Gluten-Free, Allergy-Friendly Lemon Scones

MAKES 8 SCONES

Free of gluten and the top eight food allergens, these delicious pastries are ideal for your holiday breakfast table. They’re also satisfying when served alone, the perfect companion to a steaming cup of coffee or tea. For a fun treat, throw in a ½ cup of allergy-friendly chocolate chips*.

1¾ cups (6.6 ounces) gluten-free flour blend
    of choice
½ cup (2 ounces) tapioca flour
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
1½ teaspoons cream of tartar
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ cup (3 ounces) chocolate chips*, optional
1 tablespoon flax meal
3 tablespoons water
⅓ cup rice milk + ⅛ cup rice milk, divided
1 lemon for zest (approximately 1 tablespoon)
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) dairy-free, soy-free margarine of choice, cold
1 tablespoon rice milk, to brush tops of scones
1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar**, optional

1. Preheat oven to 400º F (350º F for convection oven). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the gluten-free flour blend, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add chocolate chips, if desired.

3. Whisk together the flax meal and water. Let mixture sit for a couple minutes while you zest the lemon. You should have approximately 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. Whisk again the flax meal and water. It will have a gelatinous texture. Add the lemon zest and 1/3 cup rice milk to the flax mixture. Whisk gently to combine.

4. Cut cold margarine into small pieces and work into the flour mixture with your hands until mixture resembles a coarse meal.

5. Add rice milk mixture. Stir with a rubber spatula by hand just until combined. Add remaining rice milk (⅛ cup), a tablespoon at a time as needed, until dough hangs together.

6. Using a designated #20 portion scoop, scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Flatten slightly with a half-cup measure or glass dipped in tapioca flour.  Or for a traditional triangular scone, shape the dough into a 7-inch disc, ¾-inch thick. Using a bench scraper or chef’s knife, cut the dough into 8 wedges and set on a prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

7. Brush the top surfaces with rice milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, if desired.

8. Place scones in preheated oven and bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

9. Cool scones on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then transfer scones to the rack and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

*TIP Gluten-free, allergy-friendly chocolate chips are available from Enjoy Life Foods (enjoylifefoods.com). Gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate chips (Chocolate Dream) are available from Sunspire (sunspire.com).

**TIP To make cinnamon sugar, combine ½ cup granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Mix well.

Each scone contains 254 calories, 11g total fat, 5g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 339mg sodium, 37g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 2g protein.

The original version of this scone recipe was created for the 1^st Annual Gluten-Free Summit, held in Copper Mountain, Colorado. Allergy chefs Joel and Mary Schaefer have since altered their recipe so that it’s not only gluten free but free of the top 8 allergens. Recipe reprinted with permission from Serving People with Food Allergies, Kitchen Management and Menu Creation (CRC Press), by Joel Schaefer.