As an 11-year-old, I announced to my dad that I wanted to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums with him. Instead of brushing off my grandiose statement as a childhood fantasy, he took me seriously, and we immediately began brainstorming the rules that night. After a short discussion, we settled on a few key guidelines.
»» We would always root for the home team, unless they were playing the Oakland A’s or San Francisco Giants. (We lived in Northern California and had to support our boys!)
»» We would stay for the entire game—or at least the first 9 innings—unless travel plans dictated otherwise.
»» We would purchase a scorecard at each stadium for me to meticulously pencil in every player’s at bat.
»» We would save the ticket stubs and snap lots of pictures so I could eventually compile a scrapbook.
»» Others could join us at games, like Mom and my brother or grandparents and friends, as long as the two of us attended together.
»» We would visit new stadiums as MLB retired the old ones, making our goal a lifelong dream.
Every winter, we’d plop down on the sofa with the family laptop, pulling up 5-10 teams’ home schedules and tracing our fingers across the screen, trying to figure out where they overlapped and whether those games fit into Dad’s work commitments. We aimed to visit at least 2 stadiums—sometimes more, sometimes less. Last summer, we flew out to the East Coast to see the Phillies, Orioles and Nationals; the season before, we hit up the Rangers and Astros; and one epic August during my high school years, we visited the Brewers, Cubs, White Sox, Tigers and Indians in a big 1-week, 5-game sweep.
However, we decided to put our summer trip on hold this year… Because the Oakland A’s ticket office contacted us, asking if we were interested in season tickets! With Daddy’s incredibly long work hours and how much I blog, we couldn’t quite justify an entire season’s package—plus I’d need to drive almost 2 hours to meet him at the ballpark for every game. Not exactly feasible. Instead, we settled on a mini season ticket package with mainly weekend games, as well as Monday holidays and Opening Day.
Since I mentioned my dream to Dad as a 6th grader, I’ve always wanted to go to Opening Day, and this year I finally got my chance! But with an unlucky twist of fate, I fell sick last week with a sore throat and slightly nauseous stomach, followed by an ugly cold. My body refused to recover in time, so I was forced to watch the first game of the season from my comfy couch at home. At least I wasn’t freezing cold and sniffling alongside 36,000 other fans and giving them all my germs!
If I miraculously healed somehow in time for Opening Night, I knew Dad and I would be up late and definitely wouldn’t have the energy to make a wholesome breakfast the next morning. Always prepared, I baked these healthy beauties before the game began with two of Daddy’s favorite flavors.
Coconut Coffee Scones! Full of warm cozy flavors with a fun tropical twist, these tender pastries will tempt you with their aroma alone—reminiscent of coffee shops and peaceful early mornings with your hand curled around a tall steaming mug. Slightly crusty on the outside with soft moist interiors, these satisfying scones will bring a smile to your lips with each and every bite.
Most people typically view scones as a breakfast “splurge”—unhealthy, densely packed with buttery calories and not much else. But they haven’t met these guys! This clean-eating recipe contains only 2 tablespoons of butter for all 8 scones, and they’re made with entirely whole wheat flour. Even so, they still turn out light and moist, not dense and dry like you’d initially expect.
Sound too good to be true? It isn’t—I promise! Their incredibly tender texture results from my secret weapon in healthy baking: Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt provides tons of moisture while keeping the fat and calories low; plus you sneak in a little extra protein too!
For a nice mild coffee flavor, use 2 teaspoons of instant coffee. Do NOT use regular coffee grounds; you need the “just add water to dissolve” instant variety. This amount imparts a seductive background taste, not as powerful as Dad’s morning cup of straight black, but still smooth and noticeable. For a stronger flavor, add another ½ to 1 teaspoon of instant coffee, but make sure it all dissolves!
To create the lightly crusty exterior, brush the scone dough with a little milk and maple syrup just before popping the tray in the oven. It fills your kitchen with a mesmerizing maple aroma while they bake, almost reminiscent of a tall stack of fluffy buttermilk pancakes. Stay close to the oven though! With a high temperature, the scones finish fairly quickly, so keep an eye out for those beautiful golden spots on top.
Even if we didn’t cheer ourselves hoarse last night, these skinny Coconut Coffee Scones still hit the spot this morning. Subtly sweetened with the most addictive moist interiors, I savored every fluffy bite and reached for seconds—even thirds!
Scones just might become a post-baseball breakfast tradition…
P.S. Have you entered the Immaculate Baking Giveaway yet? Just 2 days left to win an awesome swag package!
These healthy scones are so moist and tender! Lightly flavored with coffee and flecked with sweet coconut, they’ll be the star of any breakfast. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F, and lightly coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, 10 teaspoons of milk, instant coffee, 8 teaspoons of maple syrup, and vanilla until the instant coffee has completely dissolved. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or the back of a fork. Stir in the coffee mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the coconut.
- Drop the dough into 8 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet, and flatten slightly. Combine the remaining 1 teaspoon of milk and ¼ teaspoon of maple syrup in a small bowl, and brush on the scones. Bake at 425°F for 12-14 minutes or until light golden. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Notes: For a stronger coffee flavor, add an additional ½ to 1 teaspoon of instant coffee crystals.
Honey or agave may be substituted in place of the maple syrup.
Probably a silly question, but could I cut these into 8 triangles and bake them that way, like how you do for your Clean Chocolate Chip Scones (which I just made last night and are super yummy!)?
Yes! That should work just fine. (And there are no silly questions in baking! 🙂 ) I’m so glad you enjoyed the chocolate chip scones, and I can’t wait to hear what you think of these too June!