Blueberry Oat Muffin-Top Scones ~ a perfect low-fat teatime treat!

I needed to finish up the rest of my fresh blueberries today, they were really on their last legs.  So, I decided to bake them in a sorta muffin-top/sorta scone ~ I'm calling them my Blueberry Oat Muffin-Top Scones.  They're perfect with a cup of tea or coffee & they're even low fat ~ Yes!  When I was making these, all I kept thinking about was the classic Seinfeld episode ~ The Muffin Tops.  It's the one with Elaine's brainy muffin-top idea, a whole lotta 'muffin stumps' & that memorable exclamation mark! phrase... 'Top of the Muffin to YOU!'  Absolute classic!  Check out some of the hilarious scenes, below...

I came up with this recipe while I was looking through the cookbook ~ Vive Le Vegan! ~ by Dreena Burton.  I was inspired to take parts from her recipe ~ Blueberry Bounty Buns ~ and combined it with some other ingredients that sounded good to me.  I came up with this really tasty hybrid of a muffin & a scone.  My recipe has egg & honey in it, so it's no longer vegan, but I think adding those ingredients really add to the overall texture & flavor of the muffin-top scones.  I also replaced part of the oil with applesauce, so it's even low fat ~ yes!    Baking them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, instead of in a muffin pan, gives them that muffin-top look ~ while also giving them the rustic appearance of a free-form scone ~ a perfect cross between the two.  I can see me tinkering with this recipe ~ a lot ~ and coming up with many other flavors.   Yummm...  My mind is brimming with ideas, I feel the beginnings of another baking tangent coming on.   :)     Enjoy!

Blueberry Oat Muffin-Top Scones

makes 12  

• 1 cup ground quick oats -->  ((grind your quick oats into an 'oat flour' using your food processor or blender))  ** if your batter is too thin to hold its shape on the parchment paper, add an additional 1 Tbsp+ of ground 'oat flour'
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon (or more, to taste)
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (grated fresh ~ if you've got it :)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp vanilla soy milk ~ light or regular
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 2 Tbsp applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1  1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (or frozen)
• oats for sprinkling on top of muffin-top scones before baking ~ optional
• sugar for sprinkling on top of muffin-top scones before baking ~ optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. (first 8 ingredients)  Stir until well combined.

In another bowl, combine vanilla soy milk, beaten egg, honey, vanilla extract, oil & applesauce until well combined ~ then stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest.  Finally, add the blueberries & immediately add the wet mixture to the dry mixture.

Stir wet & dry ingredients together until just well combined.  Spoon batter onto parchment lined cookie sheet, into 12 gently shaped round mounds.  (try & say that fast 3 times! :)  If desired ~ sprinkle some extra oats and/or sugar on top of muffin-top scones, before popping in the oven.

Bake for approx. 20-25 minutes ~ or until muffin-top scones are just turning golden brown & are set in the middle.  Remove from oven & cool on cookie sheet for a minute, then transfer to a cooling rack.  Store in a covered container.