Blueberry Cornbread Scones

dairy free, refined-sugar free, whole grain breakfast/dessert

I can't stand to throw out food, so after recently cleaning out our pantry and freezer of expired foods and foods about to expire, I decided to use up some of the odds and ends I found that were about to expire. My family loves cornbread! Why not make a sweeter version that you can enjoy at breakfast or for dessert?

These scones are so light and moist with only a small amount of added oil; the maple syrup and blueberries combined makes them slightly sweet with a small burst of flavor in every bite.

I decided to cook these in my divided cast iron skillet and shape them into scones, but you can also bake them in a muffin pan or in a square baking dish to make them into muffins or bars. My mom used to make our cornbread in this pan whenever she made cornbread and chili, so I thought why not try baking it in this again. I've also been on a cast iron cooking craze and love using my cast iron to cook everything. Since these are cooked in this skillet, their edges brown better and get crispier while leaving them golden brown and soft on the top and inside.

Now for the recipe!

Blueberry Cornbread Scones

12-14 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour

1 cup cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup maple syrup (room temperature)

2 Eggs

1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup coconut oil melted and cooled

1 cup milk of choice (unsweetened nut-milk or cow's milk)

1 cup frozen blueberries tossed with 2 tablespoon flour

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are baking in the cast iron skillet, place it in the oven while you prep the batter to warm the pan. Remove the skillet when you're ready to pour the batter in.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add in the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk until combined. In a medium bowl, add in the maple syrup, eggs, vanilla extract, coconut oil, and milk and whisk to combine.

3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. With a spatula, slowly fold ingredients together until almost combined. Add in floured blueberries and fold in until just combined.

4. Spray desired pan with coconut oil spray; divide and pour batter into the pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean when you insert it. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing. Enjoy!

Note: These are best served warm, but they will keep for up to 3 days on the counter or for a month in the freezer.