Gluten Free Scones Recipe

I haven't written about my adventures in gluten free baking in a while, probably because I haven't really been doing that much recently.  But, mom's been craving scones so off to the kitchen I went.  My mom is gluten free, and I've found that I feel better too when I avoid wheat (they do say there's a hereditary component).

I started with this original recipe on the King Arthur flour website.  But, of course, I can't leave well enough alone, I've got to start experimenting!  While I was in our local Safeway, I found this Almond Blend flour by Gluten Free Mama and decided to use that instead because almonds are such a good source of protein and good fats*, and the flour seems to yield a little sweeter taste for baked goods.  Then, I kept playing around with the butter (1 stick?!  yikes!) by taking away butter and adding apple sauce and plain yogurt instead (the scones did come out moister), and here's what I've come up with:

1 1/2 cups of Gluten Free Mama Almond Blend
1/4 cup corn flour (I use Red Mill Whole Grain Corn Flour)
1/4 sweet sorghum flour (Red Mill again)
1/8 cup sugar
1/8 cup maple syrup
2 tsp baking powder (gluten free)
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
sprinklings of ground nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove
 1/4 cup organic apple sauce
2 Tbsp regular plain yogurt
1-2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup dried canberries
2 large eggs
1/3 cup cold milk
1 tsp vanilla or another extract (orange works well too) (gluten free)


Preheat oven to 400F degrees. I have a non-stick scone pan with 8 slots but I've also used a mini-muffin tin, which yielded about 24 mini scones.  I don't grease the pan, but you might want to add a little oil or butter to prevent sticking.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, and spices.  Then, add the apple sauce, yogurt and butter and work the mixture til it's crumbly.  I usually start out using the whisk, then just start working it with my hands.  Mix in the nuts and dried fruit.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, maple syrup, and extract.  Add to the dry mixture, stirring until well blended.  The dough will be "cohesive and very sticky".  To me, it was kind of blended and lumpy, but it did have a stickiness to it, so you'll know when it feels right.

Drop the dough into the scone pan or baking tin (I used a big spoon to scoop up some dough and smooth it into the tin.  Let the scones just sit there for about 15 minutes (actually, this is usually when I preheat the oven, so while the oven is heating up, the scones are resting).

You can sprinkle the scones with a little sugar and/or cinnamon.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes (less if you are using the mini-muffin tin), til golden brown.  Let the scones sit outside the oven for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.  Mmmm, mmmmm!!