Finnish Rye & Oat Scones

You can pick up a bag of rye flour pretty much anywhere but the good organic stuff is cheaper - and generally fresher - at your local natural foods market.

The dough is all rolled out, cut into 8 wedges and ready for transfer to baking sheet.

Sprinkling as we did with sugar and cinnamon is totally optional and, if omitted, the scones can perform double duty as savory sides to soups, stews or salads. Try slicing, toasting and stuffing with avocado, lettuce, cheese and tomato for the perfect vegetarian "BLT."

FINNISH RYE SCONES WITH OATS

1/2 old fashioned oats

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup rye flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

2/3 cup buttermilk milk

optional: ground cinnamon OR caraway seeds

Preheat oven to  425 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl stir together all the dry ingredients (starting with oats, ending with salt). Cut the cold butter into small pieces and work into the dry ingredients with your fingers; you'll end up with coarse, lumpy mixture. 

Stir in the buttermilk slowly, a bit at a time, just until the dough comes together. You may need as little as 1/2 a cup. Turn dough onto a floured surface and press down to make a circle about 1" in thickness. Use more flour is the dough is too sticky. 

Cut dough into 8 wedges and place on a baking sheet - no need to oil or butter though we used a Silpat. Drizzle a few drops of buttermilk over each scone and then sprinkle to taste with sugar, cinnamon and more whole oats. 

(Another option is to just sprinkle scones with a bit of coarse salt and caraway seeds - these are insanely appropriate with split pea soup or beef stew.)

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tops are golden and scones seem cooked through. Check at 15 minutes and if not done to your liking, continue to bake longer.

Enjoy hot, warm or at room temperature. Frozen leftovers can be thawed in 5 minutes or less on the counter. We like these scones slit in half, toasted and doused with butter and cherry preserves.