Birthday Scones

    Tomorrow is my friend Elena's birthday.  It has become a first grade tradition to celebrate special occasions with meals together.  So for Elena's special day we opted for breakfast.  I saw a recipe recently for scones that interested me.  Of course, when I went to find it, I couldn't.  Instead I used the internet to find a recipe for "healthy" scones and discovered one that called for buttermilk instead of heavy cream and also included oatmeal.  It sounded good to me.  I was excited to try this recipe out since I've never attempted a scone before.  They were very easy to put together, except for the cutting in butter.  I have come across a few recipes that tell you to either use a pastry blender or two knives to cut in butter.  I don't have a pastry blender-at least I don't think I do.  Honestly, I don't know what a pastry blender looks like.  When I try to use two knives to mix in pieces of butter, I just end up flinging flour all over the kitchen.  Maybe I need to watch a video or talk to someone who knows what they're doing!

Cranberry Oat Scones

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into small pieces
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries
zest of 1 lemon
2/3 cup buttermilk
Egg Wash
1 large egg
1 tbsp almond milk (you can also use milk or cream)

Method
1. Preheat over to 375.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
3. Add the butter using two knives or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Add the rolled oats, cranberries, and zest.  Mix until combined.  Stir in the buttermilk and mix just until the dough comes together.
5. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough four or five times.  Pat or roll the dough into a circle that is 7 inches round and 1 1/2 inches thick.  Cut the circle into 8 triangles and place them on the baking sheet.  Mix the egg and milk and brush the mixture over the triangles.
6. Bake for 15-18 minutes pr until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.