My best friend from University recently had an operation so I made two different kinds of soups and some gluten free cheese scones for her and her family so she needn’t bother with cooking during the first few days of recovery. The scones were a success and even JT couldn’t tell that they were gluten free. The first batch I made to give to my friend, they were true to this recipe and I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour which is mainly Chick Pea flour. I don’t particularly care for chick pea flour because it’s dense and has a particular smell, so I flavoured the first recipe strongly with a little sugar and some orange rind (orange and cheese go very well together!). The second time I made the recipe below and I didn’t need to add sugar nor the orange rind because I used a gluten free flour mix that I blended myself and I increased the gluten free baking powder because I wanted a flakier and a bigger rise out of them — it worked. I’ve put them in the freezer for the next time I see her because she has decided to recover in Florida, lucky duck.
Gluten Free Flour Mix
Ingredients:
- 6 parts brown rice flour
- 3 parts yellow corn flour (not meal)
- 1 part tapioca flour
Directions:
- Combine all of the ingredients above and mix well.
- Use as required in gluten free recipes.
Gluten Free Cheese Scones
Makes 12 scones about 5.5 cm (2 inches diameter)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour, plus more for sprinkling (for this recipe, I used 1 tbsp and 1 tsp in the ratios above to yield 1+ cups of gluten free flour)
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 3 tbsp nonfat dry milk powder
- 1 tbsp gluten free baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp yellow mustard powder
- 20 g unsalted butter, frozen and grated (please see tip)
- 85 g + 2 tbsps sharp cheddar cheese, grated, frozen (please see tip)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 75 mL milk, chilled (plus 2 tbsp more for brushing)
Directions:
- Combine the dry ingredients and whisk until well mixed.
- Sprinkle the frozen cheese into the flour and mix. Sprinkle the frozen grated butter and cut into the flour using a pastry blender.
- Combine the milk and the dijon mustard and mix well.
- Create a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the milk and mix until it’s combined.
- Sprinkle a bit of gluten free flour on your work surface and roll out the dough to about 1 cm or 1/2 inch thick. Fold the dough over as you would fold a letter to go into a #10 envelope. I did this twice. You don’t want to over work the dough because then the butter will begin to melt and it won’t be as flaky. Using a bit more gluten free flour, roll out the dough to 2 cm or 3/4 inch thick. Cut with your desired cookie cutter (I used a 5.5 cm (around 2 inches) fluted round).
- Brush tops with the additional milk and sprinkle a pinch more of grated cheese on each top.
- Bake on a Silpat sheet or parchment for 16 minutes or until cheese not the tops is melted and a little browned (you may wish to broil for a minute).
- Serve warm with butter.
Tips:
- I always buy my butter on sale and cut it into 1/2 cup portions and freeze. Grating frozen butter for pastries is the best way to keep the pastry flaky and light.
- I also buy my baking cheddar on sale and grate it into a zip lock bag and freeze. If you take it out and separate the gratings as it freezes, you will have frozen cheddar flakes that are easily measured for baking and cooking.
Thanks Eva, for providing all the links for gluten free recipes. My husband and I love these! We try to eat less ‘breads’ but we can’t resist whipping these yummies up with soup for a light lunch or just for snack.
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Eva, they look fantastic! You have become a gluten free baking specialist! It’s so kind to have made these especially for your friend.
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Thanks so much Sissi.
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Oh my goodness Eva… you’re killing me with all of your luscious looking puffs, breads and scones… you’re rockin’ the gluten free flours lately and the only thing I would have an irresistible urge to add with the cheddar in these lovely scones is a pinch of cayenne 🙂 — love the shot with the melting butter! Yum.
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Thank you kindly Kelly, this batch turned out very well, even JT mentioned he couldn’t tell they were GF.
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You’re as fine a friend as you are a cook, Eva. That was so thoughtful of you to develop this scones recipe and prepare it for your friend. I’m sure she enjoyed your gifts.
That photo of the scone with the slathered in melting butter is so tantalizing. It’s amazing that they’re GF. I’d say you really knocked this one out of the park. 🙂
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John, you are as always so generous with your kind and flattering words, thank you.
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You’re such a thoughtful friend, and that is a kind thing to do; to make sure she is well fed upon discharge 🙂 I am sure she must be feeling so much better already at the sight of these heavenly, not to mention healthy scones that you have made with so much love and kindness 😉
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Thanks so much for your comment Christry, welcome to my blog.
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You rocked this recipe, Eva! You’d never know they were gluten-free…so nice and flaky! Perfect accompaniment to soup. I’m sure your friend was thrilled with her care package 🙂
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I had such a lovely visit with her that day Liz and then the really special part was when her 16 year old daughter messaged me in Facebook to say how she enjoyed the scones! That really made my day.
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um yes please! I will take a dozen. I cant believe they are GF! That is crazy. I can’t wait to give them a go!
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Thanks so much Jessica, so kind of you to say.
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What a super friend you are to cook whilst she is recovering. I can see how flaky and wonderful the dough is on these scones and can’t wait to slather some butter on those that I try to make at home. Take Care, BAM
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Thanks Bam, I hope to hear how it went for you.
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That’s so nice of you to cook for your friend while she’s recovering from surgery. I love the look of your scones and it’s amazing that they’re gluten-free xx
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Thanks Charlie, I’m just happy that I was able to help them out.
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I love cheese scones, these definitely look authentic 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Thanks CCU.
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Gorgeous scones, Eva! I would happily bake some of these! Like Maureen, I haven’t seen that cornflour either. Zsuzsa, get well soon love!
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Thanks so much Liz, I believe that cornflour is just super fine powdered cornmeal.
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They look amazing Eva and as you say just like the real deal! 😮
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Thanks so much Lorraine.
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I’m surprised that you find the smell of chickpea flour off-putting but then, I don’t like the taste of cilantro leaves. 🙂 Gluten free isn’t a requirement in my diet but I’d like to taste the combination of flours.
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The strange thing is that I really LOVE chick peas, so I also find it very surprising that I don’t care for the smell. I try to avoid processed gluten products only because I think they are more difficult to digest.
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My knee was fixed four days ago – I think – and I am certainly recuperating, and in Kamloops – not in Florida, plus nobody made me anything. I got flowers though… lots of it, but nobody is feeding me. Today I will hobble out to the kitchen and get my love to assist me with making some cookies. I have been posting loads of OLD recipes, but we have to eat too. Eva these scones don’t even look like they were gluten free. I am really impressed.
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If I lived near you I would have certainly brought you some treats so you wouldn’t have to stand on your injured knee. I had two friends recently who underwent surgery and for the other one I made Csirke Paprikas Nokedlival és cseresznye pita! They really enjoyed it.
Thank you for your compliment on the scones, I usually don’t like to make two the same things for one meal, so when I cook or bake gluten free, everyone eats the same thing so I really endeavour to make them are ‘normal’ looking as possible.
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That’s very kind of you Eva. Thank you.
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Your scones look almost flaky, great tips too, thanks for sharing!
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Thanks so much Cheri.
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Moreish looking scones – flaky and high. Lucky friend you have. 🙂
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Thanks so much Padaek.
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I don’t think I’ve seen corn flour other than the corn flour that I would call cornstarch and it’s definitely not yellow. I must do some research because these scones look magical.
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Hi Maureen, corn flour is definitely not corn starch, I think corn flour is just super fine powder of corn meal, but I could be wrong. I just did a very cursory look and it seems that corn flour is indeed just superfine corn meal.
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These GF scones look super, Eva. Thank you so much for sharing your GF mix. Do you think I can use other starch instead of tapioca starch?
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Hi Angie, I have used this flour mix alternating corn starch and white rice flour when I didn’t have the tapioca starch, but I’m not sure how it would work in this recipe. With your experience, I’m sure you could come up with a good alternative by just the texture of the dough.
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