How to Make Scones

First off, welcome to anyone who's visiting for the first time from NPR's website. Hopefully, you'll stay and snoop around the archives. Well, I took my first shot at cooking on camera! I've been wanting to try this out for awhile now, and doing a story on quick breads for npr.org's Kitchen Window column finally motivated me to do it.

Technique is important when it comes to a simple recipe like this one for healthy oat scones with fruit and nuts. Without gobs of butter and heaps of sugar to soften the focus on any baking errors, good technique is what ensures great taste and pleasing texture. Working gently and quickly is the key, and that's what I demonstrate in the clip.

Go to npr.org to get the recipe for Oat Scones with Dried Cherries and Walnuts and read my article titled, Breakfast Baking: Better Fast Food, which also includes recipes for Banana-Raspberry Muffins with Almonds and Mango Colada muffins. I love all the recipes (good thing since I have a freezer full of test batches), but I have to confess that the Mango muffins are my current favorite.

And finally, I must give credit and huge thanks to my husband, Mike, who shot this clip. Please don't tell him that this video has gotten over 300 views on YouTube as of 2pm EST or I think I'm going to have the next Gus Van Sant on my hands (not Good Will Hunting Van Sant, but Paranoid Park Van Sant). Really though, I could not have made it without his patience and organization. Wow, that turned into a bad Oscar speech...cue the orchestra and enjoy the clip!