Gluten-Free Scones!

Here is a recipe that I found that is both gluten-free and has a dairy-free option as well. I have made them several times now, and they get rave reviews from all. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Blueberry Scones (Dairy-Free Option)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of butter, diced and really cold (dairy-free, use Smart Balance butter)
• 3 cups of gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum (leave this out if your flour already has it)
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 2 Tablespoons of gluten-free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 Tablespoon of dried lemon peel (lemon zest)
• 3/4 cup of buttermilk (make buttermilk by adding 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar to the milk and sit for two (2) minutes) (dairy-free, add 3/4 Tablespoon of white vinegar to either almond, cashew, or coconut milk)
• 2 large eggs (whisked)
• 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries
• 2 Tablespoons of milk (dairy-free use almond, cashew, or coconut milk)

Glaze:

• 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar
• 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon of water

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut the butter into small pieces and place in the freezer for ten (10) minutes.
3. In a large bowl, add the flour, xanthan gum (leave out if your flour already has it), sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon peel. Stir to combine the ingredients.
4. Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture looks like the size of small peas.
5. Add in the buttermilk and the whisked eggs and stir until soft dough forms (do not overmix — overmixing will result in hard scones). The dough will be sticky. Carefully stir in the blueberries.
6. Add one Tablespoon of flour to a large piece of parchment paper. Place the dough on top of the floured parchment paper. Dust the top of the dough with flour and gently fold the dough over on itself two (2) times. You do this by folding the dough in half on top of itself and then doing it a second time.
7. With your hands, form a dough round that is about seven (7) inches in diameter and two (2) inches thick. If you make it any larger or flatter, you will end up with flat scones.
8. Run a sharp knife under warm water and then cut the dough in half. Then cut each half in four (4) slices (you will have eight (8) dough triangles). Carefully place the dough on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of the dough with milk and bake for fifteen (15) to twenty (20) minutes, or until the tops are a golden brown.
9. Add the glaze ingredients to a small bowl and stir together until smooth. Drizzle over the warm scones. Enjoy!