In the world of teaching, we get a wonderful little gift called winter break where all the teachers and students get a much needed break from the demands, pressure, routine, and stress of school. For me, this comes in just a few short days, this time to take a deep breath and recharge. I look forward to long mornings filled with special baked treats and extra time to snuggle on the couch. In preparation for this much needed break, I have tested out a few morning recipes that are just too good to keep to myself. I’ve already passed this recipe along to others so I thought it was time to blog about it. I have fussed about keeping almond flour in the house because of the expense. It is not the most economical flour but when looking into the health benefits, I could most definitely justify the cost. Still need convincing? When buying a scone from a bakery, you will spend at the bare minimum a few dollars out of your pocket and have to deal with the unsettling feeling of not knowing just what you are eating. Ignorance is only bliss until you are faced with reality and then ignorance becomes a slap in the face. Almond flour is full of protein, and it is completely made from ground almonds. There is no sweetener in these scones which makes them guilt-free but still so delicious. I highly recommend using fresh blueberries because they taste so much better than frozen, and people CAN tell a difference when you use fresh! Lemon and blueberries are the perfect marriage giving you bursts of flavor without being too sweet or too heavy of a treat. If you don’t have the pleasure of being a teacher with a winter break, promise me you’ll give these scones a try and take a little extra time this weekend to count your blessings and enjoy a healthy treat.

Yield: 4 scones

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups almond flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons honey
Juice of ½ lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
Zest of ½ lemon
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest.
3. Make a well in the center of the bowl and add the egg, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and honey. Slowly incorporate the dry and wet ingredients.
4. Gently fold in the blueberries.
5. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and drop batter, smoothing out slightly with the back of a spoon, to make 5-6 scones.
6. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet to cool on a cooling rack.