Oatmeal Raisin Goji Berry Mini Scones

I'm not a baker. I don't really like baking that much. Not that I don't eat baked goods. I am a slave to baked goods. I just don't bake. I think its two reasons. The ridiculous reason is that I can never fit the bowls, trays, pans that I use in the dishwasher -- and I HATE washing dishes. With a passion. And the reason that requires a little bit more psychoanalysis is the fact that I hate the precision required of baking. I like "tooling" around with a recipe. In fact, I don't think I've ever NOT modified a recipe. And doing this to a pastry recipe usually wreaks havoc on the result. There is no "a little more of this, and a little more of that" in the end, to make it just right. You have to be right BEFORE you put it in the oven. There is too much structure and order. Those two words find it hard to fit in my kitchen.

Anyway...back to the point. I did bake. Only because I bought a pack of Goji berries. I'm always questing for good things to add to our diet and having read a lot about the health benefits Goji berries, I was convinced that it should share the raisin's place in our pantry.

But.

They were very dry and not juicy like raisins at all. Arto enjoyed eating them somewhat but I definitely didn't. I decided that I have to find ways to include them in cooking. They taste sweet enough to replace or supplement raisins or currants in any recipe.

So, needing some distraction for Arto on a Saturday afternoon, I decided that we would make some Oatmeal Raisin Goji Berry Mini Scones. Mmmm. Yum. As I am wont to do when I am craving to cook something, I research many recipes and start with something that is a distillation and variation of all of the versions I read, in a way making it my own. This is how I fail in baking. I mess up all the ratios of liquid and solid. But this time, things turned out really well. So here it is, a healthy, yummy accompaniment to my first post.

Oatmeal Raisin Goji Berry Mini Scones

1 stick unsalted butter, softened but not too much (I used European-style cultured butter)
2 large eggs
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. milk (I used whole milk because that's what I had)
2 c. rolled oats (not the quick-cooking oatmeal)
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 T stevia
1 t. baking powder
1 t. vanilla
3/4 c. raisins
3/4 Goji berries

I guess I should say at this point that I use organic ingredients as much as possible. I just get queasy at the thought of ingesting pesticides. Don't you?

Before anything else, soak the Goji berries in the milk that you are going to use. This will plump them up nicely so that they are softer and stand up to the juiciness of the raisins!

Preheat oven to 375.
In a food processor, cream butter and sugar.
Add eggs one at a time. Pulse briefly each time.
Combine all the dry ingredients except for the raisins and berries.
Strain the Goji berries and set aside.
Alternating between the milk and they dry ingredients, mix it into the butter mixture in batches. Pulse until incorporated with each addition.
Pour in the vanilla and pulse one last time.
Mix in the raisins and berries by hand.
Place by the heaping tablespoonfuls to ungreased cookie sheets and bake for about 12-15 minutes.
Cool on the tray for a couple of minutes before transferring to a rack.
Eat.
Makes about a dozen.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container not longer than a couple of days (if they last that long). You can also opt to add some walnuts (get those Omega-3s!) but make sure that the fruit/nut additions don't exceed 1 1/2 cups too much (see, what did I tell you? I just cannot be that exact).

*Photo of Goji berries from livesuperfoods.com

Morning Tea

Here I am on a Sunday morning, with my morning tea* and Rio at my feet playing by herself.

Bill and Arto are in Mexico, their first trip without the girls and I am missing them terribly. Arto seemed so grown up when he spoke to me on the phone. Telling me not to worry, I'll see him soon.

One more day and Rio and I can drive to the airport to pick them up. I bawled in the car dropping them off.

The boys traveled alone because Rio has a cold and we're not about to put her on a plane to Mexico. We had a traveling summer with two weeks at the beach, one week at home, three weeks in New York, one week at home, then Mexico. Arto is a trooper and having a ton of fun with the dancers. We even bought him a costume.

So I started this blog because I realized I eat crap when I am alone. There is no inspiration to cook. Which is not right. So this is in hopes that I will find a raison other than the fact that I have been wanting to do this for a long time. Its just the fear of dropping off that is stopping me.

So here it is, the first post.

Nap time for Rio.


*Morning tea - the only time I gave up coffee in the morning was when I found our Shannon House Blend: One bag of Trader Joe's Irish Breakfast and one bag of Yorkshire Gold (if unavailable, PG Tips is a good compromise). Smoky, herby, STRONG. This is an extra strong blend so it requires a big tall glass -- not a dainty teacup! Tea for coffee drinkers.

On a health note, I grudgingly admit that it makes my joints not ache -- I tested this last month when I was in New York for three weeks and drank coffee everyday. I still don't think coffee is evil. Its too yummy, high in antioxidants, and may prevent Parkinson's and colon cancer. So there.