Baked goodies are always a wonderful gift to receive on Mother’s Day. What would be better than to wake up Mother’s Day morning to a fresh baked gluten-free, delicious, muffin or even better…a perfect scone? Scones are great because they can be either savory or sweet. So if you are looking for a nice savory compliment to eggs on Mother’s Day morning, a scone is the perfect answer. Or if you happen to have a sweet tooth, perhaps a sensational Blackberry Cream scone is more your style. Either way, a scone is a wonderful way to welcome Mother’s Day…and even better yet, they are relatively easy to make – perfect for kid’s or Dad to make just for you!

The perfect scone is a balance of opposites — not too light and not too dense. Scones can make a lovely accompaniment for breakfast, brunch or even as a savory biscuit-like item served with a dinner menu. Scones create a difficult challenge in the gluten-free world. The challenge is to avoid creating a scone that is dry and crumbly — you may have experienced this with other gluten-free baked goods. Throughout the years we have experimented with many recipes and have discovered the secrets to success for the perfect scrumptious scone! We invite you to walk through this on-line class and experience for yourself a great gluten-free scone.

Choosing the right gluten-free flour:

Through much experimentation we have found that the best substitution for all purpose wheat flour is The Gluten Free Pantry’s Country French Bread flour mix. I know some people prefer to mix their own gluten-free flours because they think it is too expensive to buy a mix. I believe the opposite to be true. Instead of buying bags of various flours and binders, I only have to buy one — and it even comes in a 5 lb. bag. This flour works great for nearly all baked goods as well as for general cooking use (thickening gravies, sauces, breading and more). This flour is the basis for our scone recipes and partially the reason for our success.

Basic scone recipe:

Scones are nearly always flavored with fresh and dried fruits, spices, cheeses, herbs and seasonings — so I wouldn’t necessarily suggest making a "plain" scone. However, I thought it would be helpful to provide a basic recipe that can be easily modified with your favorite flavorings.

Basic scone recipe:

Makes 4 scones

Ingredients:

• 1 cup gf flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into slices
• 1/2 cup crème fraiche
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

(Add 1/2 cup dried or fresh fruit, chocolate or other optional ingredients)

Directions:

Position the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat. In a large bowl combine the gf flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until the largest pieces of butter are the size of peas.
In a small bowl combine the crème fraiche and eggs. Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients.
Stir with a fork until just combined – don’t over-mix. The dough will be very sticky and wet. Add additional ingredients at this point; stir gently to incorporate. With a large spoon, drop a fistful size of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar.
Bake until the scones are deep golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 18-22 minutes. Slide the parchment or non-stick baking mat onto a cooling rack and let the scones cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

The secret to perfect scones:

The secret to making a perfect scone is actually so simple – less work creates a better scone. The trick is to mix the dough as little as possible and yet thoroughly combine the wet and dry ingredients.

Adding variety:

The possibilities for adding variety to your scones is endless, whether sweet or savory. We have had the best success with limiting our additions to no more than two. If you are adding things like nuts, chocolate, dried fruit, cheese or herbs add them to the dry ingredients to ensure even distribution. If you are adding fresh fruit or berries add them to the dough at the very end. Here are some great ideas of things to add to your next batch of delicious scones:

• Nuts
• Dried Fruit – currants, raisins, peaches, apples, pears, dried cranberries, etc.
• Dried herbs – rosemary, thyme, etc.
• Chocolate
• Berries – blackberries, raspberries, sliced strawberries, etc.
• Ground spices – ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg
• Crystallized ginger
• Purees – pumpkin, applesauce or other fruit purees
• Pesto – basil or sun-dried tomato pesto
• Cheese — Gruyere, Cheddar, and other flavorful cheeses
• Diced meats — ham, pancetta
  

- Chef Jessica