Baking a Better Breakfast

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MOTHER'S KITCHEN

If the same old expensive cereal and doughnuts are making your want to go back to bed, Anne Vassal can put a healthy word in your ear.

I don't know about you, but I'm suffering from breakfast boredom. I never could stand an egg staring me in the face first thing in the A.M. Fresh fruit with yogurt is limited to the summer months. I despise bananas, the winter fruit. Bagels are good. Nope, done that. And oatmeal? Colorless mush. So what's left? Dunkin' Donuts? No way: I'd fall into a sugar coma. But I'm always ready for a tea treat — something sweet yet healthy — to lure me away from my warm, flannel-sheeted bed. That doesn't mean that I'm going to fly out of bed to whip up a batch of cinnamon rolls. Not being a morning person, it's a challenge just to fill the tea kettle. So I bake a few batches of goodies on a Saturday, plop them into Ziplock bags, and store them in the freezer for those desperate mornings. My sweet selection usually includes scones, muffins, sliced quick-breads, and rolls. There's nothing like the smell of a warm cinnamon roll and a cup of spicy, hot tea to get one rolling off to work. I make sure to hide them in the back of the freezer. Let the kids eat frozen waffles or Cheerios; these treats are for grown-ups. We deserve it.

Raspberry Scones

Instead of using a rolling pin and biscuit cutter, these scones are dropped onto a cookie sheet; it's much faster. Serve warm with raspberry jam and yogurt cheese.

Dry:

2 cups sifted whole wheat pastry flour or unbleached white flour
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, well chilled
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup thick oats (old-fashioned, not quick-cooking)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Wet:

2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon almond extract1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk

1 cup frozen raspberries* (Keep them frozen until ready to use.)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a large cookie sheet. Pour the flour into a food processor or use a large bowl and pastry blender. Cut the butter into small cubes and pulse the processor a few times until the dough looks like bread crumbs. Pour in the wet ingredients and pulse just until blended. Briefly pulse in the frozen berries; over-mixing will crush them. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the batter onto the cookie sheet in balls at least an inch apart. They should be about 1 1/2" in diameter and about 1" high. Bake for 20 minutes until lightly browned. Cool a few minutes; remove with a spatula. Must be served warm. For defrosted freezer scones, microwave for 10 seconds.

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