Recipe: Triple-Fruit Scones, Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins, Maple Oatmeal Muffins, Cinnamon Crumb Cake

TRIPLE-FRUIT SCONES
Source: Cooking Light-4/98
Makes 16

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled stick butter or margarine
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots*
1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries*
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt; cut in margarine with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in apricots and cranberries.

Combine buttermilk, orange rind, egg and egg white; add to flour mixture, stir just until moistened.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 4 times with floured hands. Roll dough into a 12x6-inch rectangle. Cut dough into 8 (3-inch) squares using a dull knife or a dough scraper. Cut each square into 2 triangles; place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

*You can mix and match any dried fruit.

---

BLUEBERRY CREAM CHEESE MUFFINS
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Makes 12 muffins

2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 pinch salt
1 (3 oz) pkg cream cheese, cubed
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
4 tbsp hot melted butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup blueberries

Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the cups of a muffin tin with 12 paper liners. Set aside.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir well; set aside.

Using metal blade in food processor, mix cream cheese, lemon juice, and vanilla until smooth.

Add eggs and process 15 seconds. Scrape down side of container with a spatula.

With processor running, pour hot melted butter through food chute within 10 seconds. Process another 10 seconds.

Add milk and process 5 seconds.

Add dry ingredients to container and mix with 4 to 6 half-second pulses.

Add blueberries and mix until all are incorporated into batter, usually with 3 or 4 half-second pulses. (Or use a spoon to fold them in, if you prefer your berries whole.)

Pour an equal amount of batter into each muffin cup, filling each about 3/4 full.

Bake 30 minutes. Cool on rack 15 minutes.
MAPLE OATMEAL MUFFINS
Source: Bon Appetit

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup quick cooking oats, uncooked
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup low fat buttermilk
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl and stir to blend.

Whisk buttermilk, applesauce, syrup, brown sugar, oil, egg and vanilla in medium bowl and stir to blend. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Divide among muffin cups (batter will reach the top).

Bake 25-30 minutes or until tests done. Transfer to rack and cool.

---

CINNAMON CRUMB CAKE
Source: Cooking Light magazine, May 1998
Makes 8 servings

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chilled stick margarine or butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl, and cut in margarine with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Reserve 1/2 cup flour mixture for topping, and set aside.

Combine remaining flour mixture, baking powder, and baking soda, and add the buttermilk, vanilla, and egg. Beat at medium speed of a mixer until blended.

Spoon batter into an 8-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle reserved 1/2 cup flour mixture over batter.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool on a wire rack.