There is something about scones that makes them perfect for breakfast, or lunch, or tea–even supper, if you make a savory variety! They can be light and delicately flavored, or substantial enough to make a decent meal along with some cheese and fruit.

Mixing a bit of cream cheese into your scone dough brings an extra-special touch to these treats! Without adding extra sugar, the creamy texture makes them seem extravagant. Luscious chunks of strawberry provide a perfect complement to the cream cheese, reminiscent of strawberry cheesecake! Whether you make them for a weekend brunch or afternoon tea, these scones are a delightful combination of flavors and textures.

Ingredient Notes

Flour

Almond flour adds a mild, nutty flavor to these scones, and also lightens the dough, which would otherwise be heavy due to the whole wheat flour. Since the dough is only half almond flour, the scones do still taste like regular wheat scones, not like a gluten-free scone.

I like to use freshly ground soft white wheat for scones and biscuits. You can substitute store bought whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour. Freshly-ground flour tends to be fluffier than store-bought flour that has been sitting in a bag for months, so you may need to add a little more or less liquid depending on which type of flour you use.

Sugar

I prefer just a touch of sugar in my scones, so they are not too sweet for everyday baking, but if you are making these for a party, feel free to add an extra spoonful of sugar to the dough. In this recipe, I have used coconut sugar, which is a little less sweet than regular cane sugar, and has a deeper flavor. If you don’t have coconut sugar, try brown sugar or demerara sugar instead.

Strawberries

I like fruited scones for breakfast, but I generally choose dried fruits or berries instead of fresh, so that they don’t change the texture of the scones. Super juicy fruits tend to make the scone dough gooey and difficult to work with. For that reason, I recommend using strawberries that are a little bit firm for this recipe. It is a perfect way to use strawberries that are just shy of perfect flavor and ripeness. Save your perfectly ripe, delicate berries to eat fresh with cream! If you do want to use ripe, juicy berries, the scones will still taste great; just be aware that your dough (and your hands) may get a little messier than usual, and the berries may turn the dough pink!

Method

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, ground almonds, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and coconut sugar. Stir to combine, then tip in the cold butter and cream cheese. Use a pastry blender or fork to cut in the butter and cream cheese until the pieces are the size of peas.

Add the chopped strawberries.

Combine the buttermilk, egg, and almond extract in a glass measuring cup. Pour the liquids into the flour mixture and stir gently with a wooden spoon until only a few streaks of flour remain. You may need to add a little more buttermilk or flour here to get the proper texture, which is a soft dough.

Tip the dough out onto a floured board and knead very gently with the tips of your fingers a few times. Form the dough into a rectangle about 3/4″ thick. Cut into 6 squares, then cut the squares in half to form 12 triangles.

Transfer the scones to a buttered baking sheet. Brush tops with cream, then sprinkle with sliced almonds and additional coconut sugar, if desired. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are golden. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or room temperature.

Scones are best eaten on the day they are made, but you can keep them tightly covered overnight. Lightly toasted with butter is the best way to eat the leftovers, in my opinion.

Enjoy!

~ Kimberly

Another season, another granola recipe… but this one is so good! It’s quick, easy, healthful, delicious, and full of ingredients you already have in your cupboard. What more could you want? Pretty. It’s also pretty. Who wouldn’t want to scatter jewel-hued cranberries and dried oranges on top of their yogurt? I definitely do.

I have a confession to make: this granola recipe came from another granola recipe that was supposed to have chocolate chips in it. I intended to make it as written. With chocolate.

I couldn’t do it, though. While I do love chocolate, I do not generally approve of it for breakfast, except topping homemade Chocolate Danishes to celebrate the kids’ name days. Even for lunch, chocolate in granola just seems a little too decadent.

And by the time the pans of granola were in the oven, I looked back over the list of ingredients and realized I had made so many changes to the original recipe that I might as well write a new one. So here you go!

Ingredients

Oats

You know this one. Granola essential.

Rye flour

I find that adding a bit of flour helps the granola to clump together better. And surely I’m not the only one who picks the clumps out to eat them first? You are welcome to substitute any whole grain flour. I just like the nuttiness of rye.

Wheat bran

Fiber is good for you. Most of you. If you don’t need any extra in your diet, replace it with wheat germ.

Salt

Who doesn’t like a sweet-and-salty mix? (If you don’t, reduce the amount to 1/4 teaspoon.)

Cinnamon

Because I cannot cook or bake anything without opening my spice drawer…

Desiccated Coconut

I love coconut in granola. You probably know that by now.

Sliced almonds

Use any nuts you like. Chop them roughly if they’re large, like walnuts.

Flax Seeds

Seeds are pretty and crunchy. Use whatever you have. Sometimes I substitute sesame seeds here.

Butter

Everything is better with butter! And browned butter is best of all. But if dairy is a problem, use all coconut oil.

Coconut oil

I really like coconut oil in granola, but you can substitute avocado oil if you like. Or more butter, of course.

Honey

It really doesn’t matter whether or not you use raw honey in this recipe, as the granola is baked in the oven anyway. But I generally only have raw honey around, so that’s what I use.

Date syrup

This one is optional. Use all honey or all date syrup, or just leave the date syrup out if you want a less sweet granola. I like to use date syrup as a sweetener when I don’t desire a strong flavor of honey or maple syrup. You could also use brown sugar.

Vanilla and Almond extract

For a delightful aroma and flavor! Also optional.

Dried Cranberries

Some day I want to dry my own cranberries, but that day has not come yet. Until then, I use apple juice-sweetened dried cranberries.

Dried Orange slices

You can make your own here, or buy them from a bulk food store or specialty shop. I buy mine from Azure Standard. My kids call them “candied oranges.” If they only knew…

Method

You will need a large mixing bowl and a small skillet or saucepan, plus two large rimmed baking sheets or 9×13″ pans.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line the pans with parchment paper, if you like, to prevent the granola from sticking. Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don’t bother. It does make cleanup a lot easier.

In the skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Add the coconut oil and honey, and stir to combine.

Measure the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl: everything except the dried fruit. Mix it up, then drizzle the butter mixture over the dry grains and nuts. Stir well with a wooden spoon. Make sure you incorporate all the dry bits at the bottom of the bowl.

Divide the granola mixture evenly between the two pans, and spread it out to the edges. Place the pans in the oven, as close to the center as possible.

Bake for about 1 hour, stirring the granola and rotating the pans every 15 minutes. Be gentle when you stir it, to keep some clumps intact. Those are the best parts!

The granola is done when it turns golden brown and smells delicious!

Stir the granola one more time (gently!) when you remove it from the oven, then let it cool on the pans.

When it is cool, pour the granola into a large, clean bowl. Mix in the dried cranberries and dried orange slices. Pour into an airtight container. This granola will keep happily in your pantry for a week or two.