Happy New Year (Apple Oatmeal Scones with Honey)

As someone who loves holidays and special occasions, I’ve figured out the secret to happiness. Marry someone of another faith so that you have twice as many holidays to celebrate. That’s what I did.

One of the things that I love so much about most holidays is that each has its own specific food theme. Thanksgiving has turkey, Fourth of July has barbecue, Christmas has cookies, Easter and Passover share eggs, and Rosh Hashanah has apples and honey. Sunset tonight marks the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

At Rosh Hashanah apples and honey are supposed to bring sweetness to the new year. Regardless of your faith or which holidays you choose to support, apples and honey together is a flavor combination anyone can get behind. While certainly not a traditional Rosh Hashanah food, these scones embrace the flavors of the holiday. The sweetness of the apples and honey make this a treat that everyone will enjoy. Even with lots of calories, they are healthier than an average scone thanks to a generous dose of hearty oats, whole wheat, and apples.

9/5/2013 update: Making the scones is simple; that’s why I love scones. Having all your ingredients prepped (mise en place) helps a lot too. You can make these with a food processor to save a little time (and elbow grease), or you can cut the butter in by hand (which I prefer since I hate doing extra dishes). Be sure to leave the butter in pea-sized pieces so that the finished product is not too tough. Adding the oatmeal with apples after cutting in the butter keeps the oatmeal from getting ground and give the scones a nice finished texture. You can cut and bake the scones in the traditional triangle shape, or use a biscuit cutter for round biscuit-like scones. Either way they will be the perfect start to you New Year – or any day. Enjoy!

This recipe is loosely based on a recipe from Martha Stewart which can be found here.

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