Our mornings at home are chaotic at best.  The days when I have to leave for work at 2am are gone (temporarily…that will change during the holiday season), which is great.  Right now, I am able to be home for my kids when they are getting ready for school.  What this means, in essence, is that I am now able to sit at home and drink coffee while I watch my kids move like zombies.

If your family is having a hard time getting moving in the morning, I have a suggestion for you: offer them the breakfast of champions.  Something easy to grab, not too hard to chew, and a welcome change from the usual routine of bagel, banana, cereal, yogurt etc.  Offer your people…a scone.

I would like to clarify what I mean by ‘scone’.  It’s a pretty innocuous word on its own, but put into practice, there are many versions of scones that I would much rather offer to my sons to use in lieu of a lacrosse ball instead of serving it to them to eat.  I am not a foodie snob – I promise you this. It’s just not who I am, on any level.

But, I draw the line at scones.  I have to.  And, if that makes me a scone snob, then so be it.

Here’s what a scone is to me:  it’s the classic English Tea Time essential element.  It’s simple in ingredients, but complex in texture.  Not a biscuit, definitely not a muffin, not overly sweet, not rock hard.  The scone is as much about the ingredients as it is the mixing technique.  Similar to pie dough, scone dough needs to be handled carefully and gently.  The flakiness comes not just from the butter marbled throughout the dough, but from how the dough is rolled before it is cut.  I’m not opposed to various flavors of scones, and encourage bakers out there to try whatever appeals to them, but at the end of the day, I still prefer the classic cream scone made with currants above others.  The mellow flavor of the sweet butter and cream, the tiny currants, the melt-in-your-mouth texture…what a way to start the day.

So, for the breakfast of champions – here’s what I recommend.  Make scones, buy scones, whatever moves you.  Put them on the counter, break one in half, serve them with jam and fresh fruit, make another cup of coffee for yourself and let the day begin.