I have never particularly been a fan of scones. Whether it was me who made them or someone else, they always seemed to be dry and hard!
Since gluten-free flours produce a softer baked product, I have been thinking that this could bode well for scones! The result is these Light Almond Scones. They are a slight deviation from traditional scones. The raw mixture is more akin to a stiff cake batter.
As with all gluten-free baking, the scones don’t rise a lot during baking. However the end result is light and fluffy. They pair well with jam and cream, just like traditional scones!
I mix these up in the food processor as it is much quicker.
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 30g (about 2 tablespoons) butter
- 1½ cups ground almonds
- ½ cup brown rice flour
- 1 teaspoon Xantham gum
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Method:
Line a baking tray with a sheet of baking paper. Pre-heat the oven to 210º C.
Into the food processor bowl, place the ground almonds, brown rice flour, Xantham gum, baking powder, salt and butter. Process until all the butter has been incorporated and the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
In a separate bowl, lightly whisk together the eggs and milk. Add to the dry ingredients and process on a low speed until the mixture comes together. The mixture will be sticky but should be able to be rolled in the hand reasonably easily. If the mixture seems too sticky, add another 1-2 tablespoons of brown rice flour and mix in.
Take heaped dessertspoonfuls of the mixture at a time, roll briefly in the hand then place on the baking tray. Then use the fingertips to roughly shape the mixture into a round. I make mine about 5cm in diameter and about 2-3cm high.
Cook the scones for 12 minutes. They tend to develop cracks as they bake, but this does not have any effect on the flavour or texture.
