GFCF Blueberry Scones

The fulfillment of a request.

 Today is the last day of school before the holidays, which of course means the kids will be doing next to nothing except having parties and watching movies. My fourth grader was having a brunch today, and she asked if I would make scones for her to share. Sure, why not!!!

 It was the perfect opportunity to try an adapt a recipe I wanted to try from the folks at America's Test Kitchen (when you go to their website click on the blueberry scone recipe.  You will need to have an account with them to view it). The beauty of this recipe is that it can probably be used for more than just scones - I'm thinking cinnamon buns potentially too.

 But today it's blueberry scones. Aside from the necessary GFCF adjustments, the only change from the Test Kitchen recipe is that I didn't grate frozen butter, but rather just incorporated chilled butter with a pastry blender like you would making biscuits.

 They really turned out well. I hope Olivia's class enjoyed them. And if you try them, I hope you will too.

BLUEBERRY SCONES 
Adapted from a recipe by America's Test Kitchen 

 INGREDIENTS 

 8 tbsp CF butter (I used Earthbalance Buttery Sticks)
1 to 1 1/2 cups blueberries (I used frozen)
1/2 cup CF milk (I used almond milk)
1/2 cup CF sour cream (I used Tofutti)
1 cup GF all purpose flour (I used Bob's Red Mill GF Blend)
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp grated lemon or orange zest
2 tbsp CF butter, melted.

Preheat oven to 425°.  Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray, or line the sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the milk and sour cream.  Set aside in the refrigerator until needed.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and zest.  Whisk together to combine.  Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add the milk/sour cream mixture and, using a spatula, mix until just combined into a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 6 - 8 times until smooth.  Roll the dough out into a 12" by 12" square.  Using a pastry scraper or a spatula, carefully fold 1/3 of the dough over onto the middle third, followed by the last third on top of that.  Repeat the process with the short end of the dough until you have about a 4" square.  Transfer the dough to a floured dish and place in the freezer for five minutes.

Remove the dough from the freezer and transfer back to the floured surface.  Roll the dough out again into a 12" by 12" square.  Arrange the blueberries evenly on the dough, gently pressing them into the dough.  Using a dough scraper or a spatula, loosen the dough from the surface and carefully roll into a tight log.  Lay the seam side down and press the dough out into a 4" by 12" rectangle.  Using a floured knife, cut the rectangle crosswise into four equal pieces, then cut each piece diagonally into two triangles.

Transfer the triangles to the prepared baking sheet and brush the top of each triangle with melted butter (you can also sprinkle the tops with sugar if you like).  Bake at 425° for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time.  Transfer to a wire rack and cool 10 minutes before serving.