NELDA'S IRISH FRUIT OAT SCONES

St. Patrick's Day is coming so I turn to my dear friend, Nelda, for an Irish scone recipe.  She loves to bake scones and has an Irish neighbor who loves to eat them.  Her neighbor, Mary who is from Ireland, says, "On a scone of 1 to 10, 10 being the best, these scones rate a 15!!!!"

Grab a cup of tea and enjoy!!!!

I like this recipe as it contains oatmeal and lots of dried fruit; therefore, I can say it fits in the health food column.  You can use your favorite fruits.  Nelda, living in Maine, likes dried cranberries and dried apricots.  I make a Michigan version with dried apricot, cherries and blueberries. 

To make the dried apricots or any sticky fruit easier to cut, use this Michigan Cottage Cook hint.  Before cutting the fruit, spray the blade of the knife with non-stick cooking spray.  The spray keeps the fruit from sticking to the knife and helps keep the fruit from sticking to itself after it is cut.

To cut sticky dried fruit, use this Michigan Cottage Cook hint:

Spray blade of knife with non-stick cooking spray before cutting the fruit.

IRISH FRUIT OAT SCONES

A little Dutch Lemon Butter from Michigan Cottage Cook would be good on these scones.  http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2011/03/dutch-breakfast-bread-ontbijtkoek-with.html

1 ½ c flour

1 ¼ c quick old-fashioned oats, uncooked

¼ c sugar

1 T baking powder

¼ t salt

1/3 c butter

1 1/3 c (6oz) diced mixed dried fruit

½ c milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

TOPPING

1 t sugar, I use a couple of teaspoons

1/8 t cinnamon, I use ¼ teaspoon
Commercial cinnamon sugar works well too

Ingredients:  Flour, quick cooking oats, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, egg, milk, and dried fruit.  Cinnamon sugar for topping.

In a bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; stir in fruit.  Add milk and egg, mixing until dry ingredients are moistened.  Shape to form a ball.  Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead gently 6 times.  On lightly greased cookie sheet, roll out or pat dough into an 8-inch circle.  With sharp knife, score 12 wedges.  Combine sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle over the top of the dough.  Bake in preheated 375° oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Break apart and serve warm.  

Spray blade of knife with cooking spray and cut up apricots, if using.

Measure dried fruit, 1 1/3-cup.

I use apricots, tart cherries and blueberries.

Measure dry ingredients into a bowl.

Mix well.

Cut butter into dry ingredients.

When butter is cut into dry ingredients, the mixture will look like coarse crumbs.

Mix in dried fruit.

Mix well.

Beat egg into milk.

Pour egg/milk mixture into dry ingredients.

Mix gently.  Form mixture into a ball.

Lightly flour counter.

As my Grandma would say, "Knead with your fingers,

not the heel of the hand when making biscuits or scones."

Pat into an 8-inch circle.

Put on baking sheet.  I always use parchment paper.

Score circle with a knife.  First score dough in half.  Then in quarters.  Score each quarter into third sections so you have 12 scones.

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Bake in preheated 375 degree F. oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. 

Break apart on scored lines and serve warm.

Doesn't this look good?

See how rich with fruit the scones are?

Delicious.

Enjoy a touch of Irish.

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!!