Savor {Orange Oatmeal Scones}
Jan 2, 2011 tagged Dairy-free, Egg-free, Gluten-free, Vegan 
Every New Year’s Day one of my best friends picks a word as her focus for the year ahead. I marvel at her decision to do this—to think about and live by that word all year long.
It takes the same kind of self determination to go gluten-free and never look back. I’ve done that. I guess I can pick a word and see where it takes me. Maybe I need a vision board—like the ones some of my GF blogger friends are creating—hanging in my office to remind me to center myself on something more than the necessary day-to-day tasks that seem to fill the moments, hours, and days to overflowing.
Looking for the right word is not something I decided to do New Year’s Day morning. I’ve thought about this for weeks while hustling and bustling through preparations for holidays, getting up to speed on a new job, celebrating with family and friends, dealing with an aging mother and the passing of older relatives. Thinking about it on days I feel like talking myself off the ledge while I breathe deeply into a paper sack. And, even when I know that life is really very good—having coffee or dinner with friends, picking up my son from college, snuggling a little dog or enjoying a rare quiet moment.
Little snippets of sayings and songs passed through my head as I searched for a word. Don’t worry, be happy. Stop and smell the roses. Things like that. Happy? I thought of one of my favorite little books The Tao of Pooh (a must read! over and over and over.) Tao? Zen? Nothing was snapping.
And, then today I read this post over at Tickled Red and something clicked. I get this woman. I connect with her on some level—little sparks of connectivity like snyapses popping across the internet.
What she wrote spoke to me. A word in her post popped off the page—SAVOR. Yes. That’s the word.
Savor—to enjoy or appreciate completely.
Yes. That’s it. That’s the word for 2011. Savor.
I’m going to wrap my head around that word and see where it takes me.
Orange Oatmeal Scones
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. The rack should be in the center position.
Mix together and set aside:
½ teaspoon orange extract
½ cup coconut milk
½ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
Place the following dry ingredients into a food processor fitted with a blade and then pulse a few times until all ingredients are mixed evenly.
1½ cups sorghum flour
1¼ cups gluten-free flour blend (Authentic Foods Multi-Blend Flour recommended)
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
Add and pulse about 12 times (in one second pulses):
½ cup cold Earth Balance Buttery Spread, cut into small chunks
The mixture should resemble coarse meal. (If you are doing this by hand put the dry ingredients in a big bowl and whisk until combined. Then, using two knives, a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut the Earth Balance into the dry mixture.)
Transfer from the food processor to a large bowl. Add and mix in:
2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
Using a spatula, stir in about half of the coconut/orange juice mixture. Add the remaining liquid a little at time until the dough begins to form. The dough should be a little soft and sticky but should hold together when formed and cut. (This ratio of liquid to dry ingredients worked perfectly for me but you can adjust the dough to reach the desired consistency by adding more coconut milk or flour, if needed.)
Lightly dust the counter top or pastry mat with sorghum or rice flour. Separate the dough into thirds. Form each third into a circle about 4 or 5 inches across and 1½ inches high. Cut each round in half and then half again to create 4 wedges.
Place on a parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet and, if desired, sprinkle each scone with a pinch of turbinado sugar. Bake for about 15 minutes until the scones are lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack when cool enough to handle. Serve warm or at room temperature.
More wonderful scone recipes for you to savor:
Book of Yum—Amaranth Scones (Gluten, Egg, and Dairy Free)
Book of Yum—Cardamom Date Scones (Gluten, Soy and Dairy Free)
Nourishing Meals—Maple Raspberry Scones (Gluten, Egg, and Dairy Free)
Lexie’s Kitchen—Lexie’s Scones (Gluten, Egg, and Dairy Free)
Reader Comments (21)
savor. savor is a perfect word for this year; and actually is a word The Prof and I use quite a bit around here. because that one word helps to push the 'pause' button on life and suddenly we become 'present' in the now. savor is a great word Nancy - excited to see what you savor in 2011!! btw - am head-over-heels in love with both these scones and our dear friend Red!!
Nancy, I love it. What a great idea. I hope I get to savor lots of different experiences with you in 2011, my dear friend.
Oooh Nancy!! What great & appetizing scones!! They loo just awesomely tasty!!
I wish you & happy, fun & joyfull 2011 filled with good food!
Kisses from Brussels to you!!!
Lovely word and perfect photos to go with it! Savor conjures up such wonderful ideas; I'm sure it will be a great focus word for this year. I made my vision board yesterday with both of my words prominently displayed (I couldn't decide so I picked two this year), and I can't wait to get back to Seattle and put it up on my wall.
Love citrus in scones. These look delicious!
These look great!! Yummm, imagining biting into one with a dollop of honey on top. Will be trying!! Thank you!
Lovely post Nancy! I agree, "savor" just sums it all up! Cheers to many savor in 2011! Happy New Year!
These scones look perfectly delish!
Love the word! These scones look lovely too. Can't wait to see all that you'll be savoring in 2011!
Wow, Nancy--what a fabulous post! I love your word for the year. I've chosen mine, too, and am trying to follow it. Maybe I'll incorporate mine in a post, too. ;-) Anyway, I love to savor everything and I sure would these scones (and the others you link to as well)! Those photos are wonderful. Just imagining the taste and texture ... and taking time to savor everything that is these scones. :-)
Happy New Year, Nancy! And, I have to echo what Amber said, I look forward to savoring some good times with you this year. :-)
Hugsss,
Shirley
I LOVE your word for this year. It speaks volumes to how you want to live your life!
Nancy,
It made me cry to read your words and to know that my grandfather's tradition of picking a word each year is being carried on. He started this by giving his 7 children a word each year. He did this at a Christmas with their gift. My grandfather read the dictionary every day to better learn English and he was a famous lecturer much to the chagrin of his 21 grandchildren....Your word is perfect for you as you are my source of savoring the moments. I love your blog and all the delicious flavors that we savor together. Love you.
Kathy
PS. I still haven't picked my word but it's circling around me ready to land at any moment.
Oh Nancy I absolutely love your post and your friends idea for picking a word to focus on through out the year. I need to work on a good one :) You made my heart sing that I was able to help you out a wee little bit with your choice. Savor has always held so much meaning for me other than simply food. And I am over the moon with your scones!! I'm entirely addicted to scones and orange when it comes to pastry/dough concotions.
I wish you the very best in 2011 and hope to be able to see you again this year.
Much love!
Red
Love the word and meaning, what a great idea!
Nancy, what a beautiful post. I love your word. Savor. Just perfect. I understand how hard it is sometimes to set all of these fantastic goals and intentions when you are just so overwhelmed by life in general. I picked a word as well - FOCUS (plus a few others, but this is my main one) since I always have so many ideas but never really zero in on any of them.
These scones look wonderful. I love the flavor combinations here. And the photos are, as usual, just gorgeous!!
I don't think I have had scones since I found out I had candida. I am going to save this recipe because right now, I am cutting back on carbs.... AGAIN!!!
Those scones look beautiful--perfect to savor! I love your choice of word. I've done something similar with journal titles, but they weren't connected to any particular time span, just until I felt I needed a new word. And you really should try a vision board--they are lots of fun to make, and you'd be astonished at how often they seem to influence the course of your life after that. Happy 2011 to you--a year to savor! :)
Ohhhh My do these make my mouth water! Bookmarked :)
And by the way- these have Seasonal Sunday written all over them- Hope maybe you will link them up! :) xo,
Brittany
Nancy, love this post and LOVE the look of these scones. I bet I'll love the taste even more! Thanks for this recipe... I'm so looking forward to takin' these babies out of my oven... mmmmm :)
A beautiful tradition to start the new year and a lovely word to explore for 2011. I chose 'purpose' for my word. How did you know I've been thinking about oat scones? The orange makes them even more tempting. Happy New Year!