If I had to choose, I would say that scones are my favorite jam delivery vehicle. Sure, you could spread it on toast or make it into a sandwich with some peanut butter, but for true jam appreciation, scones win every time. I am partial to simple scones without dried fruit or nuts and these subtly sweet numbers sure fit the bill. I toasted the oats before adding them to the dry ingredients which gave them so much toasty, delicious flavor that I am going to try toasting some oats for my next batch of oatmeal cookies.

Honey Oat Scones

yield, about 8 scones

1 1/2c old fashioned oats

1/4c buttermilk

1/4c heavy cream

1/4c honey

1 egg

1 1/2c flour

2t baking powder

1/4t baking soda

1/2t salt

10T cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Preheat oven to 375º

1. Evenly spread the oats onto a baking sheet and slide them into the oven to toast until fragrant and light brown (7-9 minutes). After they have cooled, remove 2T to sprinkle on top of the scones. Turn up the oven to 450 degrees.

2. In small bowl or measuring cup, whisk the buttermilk, heavy cream, honey and egg.

3. In a large bowl mix the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut the cold butter into the mixture until it resembles a coarse meal with a few larger lumps of butter.

4. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the milk mixture, gently stir until a cohesive dough forms, being careful not to over mix.

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and pat 1'' thick. Use a round cutter or bench scraper to cut out your scones. If you have any scraps, gently press them together and cut again.

6. Place the cut scones on a parchment lined baking sheet about 2'' apart, brush the tops with heavy cream, and sprinkle with the reserved oats. Bake the scones until golden (12-14 minutes) and cool slightly before eating.

These are best the day that they are baked, but you can store them at room temperature in an airtight container for a day or two.