Brown Sugar Strawberry Scones and Monthly Posts

Ah, interwebs. How I've missed you.

HighAltVeg will be switching to monthly posts, due to some unexpected medical issues on my end (see: neurological disorders). This means you get extra deliciousness and heavier testing on the recipes, and it means that I get to focus a bit more on my professional practice and volunteering here in Fort Collins. So as posts slow down, know I'm not leaving the blog: just slowing it down to fit the relaxed, easy-going vibe of Colorado. (I know, I become more and more of a "granola" hippie every day, and I love it!)

Moving on....

Ah, scones. How I've missed you even more.

Scones are, for some reason, rumored to be notoriously hard to make and always super unhealthy. While the hard to make part may not be true, the unhealthy part normally is. To give you an idea, a popular coffee shop across the US has seasonal fall scones that clock in at 34g of sugar and 18g of fat.

Gross numbers.

At a local place in Fort Collins, though, I can never go in without getting one of their scones. They're packed with local strawberries, the sweetness of sugar (so much sugar), and then topped with a slightly tart lemon glaze that refreshes and balances the sweetness. And, of course, they're packed with butter and oil.

My obsession with these scones became a bit too much after I kept driving and getting one every single day, which led to a hit in my small paycheck (because: college). So one day, when I just couldn't resist having a scone anymore, I decided to recreate them. I wanted the superb flavor, but without the negatives of daily doses of fat and sugar.

IT WORKED.

These scones cut the fat and calories significantly, while utilizing a majority of sugar from the natural sweetness of the strawberries. A touch of brown sugar makes it extra delectable. Instead of doing a powdered sugar and lemon glaze, I added some creaminess and depth by mixing lemon with vanilla nonfat greek yogurt. These taste (and look!) just as good as the ones from my local coffee shop, which is awesome.

NOM NOM NOM.

Brown Sugar Strawberry Scones with Lemon Glaze
Serves 8

Scone Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 2/3c. all-purpose flour
• 1/3c. packed brown sugar
• 1T baking powder
• 1/2t baking soda
• 1/4t salt
• 3/4c. fat free vanilla Greek yogurt
• 3T warm water
• 1 large egg
• Zest of one lemon
• 8 strawberries, thinly sliced

Glaze Ingredients:

• 1T lemon juice (or more, depending on glaze consistency desired)
• Zest of one lemon 
• 1/2c. fat free vanilla Greek yogurt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well and sift if there are any lumps. Add Greek yogurt, water, egg, and lemon zest, and stir (don't whisk) until just combined.
3. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for one minute. Expect the dough to try and fall apart a bit, and don't worry about it. 
4. Divide the dough in half and shape into rounds, then place on baking sheet. Pat down until each round is about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch thick. With a wet knife, cut each round into quarters but don't separate them. Place the equivalent of one strawberry on each to-be-scone, pressing down slightly so they stick. 
5. Place baking sheet in middle of oven and cook for 15-17 minutes, until a golden brown. Allow to cool slightly.
6. While scones are cooling, combine lemon juice, zest, and yogurt in a small bowl. Mix well, then drizzle over the scones. Store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. 

Nutritional Information:
Sodium: 315mg
Total Fat: 1.1g
      Saturated: 0.3g
      Trans: 0g
Protein: 7.5g
Sugar: 17.1g
Calories: 188

Greek Orange Parfait

Sometimes, the simple things in life are the best.

When I was a kid, I would order a "cheeseburger, no burger, just the cheese and buns" at fast food places when we traveled. This led to a lot of confusion on the part of the makers, who more often than not ended up just giving me the cheeseburger (Which, of course, I wouldn't touch, meaning that my parents had to sneakily peel off the beef, pickles, or whatever else the joint put on there before I could see it). But I loved that "no-burger" burger, because it was simple. The cheese and the bun were like perfect partners, each distinct and flawless (at least, to my little kid mind!).

Around times like this, with Thanksgiving and the holidays coming up, I'm taken back to the idea of appreciating simple things. I feel like we all lead such busy lives that the little things sometimes get overlooked and forgotten. The snow (even if I complain about it here in CO!). How amazing is the snow, right? Or warm socks after a cold walk, a sharpened colored pencil, a letter in the mail. The fact that I have a roof over my head, the opportunity for an education, and a family that loves me are such simple things, but so meaningful. I am so very blessed. And so very privileged. 

 

I tried to go along with the mood of simplicity today, just because it seems fitting for the post. I like simple things, and cooking isn't excluded from that. This is a super easy "recipe"-- if you can even call it that. All you need is your favorite nonfat Greek yogurt and a Cara-Cara orange (which have a darker interior; other oranges would also work). Not only that, but it is much healthier and lacking the saturated fat and empty calories of my "no-burger" burger days.

The bright, natural sweetness of the orange pairs wonderfully with creamy, slightly tangy Greek yogurt in this parfait. I used 8oz nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt and cut up pieces of a whole Cara-cara orange. I threw on a totally optional touch of cinnamon, too. Since all you do is just layer the yogurt with the orange segments, I see no need for directions in this recipe (and, coincidentally, the wide variability in the nutritional information for different yogurt brands means that any nutritional information provided would probably be unrepresentative). Instead, just throw this guy together and enjoy the wonderful flavors of simplicity, put into a tiny little parfait cup.