Gluten Free Scones Recipe

I’m not going to lie to you – whatever anyone says, gluten free scones are NOT as good as ordinary ones. But these are acceptable alternatives – and if you can serve them still warm from the oven, very acceptable indeed.

All scones should be eaten on the day of making, and gluten-free ones within the hour! And with plenty of butter, or jam and cream!

The important thing with gluten-free scones is to make sure there is enough moisture in them. Your dough will be stickier than for ordinary scones, and less easy to handle, but battle through – it’s worth it!

This recipe is for plain scones; you can add extras (fruit etc) just like any normal scone recipe, but you may need to add a little more milk.

Ingredients

8 oz gluten free self raising flour

1 tsp gluten free baking powder

1/4 tsp xanthan gum

2 oz hard margarine

2 tbsp caster sugar (or less : I use a lot less, but it all depends on taste)

8 fl oz milk (at room temperature – this is important!)

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract (the best you can afford!)

1 egg (at room temperature)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200C (fan). Prepare a baking sheet with parchment / baking paper.

2. Place your gluten free self raising flour, baking powder and xanthan gum in the bowl of a food processor. Chop your hard margarine / butter into cubes and add that to the flour mix. Blitz the lot! Don’t over blitz, you want some of the fat pieces intact. Then tip into a bowl.

3. Stir in your caster sugar.

4. In a jug, add the lemon juice and vanilla extract to the milk, and beat in the egg. Reserve a little of this mixture to brush the tops of the scones before baking.

5. Place your baking sheet in the oven to get hot while you make the scones.

6. Make a well in the middle of your dry mixture. Pour in milk/egg mixture and work it in using a metal fork till it’s just combined (it will be a bit sticky). Work fast!

7. Flour (gluten free!) your work surface and your hands. Get the dough out of your bowl and fold it over a few times. Be really quick and rough here

8. Lightly pat the dough into a rounded shape about 1 inch thick.

NEVER EVER use a rolling pin.

9. Use a metal cutter to push down into the dough and bring out your scones with the cutter. Push them out of the cutter and put to one side till you have used up all the dough (keep re-shaping the dough). Don’t forget, the last little bit is reserved for grandchildren! – or picky grandfathers!

10. Brush the tops of the scones with the reserved milk/egg mix.

11. Place the scones onto the hot baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes till golden. Cool on a wire rack and eat as soon as possible!