Whole Wheat Orange Scones with Chia Seeds

These whole wheat orange scones are not only studded with sweet Valencia oranges, but also protein packed chia seeds.

Keeping up with the trends in the foodie world can be like keeping up with the latest fashion. Things come and go just as quickly. We had the cake ball phenomenon, then everywhere you looked you found Nutella recipes. It’s the same on the healthy-eating side, too. Going gluten-free became the thing-to-do, even if you weren’t allergic. Then there’s the paleo movement. Quinoa, which has been used since the ancient times, is all the rage again. It’s enough to make your head spin!

Have no fear, I have found ANOTHER fabulous trend in the foodie world: Chia Seeds.

(now is the time for you to oooh & aaah!)

My good friend, Jennie, was the first to tell me about chia seeds about a year ago. But, I didn’t immediately find them in my local natural food stores.

I’ve seen them used here and there online and I started reading up on them.

Like most seeds, chia seeds are a great protein source. They are rich in fiber and antioxidants and are a good source of calcium. Chia seeds are also a wonderful source of the plant version of the omega 3 fatty acid (alpha-linolenic acid) ALA that you can find in walnuts and flax. Although they are naturally low in saturated fat, their calories are more dense, like most seeds and nuts. So just a sprinkle is all you need to enjoy their benefits.

You can add them to a smoothie. Your kids won’t notice them – they are smaller than the seeds you find on strawberries or raspberries. Sprinkle a dabble on your oatmeal or granola parfait.

You can even bake with them. I added them to my whole wheat orange scones for an extra dose of fab-u-lous!

My daughter and I have a serious scone lovers. So to make them a little more healthy, I made these orange scones into whole wheat orange scones — with chia seeds! Now orange is not your typical fruit scone flavor, but don’t let that fool you. These orange scones are incredibly good!

I dabbled a little homemade orange sugar on some of them and added a bit of orange glaze on the others. Both, were inhaled.

And who says real men don’t eat scones? I served a plate at my husband’s cub scout leader meeting and was left with an empty plate.

“Mmmm… Laura, these are crum(b)-y scones!”

That’s a pun provided by our favorite den leader/comedian.

Yeah, they get a lot of work done at these meetings…

Whole Wheat Orange Scones with Chia Seeds

Author:

Laura Bashar

Crumbly scones on the outside, moist and orangey on the inside - and plus you get all the fiber, antioxidant and protein goodness from the chia seeds. Recipe by Laura Bashar of Family Spice

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, light
• 1 TBS baking powder
• 2 TBS chia seeds
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup butter, unsalted, cold & cut into small pieces
• 2 Valencia oranges, grated zest only, reserve fruit for step 9
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 egg, large
• 1/2 cup yogurt, plain Greek
• 3/4 TBS turbinado sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
3. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together:
• 2 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, light
• 1 TBS baking powder
• 2 TBS chia seeds
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
4. Using your fingers squeeze in and mix:
• 1/2 cup butter, unsalted , cold & cut into small pieces
• 2 Valencia oranges , grated zest only, reserve fruit for step 9
5. Continue squeezing butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk together:
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 egg, large
• 1/2 cup yogurt, plain Greek
7. Pour yogurt mixture into flour mixture and mix with a spoon or a fork until a rough dough is formed. Do not over mix the dough.
8. Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a circle or rectangle, about 1/2-inch thick.
9. Peel and coarsely chop oranges used for zest in step 4.
10. Press half of the oranges onto half of your scone dough.
11. Gently fold empty half of the scone dough over the side with the orange pieces to cover oranges.
12. Using your finger tips, gently press top of dough into the oranges and reshape into a rectangle or circle.
13. Press remaining oranges onto the top of the scone dough.
14. Cut dough into 8-10 even pieces.
15. Sprinkle over the scones:
• 3/4 TBS turbinado sugar
16. Place scones onto the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
17. Allow scones to cool on the baking sheet for five minutes.
18. Serve warm or place on a cooling rack to completely cool.

Notes:

Serving Suggestions: If you prefer an orange glaze on your scones (pictured above), whisk together 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1 TBS of orange juice and then drizzle over the cooled scones. You can also garnish with sugared orange peel: stir together 2 TBS of grated orange zest with 1 TBS sugar.

Prep Time: 10 mins

Yield: 10 servings

Cook Time: 15 mins

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source: Dr. Melina Jampolis, a physician nutrition specialist