Cranberry Coconut Milk Muffin Scones

Ironically, there is something intrinsically stressful about having a day off at home with nothing especially pressing to attend to. The time could be used productively, say to do some cleaning and laundry, catch up on some projects, transplant some of the plants that are exploding from their pots or perhaps tidying up a drawer or closet or two. The possibility of spending hours in the kitchen experimenting and creating tempts me, but then so do the rows of books that line my walls. I won't even mention the computer. After a few cigarettes, a quick shower and a breakfast of fried eggs, an orange, and a slice of toasted quinoa bread, consumed as I read the paper, the prospect of a walk in the sunshine presents itself, at least as a short diversion from deciding what I should be doing. Out I flee, my destination being the bank machine to pay some bills.

Upon return, it's too early to break out the wine, but it's too late to embark on a grand meal, at least I'm not motivated enough to bother. A quick glance at the black sleeping screen of my computer is quite enough to divert my gaze back to the kitchen, and then to the stack of books I am currently reading or mean to. I sit down at my table with a file of recently collected recipe ideas that haven't yet made it to my more organized binders, and finally decide I'll try Alice's recipe for Cranberry Muffins that I printed off back in January.

I've made many a muffin in my 34 years on this planet, but never has my muffin mix turned out more like dough than a thick pancake batter. Did I err? It was perhaps a mistake to basically plop the suggested portions into the bowl with little thought. Double check recipe. I cut back on the sugar and increased the vanilla, but other than that, followed the instructions. Wait, this is more like a scone dough. Intrigued, I press on. The result was a pleasant surprise that ended up serving as a replacement for that grand dinner that never was. In fact, this is all I had for dinner. Just a few of these little savory delights.

Cranberry Muffin Scones

2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
1 cup of dried cranberries
3/4 cup of coconut milk
1/4 cup of butter, melted
1 teaspoon of grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 large egg, lightly beaten

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the cranberries and make a well in the center of the mixture.

In another medium small bowl, lightly whisk together the coconut milk, butter, lemon rind, vanilla and egg. Add to the flour mixture and stir just to combine.

Grease 12 muffin cups with butter. Spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared cups, pressing down the batter lightly with the back of the spoon. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 - 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.