Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Scones

🍊 Ingredients

The flour blend you choose is the key to baked goods that don't taste gluten free. If the gluten eaters don't want to eat your baking yet, focus on the flour blend.

• EGFG gluten free flour blend (sweet rice flour, potato starch, sorghum flour and millet flour) - The sweet rice flour absorbs more moisture than white rice flour and the potato starch adds smoothness. Sorghum and millet flours add protein and nutrition to this blend and it works in most of my everyday baking.

• sugar
• baking powder
• xanthan gum - Helps with structure and freshness.
• egg - Helps with structure and also gives these scones moisture and elasticity.
• butter
• fresh cranberries
• orange zest - Citrus zest gives a more intense flavour than using the juice.
• full fat sour cream - This replaces the usual milk or cream and prevents the scones from spreading.

See recipe card for exact amounts.

Instructions

Gluten free recipes can have adjustments in every step of the process. From the properties of the flour, swapping ingredients and small tweaks in the oven. America’s Test Kitchen has taught me many tricks, these three are for scones.

• The resting time before baking prevents a gritty texture.
• Preheating the oven beyond the cooking temperature, then reducing it, ensures complete browning.
• Doubling up the baking pan prevents over browning on the bottom and lets the scones cook fully.

Variations - Mini Gluten Free Scones

I wanted to make mini scones like I see in the Starbucks display case and it was simple! I divided the dough in half to make two smaller circles. I cut each circle into six scones, cooked them the same and got twelve mini scones exactly the size I wanted.

What to Serve with Scones

Scones are British and are typically served with clotted cream and jam. Clotted cream has more fat than whipping cream and tastes like smooth, delicious, unsalted butter. I've occasionally seen it but the easiest replacement is unsweetened whipped cream.

Storage

Scones, like biscuits, are best eaten the day they’re made. The second best scone is the homemade one you baked yesterday or pulled out of the freezer.

Gluten free baking, unlike baking with wheat flour, goes stale more quickly. Make it a habit to store baked goods soon after they've cooled. I store what I think we'll eat within two days, in an airtight container. If there are more, I freeze them right away.

Equipment

Use a stand mixer, food processor or your hands, whatever is easiest for you. Then all you need is a baking pan and parchment paper for easy clean up.

• Full baking sheet, always buy them in pairs.
• Parchment paper roll or parchment paper sheets that always stay flat.
• If you want a great resource I recommend American's Test Kitchen cookbook, How Can It Be Gluten Free Collection; 350 Groundbreaking Recipes For All Your Favourites.