Gluten-Free Blueberry Scones with Whole Grains

Tender gluten-free dairy-free scones baked with whole grains.

Mother's Day Blues

Blueberries and Mother's Day. I cannot imagine one without the other. It is virtually impossible. Beyond my control. The same way a certain scent, caught unexpectedly in passing, can- in a single heartbeat- transport you to another time and place.

Scents and tastes and memories link and embed themselves deep in the mushy hardware of our brain, micro-threading bits of life experience into electrical impulses that spark and conjure images and emotions that rival the blinking hot concept of time travel. Sun warmed wild mint, for instance, jolts me into my six year old body faster than you can wish for blueberry pancakes, tugging me into a swirl of loneliness and boredom I can almost taste, the heat and dust of a summer afternoon prowling a parking lot, looking for a tiny piece of shade apart from the bees.

In a perfect world I would have been blueberry picking, roused from innocent rumpled sleep before first light by a beloved grandmother or a tender hearted aunt, and given a small metal pail to fill, tasting every other silvery blue berry I picked, listening to my steady companion hum Dylan's Chimes of Freedom.

But I have no blueberry stories of childhood.

My picking days came later. As a young mother bending and reaching under a cobalt Cape Cod sky, plucking berries into buckets. Back then summer was forever woven with the fate of blueberries. Scattered on clean white scoops of yogurt in an antique bowl, baked into tender blueberry breads drizzled with lemon glaze (the cherished, hand written recipe given to me by an old friend, Cape Cod Kitty- it was her mother's famous blueberry cake), or bursting out of muffin tops glittering with sugar, and scented with cinnamon.

But the truth is I cannot rewrite my childhood. Nor change what is beyond my control to change. And I do not believe in destiny. I am not a fatalist. I do not believe in a master plan. I wrestle with mystery and meaning every single day, with nary a satisfactory answer in sight. It seems to me that nothing happens for a reason. And everything happens for a reason.

Because life is for learning.

And each day breaks with a fresh beginning.

So darling. What will you choose today?

Make it good.


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Savory Gluten-Free Scones with Olives and Rosemary

Gluten-free scones with olives and rosemary. A savory winter treat.

One of my holiday surprises was this nifty cast iron cornbread pan. This week I put it to good use. To celebrate the recent return of Downton Abbey, you see (season two has begun, and promises to be as riveting as the first). Scones somehow seemed more appropriate than cornbread. Though these scones would most certainly not pass muster with Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham. She would be- most assuredly- appalled. And raise an elegantly arching, ironic eyebrow in utter disdain. Gluten-free? Who ever heard of such a thing? It is as suspect and deserving of mockery as electricity.

Or weekends.

Who is your favorite Downton Abbey character?

I honestly cannot decide (though I may have inadvertently revealed some vaporous hint of favoritism). I love them all with a devoted heart. The cast, the superb writing, the stunning photography, the lustrous set design is all beyond delicious.

But if you, darling, cherish a favorite Lady, attorney or housemaid, or if you blush and inhale when the honorable Mr. Bates makes an appearance, please do share. We'd love to relish every detail along with you.

Make your case.

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Gluten-Free Zucchini Lime Scones

Fresh baked zucchini scones with lime.

As the old Zen koan advises, row row row your boat, gently down the stream, merrily merrily merrily... summer is but a dream. Dear (beautiful and appreciated) reader, forgive my clumsy extra syllable as I squeeze summer in for life and stumble up the rhythm for the sake of my wandering focus today, which is how mind-bogglingly fast time goes by. In spite of the airless, oven-style heat. In spite of the sticky sleepless nights (thank goddess for iPhones).

Summer is careening into Fall faster than you can say Lady GaGa is gluten-free.

And zucchini is taking over the universe.

But I've got your back.

First up on the Z List is this moist and tender Gluten-Free Goddess Zucchini Bread that even GaGa herself might be tempted to bake (if she baked instead of practicing her waggle and ingesting only lettuce). There are these little gems- my Maple Sweetened Almond Zucchini Mini-Muffins (to die for). And this Zucchini Quinoa Breakfast Cake. Not to mention, Chocolate Chip Zucchini Brownies.

If savory zucchini recipes are calling to you, I've got some hot zuke favorites, too. Remember those crispy Fried Zucchini Chips with Lime-Mint Dipping Sauce? So good. And in the comfort food category, Creamy Penne Pasta Bake with Zucchini hits the spot. As does my old school Italian Mama inspired favorite- Zucchini Gratin. For a new wave no-cook vegan pasta, turn your gaze no further than this Raw Zucchini Pasta with Curry Cream Sauce.

And if that isn't enough to satiate your zucchini lust, I've got one more recipe. A new recipe we baked this morning. Perfectly light and golden, lovely for a Sunday brunch. Or any day you feel like visiting with a friend over a pot of tea.

Because life is all about flow, baby. Don't let it pass you by.

Row gently.

Bake some scones.

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Gluten-Free Butternut Pecan Scones

Get sconed, Babycakes, with these fab gluten-free scones.

Let's get sconed. Butternut squash style. But let me warn you. I'm having an existential week. The kind of week where gushing about a gluten-free scone recipe just seems kind of silly. The kind of week where irony reigns supreme on her cold and shiny throne. Yeah, I know. I could shrug it off and stuff it out of sight and soldier on. I could kick it to the back of my closet, behind the pile of ratty sneakers. I could swallow the pill of denial like a good girl and use words like tender and buttery and melt in your mouth scone goodness.

Who would know the difference?

But this morning I'm just not interested.

Fresh from the oven: warm gluten-free scones.

Because it's not the whole of who I am. The whole truth, you see, is messy. It's complicated. And it doesn't always neatly dovetail into a post about butternut squash or gluten-free scones. What I'm feeling is raw. And no doubt undercooked.

And I'm not even sure I understand it.

If I could describe it, I would tell you it is the acrid sensation of slipping backwards in time. Losing ground you worked so hard to get to. To claim as your own. The fragile foothold that doesn't come easy to a questioning, hyper-vigilant child. That elusive, cultivated center of pure confidence.

The belief in I am here.

The right to take up floorspace and wall space.

The right to carve out time for artistic self expression.

To spend money on materials, make mistakes, explore, discover.

Play.

To start over doing something new and unfamiliar.

The right to disappoint someone else.

To confuse them.

To place someone else's needs aside- instead of in front of your own.

So I ask you other Good Girls.

Why is it so dang hard?


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Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Scones

A warm gluten-free scone. Hot tea. Breakfast bliss.

Are you sick of the snow yet? My heart goes out to you. So many of you have been hammered this winter. Spring will arrive this year not a moment too soon. My advice? Bake some scones. Scones are easy to throw together. The oven warms up the kitchen and chases off the chill. And in less than half an hour you have a tender gluten-free morsel to share and savor. Gently spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and studded with sweet bursts of raisins, I predict these cinnamon raisin scones will make you smile.

And speaking of predictions, Punxsutawney Phil better man up and predict an early respite come February 2. My fingers are crossed for all of you shoveling out from under. Not that I'm superstitious, or subscribe to the precognitive powers of double furred rodents, but. I remember the long dreary bouts of cold and gray all too well. I spent almost fifty-five years in the grip of Old Man Winter, praying the illustrious marmot would not see his shadow.

Will we have an early spring?

I hope so, Darlings. I hope so.


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Gluten-Free English Muffins Recipe

Lovely, toasty gluten-free English muffins. I kid you not.

After four attempts we have a gluten-free English muffin we can toast with pride. An English muffin worthy of jam. Worthy of peanut butter. Or a sit down breakfast. Heck, worthy of breakfast in bed. These warm and golden little babies are too crispy-tender good to munch running to the bus stop or strapped in your car, thinking about the onslaught of your daily tasks. These muffins deserve a proper plate. A mug of tea. Your Sunday morning iTunes playlist.

I'm not sure why a simple English muffin is so tricky to recreate gluten-free (and in my case, also vegan- no milk and eggs to help the stubborn gluten-free flours fluff and rise). I thought it would be a snap. So I perused Alton Brown's recipes for inspiration, found his English muffin recipe, and did a quick gluten-free casein-free conversion. It seemed doable. Although I knew from experience that using a griddle to cook gluten-free muffins would be trouble.

I opted for baking the muffins on a sheet lined with my trusty Exopat (using a liner keeps those overly sensitive gluten-free flours from scorching on the bottom). I'm using English muffin rings to help shape the dough (I purchased them at Amazon). A reader suggested on Twitter I could use cleaned out tuna cans, but. That seems a tad unappetizing (intellectually, I know tuna cans would work; emotionally, all I keep visualizing is the mystery neighbor in Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park who piles his smelly used tuna cans out in the hallway).

Using Alton's basic template the first batch turned out very dense, with no rise and no crunchy edges- though the dough looked promising (pictured above, rising). Dense was not a quality I wanted in my muffin. So I tried again, this time using my own original Gluten-Free Bread recipe as a template (I'm loving the combo of sorghum, potato starch and millet as a flour base for yeasted breads these days). The result was better- but still not quite there.

After a third attempt I realised that the issue might be moisture. I was creating a dough that resembled wheat dough, and I could shape it a bit and pat it into the English muffin rings, but the result was heavy and more resembled a gluten-free hockey puck.

The fourth try was the charm (sometimes perseverance pays off). I added more warm water to the dough (than seemed wise), until it was more of a thick cake batter than a stretchy playful dough.

And sweet bi-locating John from Cincinnatti! It worked.



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Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Scones

Gluten-free scones for tea time, brunch or breakfast.

A story to eat scones by. A scone worthy story, in other words. One more glimpse into life on the side with our unreliable narrator.

Chapter 2.

It was ridiculous how nervous she was.  It was only a class. A painting workshop. It wasn't as if she was entering a world unknown. She knew this world.  Art school was only, what, fifteen years ago? Wrong tactic. Fifteen years is a lifetime ago. She shook it off, pushed the door open with her left hip and met the familiar aromatics of turpentine and linseed oil, the clatter of wooden easels and scrape of chipped metal stools as painters staked out their territory.

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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Scones with Maple Nutmeg Icing

Gluten-free pumpkin scones with maple nutmeg icing.

Take a deep breath. Stop. Sit. I understand. I get it. And I know what you're craving. Because I'm craving it, too. After all the pre-Thanksgiving hubbub, after scouring the Internet for gluten-free recipes, after all the planning, the lists, the shopping at six different markets because one store never has everything you need (that would be too simple), the label reading, the patience (dug from somewhere deep and zen and maybe even vaguely transpersonal) to explain (again) why scraping the pumpkin filling off a wheat pie crust does not a gluten-free dessert make, what you crave (besides alone time with a freshly cracked book and your favorite mug filled to the brim with your beverage of choice) is something indulgent.

But not overly indulgent.

Sweet.

But not too sweet.

Something warm and tender, and laced with all of the holiday spices you've been shaking and dashing and pinching with abandon.

Something using up that leftover half cup of pumpkin sitting in the fridge.

Something for breakfast, perhaps. Or a mid-morning treat that is light and tasty but also comforting, in a warm-from-the-oven homey best friend hug kind of way. 

Are you with me?  Are ya feelin' me? 

Then let's get sconed.

Gluten-free scones worthy of tea time.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Scones with Maple Nutmeg Icing Recipe

I searched for the Starbuck's pumpkin scone recipe to use as a basic template for this gluten-free dairy-free egg-free scone. A scone to love. A scone to make my celiac readers happy and my lovely vegan readers and autie angels smile. I have no idea if the recipes I found on-line were the true Starbuck's recipe, but I took a shot. And by the time I was through converting it and taste testing the dough, I knew. Babycakes, this one's a keeper.

Ingredients:

1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup organic millet flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch or potato starch (not potato flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons organic light brown sugar
7 tablespoons cold shortening (Spectrum Organic Shortening)
1/2 cup mashed cooked pumpkin or canned pumpkin
1 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer whisked with 2 tablespoons warm water till frothy (non-vegans use 1 large organic egg, if you prefer)
3 tablespoons real maple syrup
3 tablespoons rice milk whisked with 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice or mild rice vinegar

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Lightly grease a 9-inch Pyrex pie dish. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flours and dry ingredients. Add in the shortening by pieces and cut in the shortening (with a fork or a pastry cutter) and mix until the mixture looks sandy.

Add in the pumpkin, egg replacer (or egg), maple syrup and rice milk. Beat the batter briefly until the dough forms a smooth mass. You do not need to beat the dough very long- just until it is mixed.

Scrape the dough into the prepared pie plate. Using lightly oiled hands pat and shape the dough into a smooth flat round. Press the dough all the way to the edges of the pie plate.

Use a thin sharp knife to slice the dough into six wedges.

You can bake the scones together in the pie dish, or separate them and bake them on a baking sheet.

To bake them on a baking sheet: Use a thin and flexible spatula to remove the wedges from the pie dish one at a time and place them on the parchment lined baking sheet.

Using a knife or thin spatula, reshape and define the scones, if you need to.

Now brush the tops gently with:

Plain rice milk

If you like a crunchy top, sprinkle the scones with raw sugar crystals.

Place the pie dish - or the baking sheet- in the oven. Bake until the scones are firm and slightly golden- roughly 20 minutes.

Cool the scones on a wire rack and make the maple nutmeg icing.

Maple Nutmeg Icing

Use only a little liquid at a time as you beat the frosting. If it gets too thin, add more confectioner's (powdered) sugar.

Ingredients:

1 cup confectioner's or powdered sugar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon rice milk
Pinch of nutmeg, to taste (start tiny, you can add more)

Instructions:

Beat until smooth and add more rice milk a tablespoon at a time until the icing is creamy- but not too thin. Taste test and add more nutmeg if it needs it.

Beat the icing for three to four minutes (this improves the texture).

Spoon the icing into a pastry bag fitted with a simple tip (or use a plastic sandwich bag with a tiny hole cut in one bottom corner). Chill the icing while the scones are cooling a bit.

Squiggle the icing on top of the scones, or spread on the frosting with an icing knife, if you like a lot of sweetness adorning your scone.

Serve immediately. I'm serious. Don't wait. Eat up, Darling. These scones are best enjoyed fresh from the oven.

Makes six scones.

Recipe Source: thanksgivingrecipes-1st.blogspot.com

All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you. 

Karina's Notes:

Like gluten-free soda breads these scones are best enjoyed the day you bake them. However, if you need to bake them ahead of time, I did a little experiment for you. If you must wrap and freeze these scones for the future, place the iced scones in the freezer before you wrap them up (briefly chilling them helps set the icing so it won't stick to the wrapping). To best preserve this kind of drizzled frosting in the freezing process, I think plastic wrap works better than foil.

When serving, remove the scones from the freezer and unwrap immediately (so the icing won't stick to the wrapping as it thaws and softens).

For best results- hands down- heat a thawed scone in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds- this restores the warmth and tenderness of a just baked scone.

More gluten-free pumpkin scones from food bloggers:

The Sensitive Pantry's Maple Glazed Pumpkin Scones

Candy's Gluten-free Vegan Pumpkin Raisin Scones

Daring to Thrive's Gluten-free Dairy-free Vegan Pumpkin Scones

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My Best Gluten-Free Muffin, Scone + Brunch Recipes

My Best Gluten-Free Muffin, 

Scone, and Brunch Recipes

Here is my collection of favorite brunch-worthy gluten-free muffin, scone and coffee cake recipes for breakfast in bed, brunch by a cozy fire, or a laid back morning spent reading the Sunday paper on a sunlight dappled patio.

I've also included my best egg recipes- easy frittatas and crustless quiches (my all time favorite brunch egg dish is the spicy Eggs Diavolo served on creamy polenta). And if you haven't tried one of my crustless quiches studded with roasted vegetables or my light but filling pasta frittata-- Babycakes, what are you waiting for? 

If you're going vegan continental, browse my bakery recipes for tender scones, tea breads, and warm, fall apart muffins. Or zap up a smoothie. 

There's no excuse to reach for the cold cereal box.

 

Eggs + Brunch Recipes

Artichoke and Jalapeno Savory Pie

Blue Chip Frittata

Buckwheat Cereal with Maple-Cinnamon Apples

Cherry Clafoutis

Eggs Diavolo (Diablo) on a Nest of Soft Polenta

Gold Potato Frittata (Quiche)

Green Chile Egg Bake

Karina's Gluten-Free Latkes and Cinnamon Applesauce

Mediterranean Pasta Frittata with Goat Cheese

Pancakes! Karina's best.

Pasta Frittata with Kale

Pumpkin Waffles

Roasted Vegetable Cheddar Quiche

Roasted Vegetable Frittata

Santa Fe Huevos on Polenta

Savory Vegetable Kugel with Sour Cream

Smoked Salmon, Spinach and Goat Cheese Strata

Zucchini Lime Scones

Gluten-Free Muffins, Scones, Donuts, 

Tea Breads + Coffee Cake

Almond Yogurt Cake

Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins

Apple Cake Muffins

Applesauce Crumb Cake

Baked Donuts

Banana Blueberry Muffin Cake

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

Banana Corn Muffins

Banana Crumb Cake  

Big Banana Muffins

Blueberry Almond Flour Muffins

Blueberry Corn Muffins

Blueberry Crumb Cake

Blueberry Flax Muffins - new

Blueberry Muffins- with coconut flour

Blueberry Muffins- Vegan

Blueberry Oat Muffins

Blueberry Scones

Butternut Pecan Scones

Carrot Muffins

Carrot Quinoa Bars

Cherry Almond Muffins

Cherry Clafoutis 

Chocolate Muffins

Cinnamon Apple Muffins 

Cinnamon Raisin Scones 

Corn Muffins with Green Chiles

Cranberry Apricot Muffins

Cranberry Bread

Gluten-Free Breakfast Bars

Gypsy Soda Bread

Irish (Inspired) Soda Bread Bun Rolls

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Maple Sweetened Almond Zucchini Mini-Muffins

Oatmeal-Quinoa Breakfast Brownies

Orange Scented Soda Bread

Peach Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel Topping

Peach Muffins with Almond Flour

Pear Polenta Muffins

Pineapple Coconut Muffins

Pumpkin Bread with Walnuts

Pumpkin Corn Muffins

Pumpkin Donuts

Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

Pumpkin Raisin Bundt Cake

Pumpkin Scones with Maple Nutmeg Icing

Quinoa Breakfast Brownies with Chocolate Chips

Quinoa Breakfast Cake- scrumptious

Rustic Strawberry Cobbler Cake

Skillet Cornbread with Green Chiles

Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins

Sour Cream Apple Cake

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Muffins

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Scones

Sun-Dried Tomato Bread

Sweet Banana Polenta Cake

Sweet Potato Cornbread

Sweet Potato Coffee Cake

Vanilla Cornbread

Whole Grain Strawberry Muffins

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Cake- maple sweetened

Zucchini Lime Scones

Dairy-Free Smoothies

Banana-Apricot Hemp Shake

Blueberry Smoothie Veganluscious

Carob-Almond-Banana Smoothie

Chocolate-Strawberry Smoothie

Cranberry Banana Smoothie

Pomegranate Smoothie

Strawberry Hemp Smoothalicious

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Strawberry Chocolate Chip Scones- Thanksgiving recipes

Easy gluten-free scone deliciousness.

Today was a good day. A strawberry and chocolate laced crusty on the outside tender on the inside kind of day. That's right. I got sconed. And the best part (aside from the fresh organic berry goodness, that is)? These golden biscuity morsels are vegan. That's right. No eggs. No milk. No butter (sorry, moo-cow fans).

On a whim yesterday (I am often prone to whims Dear Reader, especially after a sun dappled picnic on the Santa Fe plaza, perched on a bench beneath a flowering cherry tree across from a red robed Buddhist monk eating Chinese take-out. We devoured pesto slathered smoked turkey rolled in brown rice tortillas and I didn't drip a single green drop of cilantro infused olive oil on my ironed boot cut jeans) I picked up a Gluten-Free Pantry Muffin and Scone Mix at Whole Foods (long time readers know I miss my old favorite Pamela's Ultimate Baking Mix, and I've yet to find an all-purpose replacement mix that's half as good).

I was in such an expansive mood post my double espresso at the nearby Starbucks that I thought I might try baking something fun and slightly indulgent for the weekend. The organic strawberries smelled beyond heavenly in their ripe and ruby lusciousness. Yes, I smell all my fruit and veggies before I buy. Don't you? The woman with the amber handled cane you see standing in the Whole Foods produce aisle sniffing tomatoes and berries and anything else she can get her one free hand on, Darling?

That would be me.

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