120 Calorie Cheddar-Kale Scones {recipe}

So, kale.  It gets lots of buzz in the health food world, and it should.  It’s loaded with calcium, vitamins A, C, and K, anti-cancer carotenoids and flavonoids, and it’s been shown to help lower cholesterol.  But, uh, it’s kale, and people aren’t always sure what the heck to do with it.  The good news is the options are vast:  make a salad with a warm vinaigrette, add a bagful to soup or stew, wilt it down with garlic and serve it as a side , throw it in your frittata or fruit smoothie (seriously!), add it to pasta, or make a kale and caramelized onion grilled cheese, if you please.  

A few weeks back, I got an email asking me to make my 2014 the year to KALE UP.  I’m down for healthy food challenges, so I checked out the KALE UP site, to see what this campaign was all about.  Their first blog post introduces kale as your “new friend with benefits” and explains the year to “kale up” means finding easy ways to get kale in your daily life.

I suggest we all start with these 120 calorie savory cheddar-kale scones–they’re a tasty way to score some kale points for the day.

120 Calorie Cheddar-Kale Scones

Makes 8

Adapted from King Arthur Flour’s Bacon-Cheddar-Chive Scones

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (4.25 ounces)
• scant 1/2 tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tbsp cold butter
• 2 ounces cheddar, coarsely grated (I prefer a smoked cheddar)
• 1 cup finely chopped kale
• 2/3 cup 2% milk, divided

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

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture, until crumbly.  Mix in the cheese and kale.  Add 1/3 cup milk and stir to combine.  Using your hands, gather the dough together into a ball, add additional milk, one tablespoon at a time, as needed, to incorporate any remaining flour in the bottom of the bowl.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface, and pat into a 5.5 inch round slab.  Transfer the round to the prepared baking sheet.  Use a knife to gently cut the round into 8 wedges.  Use the knife to spread the wedges slightly apart on the sheet.  Brush tops and sides with remaining milk.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Stats per scone:  121 calories, 16g carbs, 5g fat, 4g protein