A year after I moved to Boston I landed a job at Children’s Hospital Trust as a Development Associate. I had worked for a small non-profit and the project I was part of lost its funding. CHT was a pretty big step up and I was lucky to get the job.

At the time, the office had about 80-90 employees and about a third of them were “20-something” girls. Needless to say, I had a great time! We ate lunch together, went out together and formed a pretty strong friendship. Gigi, Sue, Katy, Emily, Amy and I have all moved on from our CHT cubicles, but are still really great friends.

It has been 7 years since we all met at CHT, and a lot has changed. We all got married, found new jobs and had (or are about to have) kids! While our younger years were filled with “Thirsty Thursdays”, pub crawls and Cape Cod Extravaganza weekends, we recently had a 9:00 AM coffee/playdate.

Of course I baked for the occasion. I made no sugar banana bread for the kids and Cherry Almond Scones for the Mamas. The scones, while not “healthy” were a treat packed with healthy ingredients like whole wheat flour, almonds and cherries!  They were a hit, and I even had some left over to share with my in-laws later in the week. If you are interested in finding out more about how almonds can be an important part of a healthy diet head on over to Nuts.com.  They inspired me to make an almond packed treat!

“Research suggests that the high amount of monounsaturated fat in almonds can lower LDL cholesterol levels. Per serving, almonds provide 4 grams of appetite-suppressing fiber and 7 grams of muscle-building protein. Loaded with vitamin E, almonds also pack an antioxidant punch. They’re a good source of mighty minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium, too!”
Nuts.com is a great place to buy almond flour and almonds – should you need them:)

We had a really lovely, if not chaotic, visit. These ladies have been such an amazing part of my “post college life”. There is no doubt they have helped me become the grown up Mama I am now. They are always available for a glass of wine, dinner, Jay-Z or Brittany Spears concert or advice about naps and breast feeding – xoxo

Cherry Almond Scones
yield = 16 small/medium-sized scones

1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 cup dried cherries
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup almond flour (I used Bob’s Redmill)
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 cup buttermilk (or milk with 1.5 tsp. vinegar or lemon juice)
1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat the oven to 400°. Spread the almonds in a pie plate and toast for about 6 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk the whole wheat pastry flour with the almond flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Using a pastry blender or fingers, cut in cold butter until they resemble peas. Add the cherries and almonds. Add the buttermilk and toss with fork or fingers until the dough is evenly moistened.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and pat into a 1-inch-thick square (@ 12 in x 12 in). Using a large knife, cut into 12 squares.  You want a large knife that can cut through in one or two movements.  The dough is sticky so don’t drag the knife. Transfer the scones to the baking sheet and chill for 30 minutes.

Brush the tops with the melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for about 18 minutes, until golden. Let stand until cool, 30 minutes.