There is something about the first cool morning of fall that sends me straight to the oven. This month's recipe is one of my favorites for exactly that kind of morning: oatmeal scones that come together in about 30 minutes, with a crisp, sugared top and a soft, oaty middle.
What I love most about these scones is that nearly everything in them is already sitting in a well-stocked pantry. Flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, a little butter and an egg. No specialty ingredients, no trip to the store. That makes them a perfect recipe to keep in your back pocket for a snowed-in weekend, a power outage breakfast cooked on a camp stove griddle, or simply a Saturday when the grandkids show up hungry.
Oats also earn their place in any long-term food supply. They store for years when kept cool and dry, they are filling, and they stretch a little flour a long way. If you have been rotating oats out of your stockpile and wondering what to do with them, this is your answer.
Ingredients
Makes 8 scones. Prep time about 15 minutes, bake time 15 to 18 minutes.
| Amount | Ingredient | Pantry swap |
|---|---|---|
| 1½ cups | All-purpose flour | Swap ½ cup for whole wheat flour for a heartier scone |
| 1 cup | Old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant) | |
| ⅓ cup, packed | Brown sugar | |
| 2 teaspoons | Baking powder | |
| ½ teaspoon | Baking soda | |
| ½ teaspoon | Salt | |
| 1 teaspoon | Ground cinnamon | |
| ½ cup (1 stick) | Cold butter, cut into small cubes | Cold shortening or coconut oil |
| ½ cup | Buttermilk | ½ cup milk (fresh or reconstituted powdered) plus 1½ teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice, rested 5 minutes |
| 1 | Large egg | 1 tablespoon powdered egg whisked with 2 tablespoons water, or 3 tablespoons applesauce |
| 1 teaspoon | Vanilla extract | |
| ½ cup (optional) | Raisins, dried cranberries or chopped dried apples | |
| 1 tablespoon | Milk or buttermilk, for brushing the tops | |
| 1 tablespoon | Coarse sugar, for the tops | Regular sugar |
Directions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease it lightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- Add the cold butter cubes. Using your fingertips, a pastry cutter or two knives, work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized pieces left. Those little pieces of butter are what make the scones flaky, so do not overdo it.
- In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. If you are adding raisins or dried fruit, fold them in now. The dough will look a little rough. That is exactly right.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat it into a circle about 8 inches across and ¾ inch thick. Do not knead it; just press it together.
- Cut the circle into 8 wedges, like a pie. Place the wedges on the baking sheet about an inch apart.
- Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with the coarse sugar.
- Bake 15 to 18 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean.
- Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack. Serve warm with butter, honey or a spoonful of jam.
Cooking without power? These scones bake beautifully in a Dutch oven over coals or on a covered cast-iron griddle over a camp stove set to medium-low. Give them 20 to 25 minutes and check the bottoms often.
Make-Ahead, Storage and Variations
Scones are best the day they are baked, but they are far from a one-day recipe.
- Freeze the dough. Cut the wedges, freeze them on a tray until solid, then store them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen at 400°F, adding 3 to 4 minutes.
- Store baked scones in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Warm in a 300°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes to bring back the crisp top.
- Build a scone mix jar. Combine the dry ingredients (flour through cinnamon) in a quart jar and label it with the wet ingredients and baking directions. It keeps for months in the pantry and makes a thoughtful gift.
A few ways to change things up:
- Apple cinnamon: fold in ½ cup finely diced fresh or dried apple.
- Maple pecan: swap the brown sugar for ¼ cup maple syrup, reduce the buttermilk to ⅓ cup, and add ½ cup chopped pecans.
- Savory: leave out the sugar and cinnamon, add ½ cup shredded cheddar and a tablespoon of chopped chives. Wonderful alongside a bowl of soup.
From The Kitchen
I hope these scones find their way to your table this fall. Pour a cup of coffee, split one open while it is still warm, and enjoy a few quiet minutes before the day gets going. Recipes like this one are a reminder that being prepared is not only about what is on the shelf. It is about knowing how to turn what is on the shelf into something that brings people together.
If you try them, I would love to hear how they turned out and what you added. Send your favorite pantry recipes our way and you might see one featured in a future Recipe of the Month.
Looking to build a deeper pantry of your own? Take a look at 4Patriots long-term survival food kits, which include oats, grains and breakfasts that store for up to 25 years.
