Maple Oat Nut Scones

These are amazing. Simply amazing. I made them a while back after one of the Gluten-Free Ratio Rallies, and they were some of the first gluten-free scones I've ever had that really, truly, honestly tasted like scones. One of my friends who swore he hated scones LOVED these. Couldn't get enough of them. Enough said.

They are full of lovely maple flavor and taste like the ones you get at Starbucks (at least, from what I remember). Seriously - they will disappear in a matter of hours (minutes?) if they even make it off the cooling rack.

Find this fabulous recipe by Gretchen at Kumquat by clicking here.

Ratio Rally: Strawberry Banana Scones with Lemon-Almond Glaze

What do you think of when you hear the word "scones"?  I think of tea.  Proper English teas, with tiny cucumber sandwiches and fancy tiered trays of desserts and small porcelain cups.  I think of raised pinky fingers.

This month, the Gluten-free Ratio Rally took on scones.

It's hard to find a universal ratio for scones.  Michael Ruhlman doesn't lay out a ratio for them.  He gives one for biscuits, but while scones are related, they're really somewhere in their own separate domain.  You can see the family resemblance.  A similar profile; a familiar crumb.  But they have their own thing going on.  They're independent.

So this month was particularly challenging, because not only was I trying to find the right combination of flavors, but I was also trying to find the right ratio at the same time.  To complicate matters, there are different kinds of scones as well - classic scones, cream scones, drop scones....  It's almost enough to make you throw in the towel and just make a cake or cookies instead.  Almost.

I hope it goes without saying that I had my fair share of baking failures this month.  Some were too liquidy, while others were too dry.  (I realize that it's starting to sound like the scones version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but seriously, the consistency was really tough!)  The first batch that actually tasted good turned out to be more like a cake than a scone.  Delicious, yes.  But scones they were not.

But finally came a version that I could dust with flour and pat out into rounds.  I could cut it into pieces and move those pieces to a baking sheet without them falling apart.  And they baked up into wonderful scones which, especially when paired with the lemon-almond glaze, tasted pretty heavenly.  They were dry enough to be, well, scones and crumble apart, but moist enough to actually stay together.  The ratio of flour : liquid : egg : fat I ended up with was 2.5 : 1 : 0.5 : 1.  Kind of a strange ratio, but there it is all the same.

I think it's important to note that the strawberry flavor may not come through very strongly if you don't add the chopped strawberries to the batter.  If you don't want to add them for some reason, I'd add a bit of strawberry extract to make sure that it gets its fair share of the limelight.  Also, I did add chocolate chips to some of these to test out the flavor.  They were really good, although I sort of had the feeling that they were standing between the lemon almond glaze and my palate.  So I've included them in the recipe as optional, and depending on how much you love chocolate and strawberries together, you can take them or leave them.

These are best eaten warm.  Warm from the oven is best (does anyone out there really wait for baked goods to cool before eating them?  I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who goes right in for a taste...right?), but at least microwaved for 10-30 seconds if you're having one from the fridge or freezer.

So here you go.  Put the kettle on - it's time for tea.

Strawberry Banana Scones with Lemon-Almond Glaze
Makes 12 medium scones

For scones:
75 g almond flour
100 g brown rice flour (plus extra for kneading/dusting)
75 g tapioca starch
50 g potato starch
45 g granulated sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
50 g shortening
100 g banana (1 small ripe banana), cut into pieces
100 g pureed strawberries
1 egg or Egg Replacer
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup finely chopped strawberries
Optional: 1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips
Optional: 2 - 4 tbsp. non-dairy milk to

For Lemon Almond Glaze:
60 - 100 g powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. almond extract (this is very strong, so use sparingly and to your own taste!)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 - 3 tsp. cold water (until you have desired consistency)

Preheat the oven to 425 F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and combine well.  Add the shortening and cut it into the flour with a pie cutter.  Add the banana pieces and cut those in the same way.

In a separate bowl, mix together the strawberry puree, egg, and vanilla.  Stir just until combined and then add in the chopped strawberries (if you want, reserve a few to place on top of the scones as they are baking).

Dust a flat surface generously with brown rice flour (this dough will be kind of sticky).  Shape the dough into a circle about 7 - 8 inches in diameter and dust generously with brown rice flour.  Using a large knife, cut it into sixths and place the pieces onto the greased baking sheets.  If desired, press a few strawberry pieces into the top of each one. Using a pastry brush, brush a light coating of the non-dairy milk onto each scone.

Bake at 425 F for 12 - 18 minutes or until firm to the touch and ever-so-lightly browned.  Remove from oven and leave on the hot baking trays for a few minutes to help them solidify more, then remove to a rack to cool.

Drizzle with the lemon almond glaze (see below) when they are completely cooled.  Store in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze.  Warm before serving.

To make Lemon Almond Glaze:
Combine all ingredients and mix well until you have the consistency you want (you want it to be relatively thick so it stays on the scones).  Drizzle over the cooled scones.

If you like scones, you'll want to check out what everyone else came up with this month - they all look pretty fabulous to me!  For a complete list of scone creations from the other gluten-free bloggers in the Ratio Rally, visit Lauren's site, Celiac Teen. She hosted the Gluten-free Ratio Rally this month.

Amie of The Healthy Apple made Rice Crispy Scones
Britt of GF in the City made Blueberry Buttermilk Scones
Brooke of B & the Boy made Coconut scones
Caleigh of Gluten-Free[k] made Scones
Caneel of Mama Me Gluten-Free made Savory Jalapeño Cheese scones
Caroline of The G-Spot made Carrot Raisin Scones with Cinnamon Glaze
Charissa of Zest Bakery made Amaretto-Soaked Cherry and Almond Scones
Erin of the Sensitive Epicure made Millet Scones
Gretchen of Kumquat made Maple Oat Nut Scones
Irvin of Eat the Love made Savory Green Garlic Bacon Thyme Scones with White Pepper Maple Glaze
Jeanette of Jeanette’s Healthy Living made Coconut Pineapple Scones
Jenn of Jenn Cuisine made Banana Apple & Currant Scones
Karen of Cooking Gluten-Free made Oat Scones with Currants
Kate of Katealice Cookbook made Cinnamon Fruit Scones
Lauren of Celiac Teen made Multigrain Scones
Lisa of Gluten-Free Canteen made Bisconies
Lisa of With Style and Grace made Lavender Earl Grey Lemon Scones
Marla of Family Fresh Cooking made Vegan Avocado Scones
Meaghan of Wicked Good Vegan made Simple Scones with Clotted Cream and Strawberry Jam
Melanie of Mindful Food made Hazelnut Cream Scones with Blackberry Jam
Meredith of Gluten Free Betty made Cinnamon Raisin Scones
Mrs. R of Honey from Flinty Rocks made Classic Cream Scones and Almond Fig Scones
Peter and Kelli of No Gluten No Problem made Mesquite Scones
Sea of Book of Yum made Dairy-free Scones
Shauna of Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef made Currant Scones
Silvana of Silvana’s Kitchen made Pecan Streusel Scones with Cinnamon Drizzle
Tara of A Baking Life made Ginger Scones
TR of No One Likes Crumbley Cookies made Cinnamon Pecan Scones
Wendy of La Phemme Phoodie made Red Velvet Scones
Winnie of Healthy Green Kitchen made Coconut Raisin Scones

Carrot Ginger Scone Cookies

I'm not sure whether to classify these as cookies or scones, because they are somewhere in between.  But what I can vouch for is the taste (if you are a fan of ginger, that is).  I recently went to a ginger-themed party and, as I often do, defaulted to baking for my contribution.  I loved the idea of the taste of carrot cake with an extra spike of ginger to complement the other spices I regularly use.  These turned out tasting pretty great, although the texture is definitely rather cake-y and not very chewy (at least, not in the way that cookies often are).  I'd actually suggest shaping these into triangles and serving for breakfast as a scone!  I personally liked the ones without raisins better than the ones with them.  I didn't add any nuts to mine, either, although I've included them below as an optional ingredient (some people like nuts in their carrot cake, and if you're one of those people, you'd probably like them in these, too).  So just let your own taste guide you in this one.  And gather all of your ginger-loving friends to help you eat these!

Do you have a favorite ginger recipe that you would have brought to the Ginger Party?  Please leave it below!

Carrot Ginger Scone Cookies

3/4 cup Spectrum Organic Shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg or Egg Replacer (for our vegan friends)
4 tbsp. So Delicious Coconut Milk
1 1/2 cup gluten-free flour blend (your favorite kind)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 cup finely shredded carrots
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
optional: 1 cup raisins + 1/2 cup ground walnuts (although I liked these better without them)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar.  Add the egg and vanilla and mix with an electric mixer on high speed until it is creamy.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, and nutmeg.  Add little bit little to the butter-sugar mixture, alternating with a tbsp. at a time of So Delicious Coconut Milk.  If the batter is too dry, add more coconut milk one tablespoon at a time. 

Add the shredded carrots, coconut, and oats and mix in by hand.  For larger cookies, drop by tablespoonful onto the cookie sheets and bake for about 14 - 16 minutes at 350 F, or until set on top and slightly brown on bottom.  For bite-size cookies, drop by teaspoonful and bake for 10 - 12 minutes.

Let sit on hot baking sheet for 2 - 3 minutes when they come out of the oven, then remove to a wire rack to cool.  When completely cooled, store in an airtight container.

If desired, top with a buttercream icing for a mini-carrot cake effect.  But they are delicious by themselves, too!

Cherry or Chocolate Chip Oat Scones by Cybele Pascal

Think back.  When was the last time you had a scone?  A scone like you remember them - crumbly, subtly sweet, faintly biscuit-like and scattered with sugar crystals?

Well, if you can't remember, don't worry.  I found one for you.

If you haven't heard of her yet, check out Cybele Pascal.  I recently discovered her fantastic cookbook, The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook, and then - much to my delight - found that she also has a blog with instructional videos for several of her vegan and gluten-free recipes.  (Check below for the link to the recipe for these scones.)

Every single one of her recipes will make your mouth water.  Just try to watch these videos without wanting to reach through your computer screen to take a bite of whatever she is making.

The only modifications I made to Cybele's recipe (which originally was for Cherry Oat Scones) were to substitute Silk vanilla soy milk for the rice milk, and then to divide the batter to make half cherry and half chocolate chip (at the request of my family).  You could go crazy and make them all cherry chocolate chip if you want.  Or you could substitute your favorite kind of dried fruit for the cherries.  I get the feeling you could use any other toppings you like in these scones, as long as you don't change the basic ratio and weigh the batter down too much.  They are deliciously soft on the inside and slightly crisp on the outside - and in the cherry version, the hint of cinnamon is wonderful.

The only thing that is for sure is that if you miss scones, these are for you.  The members of my family who are not gluten-free tend to be brutally honest about these things, and they were not complaining.  In fact, they had seconds.

You can watch Cybele Pascal make these delicious scones here.

Buckwheat Millet Griddle Scones

These could not be easier, really.  You toss the ingredients together, stir, and plop dollops of the dough onto a hot pan.  Flip.  Done!  They're essentially pancakes, but somehow, magically, they turn into scones in the pan.  They are slightly sweet (made less so depending on how much sugar you want to add) and beautifully grainy, turning golden and crumbly as they cook.  I used a combination of buckwheat and millet flour, but I think you could try it with any other grainy gluten-free flours (such as sorghum).  They even hold up pretty well; I was able to cut them in half and make an egg sandwich out of one, and it didn't fall apart in my hands as so many gluten-free breads tend to do.  I made them a bit sweet, so they turned out tasting like more like a teatime snack than real bread, but they were delicious nonetheless!  Perfect drizzled with honey or with strawberry jam spread over a piece hot from the stove.

Buckwheat Millet Griddle Scones  (Adapted from "The South African Cookbook for Allergies and Food Intolerance")

½ cup buckwheat flour

½ cup millet flour

¼ cup fine maize meal

Dash of salt

1/8 – ¼ cup raw brown sugar, depending on how sweet you want them to be

¼ tsp. baking powder

100 ml water

15 ml oil

1 medium egg, beaten

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  In a separate bowl, combine the water, oil, and egg and mix well.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix to form a soft, sticky dough.

Heat a nonstick frying pan on high until hot.  Rub a little oil into the palms of your hands and shape 6 flat cakes from the dough.  Place 3 at a time in the frying pan and close the lid.  Reduce the heat to medium.  Cook scones for 3 – 4 minutes and then cook on the other side for another 4 minutes.  Serve piping hot; split and serve as preferred.  You can also store these in the fridge