Whole Wheat Strawberry Mascarpone Scones

I’ve had a realization.

The most amazing things that can happen to a post grad will happen if you just lower your expectations.

Expectation No. 1: I will make my own coffee and bring it to work to save as much money as possible.
Reality: The Starbucks baristas literally know me by name and were surprised when I didn’t order a grande iced americano with extra ice.

Expectation No. 2: If I go to sleep at a reasonable time, I won’t be so tired at work.

Reality: I was in bed at 9:45PM and still hit snooze four times.

Expectation No. 3: I will take style cues from a blended mix of corporate shows like Suits and fabulous shows like Sex and the City and totally look the part of a young professional.

Reality: My shirt is wrinkled because it was on the floor.

Expectation No. 4: Friday nights are dedicated to trying new resaurants and getting drinks with friends.

Reality: I’m so exhausted. I cannot move. Netflix exists.

Expectation No. 5: I’ll wake up super early and hit the gym.

Reality: See Expectation No. 2.

Expectation No. 6: When getting up early just doesn’t work, I’ll work out when I get home from work and cook a healthy dinner.

Reality: Leave work. Drive home. Replace work clothes with sweatpants t-shirt. Lie on the couch for an undisclosed period. Eat chocolate. Chocolate-covered anything. It has become essential to my very existence.

Whole Wheat Strawberry Mascarpone Scones

slightly adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

(yields 10 scones)

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon table salt

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1 cup fresh strawberries, diced

3/4 cup mascarpone

1/4 cup heavy cream

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together.

Cut the butter into small pieces with a knife and fold into the flour mixture. Using your fingertips, work the butter and flour together until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Stir in strawberries.

Add the mascarpone to the batter, then the heavy cream. Using a spatular or your fingers (fingers worked better for me), stir all ingredients together to form a dough. Gently knead dough into an even mass, then transfer to prepared parchment paper.

Knead the dough a bit more into a ball, then pat it into a 10-inch square about 1-inch tall. Bake the scones for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly golden around the center and edges. Cool in the pan for a minute, then transfer to cooling rack. While scones are still warm, cut into 10 even triangles.

Nutritional information (per scone): 240 calories, 14g fat (8.5 sat, 1.5 mono), 16g carbohydrates, 3g protein, 3.5g fiber