Sunday, November 24, 2013

Blueberry Scones

Yesterday, I was just thinking about the fact that I have made some great GFFs (gluten free friends) since starting my Gluten Free in Orlando Facebook page and blog.  One of my amazing GFFs told me about a pumpkin scone recipe that she had made using Cup4Cup flour.  You can find the link to this recipe and tips for making Spiced Pumpkin Scones in my Favorite Breakfast Recipes blog post.


I love, love, love these pumpkin scones.  They are incredibly light and flavorful. 


When I make scones, I always use Cup4Cup flour.  I purchase it from The Fresh Market or Williams-Sonoma.  I have heard that Whole Foods carries it too, but I have never seen it in their stores in Orlando. 


The original recipe called for sour cream, but no way is sour cream entering my house.  It's just one of those foods I will not eat.  Today, I used Stonyfield Plain Greek Yogurt.  In the past, I have used Stonyfield Lowfat Plain, but I always put about 2/3 of a cup in a fine mesh strainer that is lined with a paper towel, over a bowl, to let some liquid drain out for at least 20 minutes.


The same GFF that passed on the pumpkin scone recipe told me about a Blackberry Scone recipe that she had adapted to make blueberry scones.  You can view that recipe here.  The first time I made gluten free blueberry scones, I allowed my frozen blueberries to defrost.  Big mistake!  The scones were so wet from the blueberries that I had to add a lot of extra flour.  They looked terrible, but they tasted great! 


I almost didn't take a picture of my ugly duckling scones.  :-)


I love the technique of freezing your butter and grating it into your flour mixture.  Sometimes I put the butter in the freezer the night before making scones, but I find it's a little easier to grate if it's only frozen for 20 to 30 minutes.  


Here's what it looked like when my hubby was done grating. 


The original recipe called for 1T of grated lemon zest, but I just use the zest of one lemon. 


On a floured surface, I shaped my dough into a 7 inch circle.  It was beautifully blue! 


I cut my circle into 8 wedges with a steak knife, then sprinkled the scones with 1T of sugar. 


Here are the before and after pictures. 


I have this really, really bad habit of overcooking scones.  My scones could have probably been taken out of the oven a minute or two earlier.  I prefer them a little less brown, but thankfully, they were still delicious!  

Blueberry Scones

Ingredients

2 C (280g) Cup 4 Cup Gluten Free Flour 
1/3 C (67g) granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter -- frozen
1/2 C lowfat plain yogurt (strained) or Greek plain yogurt or sour cream
1 large egg
Zest from one lemon
5 ounces fresh or frozen blueberries (if using frozen, leave them in the freezer until you are ready to use them)
Additional 1T of sugar for sprinkling on top of the scones

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk the Cup 4 Cup, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Grate the frozen butter into the flour mixture and stir with a spoon to combine.  

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, egg, and lemon zest with a fork or whisk, then add to your dry ingredients.  Stir with a large spoon, then knead until just combined.  Add the berries and gently knead until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.  

Place the dough on a piece of lightly floured parchment paper, press it into a 7 inch circle, then cut it into 8 wedges with a sharp knife.  Sprinkle your scones with an addition tablespoon of sugar before placing them on your baking sheet. 

Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly browned.   

Other options

My friend Shelley skips that last tablespoon of sugar and makes a glaze out of powdered sugar and lemon juice. 


Update -- I tried the lemon glaze and it was amazing!  


I have also made raspberry scones with frozen raspberries and the zest of one orange. 


You'll notice, they are a little too brown too.  :-)

I always freeze my leftover scones.  They make for a super easy and delicious breakfast during the work/school week.  When we are ready to eat them, I defrost them in the microwave for about a minute, and they are ready to go.  

If you would prefer your scones without fruit, check out my recipe for what I call the Perfect Gluten Free Scones.



6 comments:

  1. I heard the Cup 4 Cup flour is the best gluten free flour. Did you notice a difference between using it and any other flours you've used in the past?

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    1. Yes, it's amazing for pastries, biscuits, and scones. I use Better Batter for cookies.

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    2. Thanks! I've been mixing my own combo of flours and that's always hit or miss (mostly miss). It would be nice to have a go-to product to make life more simple. Thanks for the suggestion of Better Batter! I'll check them out :)

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    3. Do you follow Gluten Free on a Shoestring or have her cookbooks? I use Better Batter in all her cookie recipes. She's amazing.

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    4. I'm loving you, girl! Giving me all the secrets :) Thank you!

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