Spiced Oatmeal Coconut Scones

I am really excited about these scones. They are delicious and crumbly, perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. The subtle flavors of cardamom, cinnamon and ginger add intrigue to the always comforting flavor of the oatmeal. It makes a great breakfast or afternoon snack. These are an often requested treat at my house. It's a request I'm more than happy to fill because they are very simple to make and loaded with whole grains, which we all need more of. Plus they fill my home with such a wonderful aroma while they are baking.

These are not traditional scones. The technique for my scone is much simpler, you don't have to cut the fat into the flour or dirty a counter. It contains no refined sugars or flours, instead I use whole wheat flour (which I feel has so much more flavor than it's refined white version), oatmeal and a very small amount of organic raw cane sugar. Whereas most scone recipes are loaded with butter, I opt for coconut oil. I love the flavor it imparts and use it quite often in my baking.

There is a bit of debate regarding whether or not coconut oil is healthy as it still contains saturated fat. However research is suggesting that perhaps saturated fats from plant sources are healthier than saturated fats from animal derived products. Regardless, these scones are delicious.


Spiced Oatmeal Coconut Scones
makes about 1 dozen scones

dry ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups old fashioned oat
1/4 cup raw cane sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt

wet ingredients
1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed to a liquid state
1/3 cup coconut milk (unsweetened)
1 egg

In a large bowl, thoroughly combine all the dry ingredients. Set aside.
In another bowl, thoroughly combine all of the wet ingredients. Don't worry if the coconut oil begins to set a bit. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

On a lightly oiled baking sheet, place a 1/4 cup of the mixture, flattening to 1/2 inch thick.
Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes.

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Canberry Apple Oatmeal with Walnuts

I don't give my kids dry cereal. I don't think it's a healthy way to start the day. I know there are "healthy" cereals out there, but I prefer to give them something else, something more substantial. Because of this I'm constantly looking for quick healthy alternatives.
The other morning we were running late, I was trying to throw breakfast together really quick so I reached for oatmeal. I usually make my oatmeal with milk or soy milk because I really don't like the taste of it when it's made with water. I was out of milk. Actually I was out of pretty much everything but I did have fresh apple cider. I also had a bag of fresh cranberries on hand.
They turned out to be a delicious additions to oat meal, which lets face it can be quite boring. Not only are my kids eating healthy oat meal, but they are getting cranberries which are loaded with antioxidants.

Cranberry Apple Oatmeal with Walnuts
(makes 4 servings)

2 cups oats
2 cups apple cider
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup walnut pieces

In a large pot add oats, cider, water, cranberries and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the berries start to break up. Stir in cinnamon and walnuts. Serve with honey.
If you like your oatmeal even sweeter, you can add more cider in place of the water.

I've made a single serving of this for myself and it turns out really well (just use 1/4 of all the ingredients).

I've also made this in the microwave which I think I prefer. The berries break up more, just make sure you use a large bowl because it boils up. It took about 10 minutes in my microwave...no stirring needed.