Gluten Free Mixed Berry Scones

24 Jan 2012

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Amy
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Gluten Free Mixed Berry Scone

It’s January, the beginning of a new year, and right now most of us have healthy lifestyle habits on our minds. You might be wondering how gluten-free scones fit into living a healthy lifestyle.

As you probably know, traditional scones are often rich with butter and heavy cream. Then, they’re topped with a sugary glaze. They’re good. Really, really good. But they’re not necessarily good for you.

Part of what I love to do is show people how to take classic recipes and make them healthier so they can enjoy them as a small part of a well-balanced diet.

Let’s walk through the healthy transformation these scones went through.

To make-over these scones, I started with a healthy fat. Instead of butter I opted for coconut oil, which has many health benefits:

  • it’s easy to break down and use for energy so it’s less likely to be stored as fat
  • it can boost your metabolic rate
  • it contains lauric acid which is used by the body to help boost immunity
  • it may improve heart health by helping prevent high cholesterol

Light coconut milk replaced the heavy cream. Instead of refined white sugar, I opted for a small amount of honey. I replaced the heavy, sugary glaze with a light sprinkling of low-glycemic coconut palm sugar and a pinch of cinnamon.

Of course, all the flours are gluten-free. Sorghum and almond flour have some health benefits too. Sorghum is high in anti-oxidants and phyto-nutrients. Almond flour is an excellent source of vitamin E and mono saturated fats, which is associated with reduced risk of heart disease.

Since I used almond flour in the scones, I didn’t want to add nuts but still wanted to get a good, textural crunch. That’s where Erewhon’s Crispy Brown Rice with Mixed Berries Cereal came in, which is gluten-free as well. The cereal adds an interesting crunch on the outside and melts in the middle of the scones to make a soft, tender crumb. The freeze dried strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries add the right amount of fruit.

Eat these scones just as they are or top them with a little no-sugar added fruit spread. Like all scones, they’re best the day they’re made. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature and warm them before serving. Or, freeze them and make bread pudding when you’re in the mood for comfort food.

How do you make your favorite recipes healthier?

 

Gluten Free Mixed Berry Scone recipe

Mixed Berry Scones

MAKES: 6 Scones

For the scones:

1 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

6 tablespoons coconut oil, in solid form

1 1/2 cups Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice with Mixed Berries Cereal

1/3 cup light coconut milk

1 large egg

3 tablespoons honey

For the egg wash & topping:

1 large egg

1 tablespoon water

1 – 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Make the scones:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silcone baking mat.

Put the sorghum flour, almond flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, cinnamon, lemon zest, xanthan gum, and sea salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse until the flours are combined. Add the coconut oil to the flour mix and pulse until the mixture looks like sand.

Transfer the flour mixture to a large bowl and mix in the Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice with Mixed Berries Cereal. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, egg, and honey. Pour the liquid into the well of the flour mixture. Use a fork to mix the liquid into the flour until a dough forms.

Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Use wet hands to form a 9-inch x 4-inch log. Cut the dough into three (3-inch) pieces and then cut each piece diagonally to make 6 triangle-shaped scones. Use a spatula to space the scones evenly on the baking sheet.

Make the egg wash and bake the scones:

Whisk together the remaining egg and the tablespoon of water. Brush the top of each scone lightly with the wash. Sprinkle the top of each scone with coconut palm sugar and cinnamon.

Bake for 14 – 17 minutes, until scones are golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

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