Cranberry Orange Scones

Boy am I excited about these scones! After two months of testing batch after batch, I *finally* found the perfect recipe. Not only are they light and flaky, but they also keep their shape. Whoever said you needed gluten to keep a scone from spreading clearly hasn't tried my scones. These scones are absolutely a grain-free win! With pops of tart cranberry complimented by a sweet orange glaze, these scones make the perfect breakfast, lunch, or anytime snack. Bring them into your workplace - trust me they'll be gobbled up in minutes.

Now for some tips so that you won't have to spend nearly as much time as I did trying to get these scones right.

1) Use frozen butter and grate it using a box grater.

This helps to ensure small, consistent bits of butter throughout your dough and prevent the butter from melting while you shape the dough. Similar to pie crust, when frozen butter melts during the baking process, the steam released helps to create flaky air pockets.

2) Refrigerate coconut milk overnight to allow it to separate into milk and cream.

This will ensure your coconut cream is nice and thick. When you go to actually use the coconut cream, you may need to microwave it (in a microwave-safe bowl) for 15-20 seconds to allow it to be whisked smooth.

3) Use an all-purpose gluten-free flour that contains xantham gum, such as Cup4Cup.

This recipe will be variable depending on the type of GF flour you use and the best results I had were with Cup4Cup. If you don't have that around the house, you could try another GF flour that doesn't come pre-mixed with xantham gum. However, you'll need to add a small amount of xantham gum to prevent the scones from flattening. Bob's Red Mill GF flour has some instructions on the label regarding how much xantham gum to add per cup (though I haven't tried it specifically for this recipe). If you try it - shoot me an email grainfreetreats@gmail.com or message me on Instagram @grainfreetreats - I'd love to see how they turn out!

4) Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour prior to baking.

I know it's tempting, but you must have patience! This helps to ensure that the scones bake evenly to prevent extra browning around the edges.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups Cup4Cup all purpose gluten-free flour

• 1/4 cup arrowroot starch

• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• zest from 1 orange

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, frozen

• 1/2 cup coconut cream

• 1 egg

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 heaping cup frozen cranberries

• 1 cup icing sugar

• juice from 1/2 orange

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

2. In a large bowl, mix together GF flour, arrowroot starch, baking powder, salt, and orange zest.

3. Grate frozen butter into the dry mixture.

4. Combine butter and dry mixture using your hands, a fork, or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Place the mixture into the fridge while you work on the wet ingredients.

5. In a separate medium bowl, whisk coconut cream until smooth. Add egg, granulated sugar, and vanilla and whisk until well combined.

6. Pull the dry mixture out of the fridge and pour the wet mixture evenly over top of the dry mixture. Toss the mixture together until everything appears moistened. Gently fold in the cranberries.

7. Form the dough into a ball and place on a GF floured surface. Flatten into an 8' round and cut into 8 triangles. Place the scones onto a plate and chill in the refrigerator for one hour.

8. While your dough is chilling, prepare the orange glaze by whisking together icing sugar and orange juice in a small bowl. Make the glaze thicker or thinner to taste by adding more icing sugar or orange juice respectively.

9. After 1 hour, place the chilled scones onto the baking sheets and bake for 18-22 minutes or until just golden. Drizzle glaze over cooked scones and enjoy.