Blueberry Oatmeal Scones

I'm not a cook, but cooking classes ARE on my list of things to do...
But I do like to bake...well, the few times I have. I've been wanting to make something with blueberries and oatmeal, 2 of my favorite things to eat! And, again, thank God for the iPhone apps, I came across a recipe, on the Allrecipes app, for Blueberry Oatmeal Scones (Blueberry Oatmeal Scones from Allrecipes.com) . I wanted to do something other than muffins, so this was perfect!! Ok...here it goes....

On a rainy day like today, what would be better than some baking? Well, I guess a movie, fire in the fireplace, a bottle of wine and some good company, which might just make today even better, and it's still early! lol - but I digress....

Anyway...I wanted to make these scones somewhat healthy, or at least not so unhealthy. I did some research, and found that I could substitute agave for the sugar - but they say not to use as much - in other words, 2/3 cup of agave for 1 cup of sugar. (Just a side note - agave comes from the same plant used to make tequila! woohoo! My kind of sweetener.) But seriously, agave is considered a "natural" sweetener - but the research is still out on whether or not it's any better than sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. It does have less calories and a lower glycemic-index rating, but again, it's still up for debate as to whether this is really any better than plain sugar.

The recipe also called for butter and milk. As for the milk, I assumed, that when baking, whole milk would be best. But I couldn't bring myself to get that...so I got 2% instead. As for the butter, I've googled my butt off trying to find out if there was a healthier alternative, but it all came back to the fact that I was BAKING. So - the best thing to do, really, is use butter. Margarine and other oils contain more water, and so don't work as well when baking. At least that's what google says....
I'm still new to this whole baking thing, and I do love to experiment, but one step at a time....

In one of the reviews of this recipe, which people loved, one woman added vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. I love combining flavors...even if I'm not sure if they'll work, but who wouldn't mind a little vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon?? Not this girl! So, I added about 1/2 tsp of each (though I probably could have added more), and decided against the pecans (not much of a pecan fan).

They turned out great!!! I think the agave was a good choice, and the scones were not too sweet...though I could have handled a little more sweetness.  I'm excited about my first scone bake! This is a pretty good way to get some healthy stuff in you, and still enjoy it. It's made with half whole wheat flour and, of course, the oatmeal...which is great for you.

So this, my friends, was a success! Until next time...
(and yes, I'm still shocked I was in the kitchen for more than 2 minutes to make coffee, like I normally do)