Gluten Free

Gluten Free Apricot Orange Scones

Dried apricots are wonderful, sweet, chewy fruits. Oranges say “sunshine.” Put them together in a scone and you have a delightful start to your day, a treat with your afternoon coffee or tea, or a delicious snack at any time.

The Inside Scoop

When both volumetric and weight measures are provided, the volumetric measures should be considered approximations. The standard measure for a cup of sugar is 192 grams. By volume, this measure will be less than 1 cup.

When using dried fruit, soak the fruit in water or other liquid for 15 minutes – 30 minutes to soften. Dried fruit will rob the scone of moisture, making it dry; dried fruit that has been soaked in water will be the perfect degree of dryness after baking.

Chopped up apricots soaking in water to soften.

Butter needs to be very cold when making scones. Part of the scone’s rise is due to the steam that is generated as the butter melts. Freeze the butter before using. Then grate the frozen butter before adding it to the flour mix. If the grated butter is not used immediately, return it to the freezer.

Make ahead: You can grate the butter and store it in the freezer in a covered container to use when needed.

A quick word about kelp: Kelp powder (I get mine at Nuts.com) is very high in non-gluten protein. Protein is important for the structure of baked goods. I find a small amount of kelp powder creates a small but noticeable improvement in the structure of many gluten-free baked goods.

When putting scone dough on a baking sheet, line the sheet with parchment paper. If using a scone pan, spray the pan with a non-stick cooking spray, then line the bottom of the scone sections with triangles of parchment paper.

Combine My Gluten Free Flour Mix, granulated sugar, xanthan gum, salt, kelp flour, grated nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and orange zest in the bowl of a food processor or a large bowl. If you are using a food processor, pulse for 2-3 seconds; if mixing by hand, whisk until all dry ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the gluten free flour. This helps to ensure an even rise.

These scones were made using My Gluten Free Flour Mix. Just as one cannot substitute whole wheat flour for cake flour and expect to get the same results, other gluten-free flour mixes may not produce the same results.

When making scones, the butter is added to the dry flour mix. This can be done in the bowl of a food processor by pulsing 3-4 times for 2 seconds each time. Or the butter and flour can be mixed in a large bowl using only one’s fingertips. Never mix with your hand- your fingertips are cooler whereas your hand is warmer and will cause the butter to melt. The goal is to rub the butter into the flour mix so that the butter is the size of small peas. This ensures a uniform rise as the butter melts and turns to steam during baking.

Crack eggs into a small bowl before combining with other liquids. That way, it is easy to remove any bits of eggshell or bloody eggs. Whisk together the eggs with the remaining wet ingredients. Then make a well in the flour mix and add the egg, buttermilk and orange extract mix. This ensures a more even distribution of liquids throughout the flour and that flour in the bottom of the bowl becomes wet. Use a spatula to combine the dry and wet ingredients.

Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, drain the apricots and add to the dough; mix to combine. If the dough is crumbly, use you fingertips to “mush” the ingredients together.

Gluten free flours need time to absorb moisture. Refrigerate your prepared scone batter for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. This will also chill the butter again and produce a better rise.

Measure dough into the prepared scone pan. If you have more than one scone pan, place scone batter into every other well, leaving an empty well between scones. OR use a small (1/4 cup) measuring cup to measure out small mounds of dough. Place mounds of dough 3″ – 4″ apart on parchment lined baking sheet. Separation enables heat to reach more surfaces of the scone, enabling a better rise.

Scone pans with empty wells to allow better air circulation.

The “toothpick” test to check for doneness typically does not work with gluten free baked goods. An instant read thermometer is an essential part of gluten free baking. Gluten free baked goods should typically be baked to 210 to 215 degrees.

Once the scones have finished baking, let them cool for 10-15 minutes, then remove them from the scone pan or baking sheet and place onto a cooling rack. This prevents the scones from sticking to the pan and prevents condensation within the pan.

Scones are wonderful served warm plain, or with a pat of butter. However, if a glaze is desired, let the scones cool completely. Then place a sheet of waxed paper under the cooling rack to catch any icing that drips off the scones and spoon the prepared glaze on top of the scones.

A thin glaze compliments the scone’s flavor without overpowering it.

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Gluten Free Apricot Orange Scones

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By Connie Teunis – Serves: 5 scones

Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes

Moist, tender scones with the wonderful flavor of apricots and oranges. And they are gluten-free!

Ingredients

¾ c. / 175 g. Dried Apricots soaked in water to moisten

310 g./ 2 c. My Gluten-Free Flour Mix

1 c. / 192 g. Granulated Sugar

½ t. Xanthan Gum

½ t. Salt

1 t. Kelp flour

¼ t. Grated Nutmeg

2 ½ t. Baking Powder

½ t. Baking Soda

Zest of one orange

113 g./ 1 stick Unsalted Butter

6 T. Buttermilk

2 Large Eggs

½ T. Orange Extract

Instructions

1

Apricots should be in small chunks. If necessary, chop the apricots. Soak the chunks of dried apricots in warm water for at least 30 minutes to soften.

2

Combine the Gluten Free Flour Mix, sugar, xanthan gum, salt, kelp, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and zest in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for 2 seconds to mix thoroughly. Add the grated butter. Pulse until the butter is the size of small peas. Pour into a large bowl.

3

OR: Place the dry ingredients in a large bowl; whisk to mix thoroughly. Add the grated butter. Using only your fingertips, mix the butter into the flour mix until the butter pieces are the size of small peas.

4

Whisk the buttermilk, eggs and orange extract in a small bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour/butter mix; add the liquids and gently mix until combined. Drain the apricots. Add the apricots to the batter; mix gently until apricots are evenly distributed throughout the batter. Cover the bowl of scone batter and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

5

When you are ready to bake the scones:

6

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

7

Spray a scone pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line the bottom with triangles of parchment paper. Measure the batter into the scone pan. (I use 4 ounces per scone).

8

OR: Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a rounded ¼ cup measuring cup to measure out the scone batter. Place the rounds of batter onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing scones at least 4” apart.

9

Bake for 15-20 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 210 - 215 degrees. Place the scone pan or baking sheet on a cooling rack; cool for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the scones from the pan or sheet and place onto the cooling rack. To remove scones from a scone pan, run the flat side of a knife around each scone to check that none of the scones are sticking to the pan. Then tip the scone pan and let the scones fall out of the pan. Set scones upright and let cool. Eat warm or cool.

10

To add a glaze:

11

Let scones cool completely. Place a sheet of waxed paper under the cooling rack to catch icing drips. Mix the glaze ingredients until the glaze is smooth; spoon onto the top of the scones.

12

Enjoy!