Fresh blueberries? In the middle of January?!! Everything I know, everything I've read tells me that you only cook with what's in season and yet when I saw blueberries on sale at the market this week, 2 for $5.00, I lacked the willpower to resist. And these scones happened. These wonderful, light and wholesome, blueberry studded scones that have really broken through the dreariness of these cold January mornings. These are a treat that'll make you feel happy body and soul, 'cause they're actually pretty good for you, what with the whole wheat flour and yogurt. Not to mention those out-of-season berries. Sometimes a little rule breaking is necessary, right?

I first came upon this recipe after last summer's blueberry season was over and being the obedient cook that I am, promptly filed it away to use when blueberries were in season again. Of course I know you can always cook with frozen berries, but they really can't hold a candle to the fresh ones and so I was prepared to wait. Then, I was going through one of my recipe binders when on the very same day I hit the store and saw the ons-ale berries and, well, you know the rest.

But actually there's more to the story. I was originally planning to make these over the weekend when I had more time in the morning but then when I got up at 5:00 am yesterday to get my daughter to ice hockey practice before school, I decided to break with my convention of returning to bed before picking her up and instead throw this no-mixer-needed recipe together. By about 6:00 am, the house smelled great and the first batch were out of the oven. Yum!! These more than made up for the early start. 

Guys, these scones are tender-on-the-inside with crunchy outsides. And the tops are even crunchier cause you sprinkle them with turbinado sugar before baking them. They're not too sweet with a sort of wholesome kind of oomph from the whole wheat flour. But the best part is that they're loaded with sweet juicy blueberries that make you feel maybe, just maybe, warmer weather is not that far off.

And unlike the dense, leaden lumps you find in delis that masquerade as scones, these are light and don't make you feel like you're derailing yourself from a whole day of healthy eating by starting off the day with one. And that my friends, is the tale of how we are eating fresh blueberry in the middle of winter. And watch out, because I'm becoming a regular law breaker. I've got my eye on a pint of raspberries, as we speak!!

Wholegrain Blueberry Scones

Makes about 20

Prep Time:  10-12 minutes; Bake Time:  15-20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour (I think you could use white whole wheat here too, I'm going to try them this way next time)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 2/3 cup turbinado or other raw sugar, plus more for sprinkling on tops of pre-baked scones
• 1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cold large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

The Recipe

1.  Make sure rack is centered in oven and preheat to 425ºF. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk both flour, the baking powder and soda and salt. Add the blueberries and toss gently to coat. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, yogurt, orange juice, oil, egg and vanilla until well blended. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold all the ingredients together only until you can no longer see any traces of flour. You don't want to overmix or the scones will be tough and heavy.

3.  Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup or a 2-inch cookie scoop to drop the dough onto the lined pans, making sure they're about 2 inches apart. These do spread while cooking. Sprinkle the tops of the scones with some extra turbinado sugar.

4.  Bake one pan at a time until the scones are golden brown and cooked all the way through, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer the pans to wire racks to cool. Serve these warm or at room temperature. Scones can be stored at room temperature for a day or two well wrapped and then reheated in a low oven (because they do get a bit soggy, though they still taste good. Or you can wrap well and freeze them for a few weeks and reheat in the oven as well.)

Enjoy!

Note:  Recipe adapted from Better Baking by Genevieve Ko.