The date was September 17th, 2009.  

Yes.  Yesterday.  

That’s the day that I finally stopped totally sucking at scone baking.  That’s the day that I didn’t pull a tray of overly sweet, super flat triangle shaped mounds out of the oven, trying to pass them off as scones.  

Summon the parade.  I’d like you to call in the marching band please.  Flag twirlers would also be nice.  This is sort of a parade worthy occasion.  Fluffy, rounded, nicely browned, fruit filled scones?  From my oven?  Yes.  Parade please.

Oh!  Just so we’re clear…  I’ve made at least twenty dozen terrible batches of scones in my lifetime.  Terrible terrible.  I just couldn’t get it right!   Let this space hold as proof that I’ve wrestled scone dough and oven temperatures and come out successful.

Here’s proof:  pink and fruity, spiced, hearty and subtly sweet scone proof.  

These scones are a combination of old fashioned oats and all-purpose flour.  Much of the oatmeal breaks down in the scone dough, creating a robust and slightly dense crumb.  The freshly grated nutmeg, believe it or not, adds a touch of mystery to the scone… like you just can’t quite put your finger on the spice or flavor… I love that.  Sweetness?  These scones aren’t too sweet.  You won’t feel like you’re eating a cakey muffin top  but rather an appropriately sweet breakfast treat perfect with sweet and milky tea.

Feel free to use fresh or frozen blueberry or raspberries for this recipe.  I used frozen raspberries.  Divine!

Oatmeal Raspberry Scones

     adapted from Dorie Greenspan

     makes 12 scones

     Print this Recipe

1 large egg

1/2 cup cold buttermilk

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups old fashioned oats

1/3 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries or blueberries

1 stick plus 2 Tablespoons (10 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, grated on a box grater or cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and place a rack in the center of the oven.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and set aside.  

Stir the eggs and buttermilk together and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl.  Using a box grater, quickly grate the butter until all is shredded and add to the dry ingredients, using your fingers to quickly incorporate the butter and flour mixture.  If you don’t have a box grater, you can also simply cut the butter into small pieces and quickly rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it is pebbly.  

Pour the egg and buttermilk miture over the dry ingredients and stir with a fork just until the dough, which will be wet and sticky, comes together.  Add the berries.

Still in the bowl, gently knead the dough by hand or turn it with a rubber spatula about 8 to 10 times.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and press the dough until you have a circle that is about 1 1/2-inches thick.  Use a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop to portion out 12  scone dough balls.  At this point the scones can be frozen on the baking sheet, then wrapped airtight.  Don’t defrost before baking, just add about 2 more minutes to the baking time.  

Bake for 20 minutes or until their tops are golden and firmish.  Transfer them to a rack and col for 10 minutes before serving, or wait for the scones to cool to room temperature.

I like you.

No..,  I’m being completely serious here.  I totally like you.  I think you’re great.  You know when you sometimes steal the covers and fart in your sleep?   That’s cool with me.  Maybe that happens to all of us.

Yes.  You.  I like exactly who you are.

I’d like to make each and every one of you breakfast.  This weekend.  You and me.  Let’s do it!  The only little snafu is that, I can’t be everywhere, making everyone breakfast.  I’m going to need your help.

Will you make yourself breakfast on my behalf?  Sure, it might sound a little silly, but I’ve got my serious face on right now.  If you’ve been around these blogparts for more than a minute that you probably know that I love… I seriously looooove breakfast.

See, I love breakfast and I totally like you.  I thought that maybe… in this really cool way… you could find a recipe here on Joy the Baker, make it for yourself for breakfast this weekend… and maybe that way just feel a hint of exactly how rad I think you are.

Can we do this together?

Jump on over and drool through some of my favorite breakfast recipes.  Pick one.  Make it for yourself this weekend.  Share it with friends.  Share it with husbands and families.  Make the wife breakfast!  Make yourself feel good with a little weekend breakfast, and you’ll experience a just a bit of how good you all make me feel every day.

Carrot Cake Pancakes.  Say you will.

Chocolate Chocolate Banana Bread.  Say you might.

Maybe you’re thinking Creme Fraiche Quiche.

Or Cheddar Paprika Biscuits with fried eggs.

How about Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Pancakes?

This Mocha Coffee Coffee Cake is so good.

Muffins?  Maybe Low Fat Oatmeal Applesauce Muffins!

Milk Chocolate Buttermilk Pancakes might just be the perfect weekend food.  For serious.

Or simply go for Cranberry Orange Almond Oatmeal.

Enjoy breakfast and don’t be afraid to let me know just how great it made you feel!

Here’s a fun game to play:

Grab a chef.  Any chef will do.

Ask that chef what their favorite Oatmeal Cookie recipe is.  I’ll bet you my favorite slippers (not that you would want those) that their favorite recipe for Oatmeal Cookies is the recipe right there on the Quaker Oats can.

I know… too easy right?  Take the easy.  Accept the easy.  Some things are complicated.  Other things are as simple as the Oatmeal Cookie recipe that I’ve been making since I was old enough to reach the counter.

Embrace the good, then add cherries and chocolate.

Because I simply can’t help myself, I jazzed these beauties up a bit with dried cherries and white chocolate chips.  Use any combination of dried fruit and chocolate you like.  The base recipe, with brown sugar and old fashioned oats is gorgeous enough with or without the jazz.  Keep in mind that chocolate does make everything better.  Fact.

Oatmeal Cherry White Chocolate Cookies

oooooh Quaker.  You’ve done it again.

Print this recipe!

With a deep breath and a big fat smile I welcome you to National I’m a Maniac and Posting On My Blog Everyday for and Entire Month, also known as NoBloPoMo.  

Well…. here we are.  Now what do we do?  Can we just sit and stare at one another for an entire month?  No?  You mean you actually want me to cook things, take pictures and tell you all about them?  Ooooh.  I guess that makes sense.  What’s that?  You want my crazy good Apple Pie recipe?  Ok… we can do that.

What else?  I’m coming to you with an empty bowl and a clean spatula.  What would you like to see come from Joy the Baker in the next month?  Do you have a recipe you want to share?  Do you want me to make more pancakes?  Do you need some sort of tutorial?  Leave a comment announcing your deepest baking desires and we’ll see if I can make all your dreams come true.  It’s going to be just like Disneyland, with shorter lines and fewer mice.  

And now…. oatmeal.

This oatmeal idea comes from Joy the Baker fanatic Elizabeth.  She claims to not have much baking prowess but I thought her oatmeal idea was pretty clever.  See, Elizabeth needs an instant oatmeal concoction that she can throw in a zip lock to take to the office and then microwave in a bowl once at work.  The packaged oatmeal is often packed with sugars and preservatives and barely there dried fruit.  We can do much better than that.

Here’s what you do.  Take down that 18 ounce canister of quick cooking oats from your top shelf.  Take out three cups and throw together a batch of oatmeal cookies.  Into the remaining oats add 1/2 cup of dried cranberries,1/2 cup of chopped almonds and 2 tablespoons of flax seeds.  Throw the lid back on the canister, give it a good shake, and you’re good to go.  

Now every morning before you rush out the door, you can quickly measure out a serving of dried oatmeal mixture, carry it off to work and serve it up nice and warm once you get to the office.   Mix 3/4 cup of quick cookies oats with 1 1/2 cup of water in a microwave safe bowl, microwave on high for 2 minutes, stir and enjoy.  Healthy breakfast in a flash!

Thanks Elizabeth!  

Now what do you want to see on Joy the Baker?

I’m a huge breakfast fanatic.  I usually go for something hearty, healthy and full of surprise goodies.  That’s not to say that I don’t sometimes reach for a donut and some coffee, but this go around I opted for old-fashioned oatmeal with the gorgeous flavors of cranberry, orange and almond.  I threw in a bit of brown sugar for good measure, and surrounded my oatmeal with cold milk.  It was a delightful breakfast- satisfying but not too heavy.  It’s the kind of breakfast that convinces you you’re ready to take on the world.  Brilliant

Cranberry Orange Almond Oatmeal

Print this recipe!

1 cup water

pinch of salt

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

2 Tablespoons dried cranberries

6 raw or toasted almonds

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

optional:

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

Bring water and salt to a rolling boil in a small sauce pan.  Add oats and reduce to medium heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add 1 Tablespoon of dried cranberries into the cooking oatmeal.

After 5 minutes, remove from heat, and transfer to a serving bowl.  Sprinkle with remaining cranberries, orange zest, almonds, brown sugar and milk.  Enjoy!

Thank you Dawn!  It was so sweet of you to send me these darling cards and pens!  I’ll put them to good use!  They’re absolutely beautiful!  Thank You!!

 By Sunday, my fridge is usually full of baking leftovers from the week-  a bit of cookie dough, scraps of cake, a tiny bit of frosting.  What to do with all these treats sometimes perplexes me.  This week, I married the leftover cookie dough I had in the freezer from my cookie extravaganza, and the Swiss Meringue Buttercream from my Blackberry Jam Cake.   Oatmeal sandwich cookies!  They’re great wrapped in wax paper and stacked in the fridge for a sweet snack.  They won’t last very long, I guarantee.  

 I remember the prepackaged, Little Debbie version of these cookies occasionally appearing in my lunch box.  The grown up version is crispy, buttery and so satisfying.   

Oatmeal Walnuts with Candied Ginger and Swiss Meringue Buttercream.  Delicious separate.  Over the moon when sandwiched together!

I’ll be the first to admit, that I’ve been breakfast obsessed lately.  I fall asleep thinking about the breakfast.  I wake up thinking I better hurry to the kitchen to get breakfast and tea started.  I eat breakfast standing in front of my kitchen window watching my morning get brighter and brighter with the sun and listening the the morning’s news on the radio.  It’s a ritual I’ve become attached to.  Oatmeal is my no fail breakfast treat, and I’ve had pecans on the brain lately.  This buttered pecan oatmeal is rich, earthy and filling. The warm, sweet and nutty combination would be great with fruit too- any fruit- bananas, apples, peaches, berries.  It’s the kind of breakfast my dreams are made of.

Buttered Pecan Oatmeal

Print this recipe!

serves 1, but it’s a lot of filling yumminess.

For the Pecans

1  scant Tablespoon unsalted butter

1/4 cup chopped pecans

pinch of salt

For the Oatmeal

1 cup of water

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats

sugar in the raw

milk

Melt the butter in a skillet.  When butter is melted, add the chopped pecans and pinch of salt.  Cook pecans, stirring often, until they are browned and fragrant.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil, then add salt.  Add the oats to the boiling water and turn flame down to low.  Cook the oatmeal, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.  Once oatmeal is sufficiently thickened, mix 1/2 of the buttered pecans mixture into the oatmeal.

Put oatmeal in a serving bowl, add the remaining buttered pecans on top, sprinkle with sugar in the raw to taste, and add milk if you’d like.