Whole Wheat Scones to Settle the Spirit

It's been a day of nervous energy, as good friends and relatives weathered the distant repurcussions of the earthquake in Japan and the tsunami that followed.  My sister Patsy and her husband are vacationing on the Big Island of Hawaii.  My friend Val lives there as well.  My daughter Meghan lives on the coast of southern California, and my brother Danny and his wife Suzette are near San Francisco.  My good friend Sue and her husband Pete flew out of Oahu yesterday, just in time.  A professor friend of mine is in Tokyo, but reports are that he is fine.  With all these people in coastal Pacific areas, it was a day of worry and concern.  Thankfully, all are well and I am so very grateful.  To dissipate the day's fretful energy, I invited little Henry upstairs tonight, a nice diversion from the horrible and incredibly sad images on the news coming from Japan.   I don't remember a time when I've been so concerned about so many people, so far apart from each other, all because of one singular geologic event.  It's a very strange feeling.  To settle my uneasy spirit, Henry is helping me make whole wheat scones.  As usual, Finding Nemo is playing in the background, and he's already had his popsicle.  We have a routine for Henry's after-dinner visits, much like the movie, Groundhog Day, we do the same thing over and over!  There is comfort in the familiar, which is why Henry and  I are doing some baking tonight.

We're making whole wheat scones for tomorrow's breakfast.  This recipe calls for currants and orange zest.  I'm substituting raisins and a brown sugar/cinnamon mixture (post script - they're done!  See photo, above left.  I added a thin confectioners sugar glaze).
I found this recipe on Eating Well's Web site, and thought I'd give it a try.  These scones are quite a bit less indulgent than my regular recipe, but with all the work I've been doing to exercise and lose weight, I like the idea of a scone that doesn't require so much work to burn off, as well as one that offers some good nutrition in the way of whole grains, little fat, and barely any sugar.

While there are only three reviews of this recipe on Eating Well's site, they are three enthusiastic reviews, so I'm giving them a shot.  My batter is in the fridge chilling (I always chill my scone batter before shaping) and pretty soon they'll be baking in the oven.  I'll let you know how they turn out!

Whole-Wheat Scones

From EatingWell: April 1998 "This simple scone is sure to become a regular addition to your brunch menu."
16 scones
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

•4 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese, cut into small pieces
•2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
•2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
•2 tablespoons light brown sugar
•2 teaspoons baking powder
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•3/4 teaspoon salt
•1/4 cup currants
•1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
•2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk, divided

Preparation

1.Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a large baking sheet or coat it with nonstick spray. Place cream cheese and butter in freezer to chill, about 10 minutes.

2.Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut cream cheese and butter into flour mixture using a pastry blender or your fingers until it resembles coarse meal. Add currants and orange zest and toss to incorporate. Make a well in the flour mixture. Add 2/3 cup buttermilk, stirring with a fork until just combined.

3.Transfer dough to a well-floured surface and knead gently 7 or 8 times. Divide dough in half. With floured hands, pat each piece into a circle about 1/2 inch thick. With a floured knife, cut each circle into 8 wedges. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush tops with remaining 1 tablespoon buttermilk.

4.Bake scones for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden and firm. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.

Nutrition

Per serving : 87 Calories; 2 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 0 g Mono; 6 mg Cholesterol; 14 g Carbohydrates; 2 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 261 mg Sodium; 28 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fat
Tips & Notes

•Make Ahead Tip: Store well wrapped in the freezer for up to 1 week. Thaw at room temperature. Warm slightly before serving.

Photo:  my own