scones on a whim, relying on my previous scone knowledge. Chalk it up to pure luck or pure stroke of genius, either way these turned out pretty near perfect! Lightly spiced and wonderfully moist, these scones were best warm out of the oven. If you aren't going to serve the whole batch at once, you may want to freeze the leftovers until you're ready to serve. Or, you can store them in an air-tight container for a few days, their texture just gets a little funky. We enjoyed them plain, but I think they also would've been delicious with a smear of the cranberry sauce I used in the bruschetta!

One Year Ago: Cranberry Apple Scones


Pumpkin Scones


Ingredients:
-1 cup whole wheat flour
-1 cup all purpose flour
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/4 tsp baking soda
-heaping 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp vanilla
-1 stick butter, cut into 8-10 pieces
-1/4 cup half and half
-3/4 cup pumpkin

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F. In the bowl of a food processor, add flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Pulse to combine.
2. Add half and half, butter pieces, pumpkin, and vanilla. Pulse until coarse crumbs are formed.
3. Remove dough from food processor and place on a lightly floured surface. Shape into a disc about 1 inch high. Cut disc into 8 equal-sized triangles.
4. Bake scones for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned. Best when served fresh out of the oven!