Oat and Fruit Scones

Another Gluten-free cooking for kids recipe

For most of us a gluten free scone is often a bitterly dissappointing affair.  Dry, dense and hard, they often leave a bitter baking powder residue in your mouth.   So on the eve of the last day of the Easter school holidays, I bring you a scone that is light, buttery and a breeze to make.  In fact, the perfect on the go breakfast for tomorrow's school run.

Yield

16 scones

Preparation time

10 minutes plus 12 minutes baking time

Ingredients

150g gluten free flour
50g gluten free Oats
50g ground almonds
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs caster sugar
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
100g sultanas (optional)
125ml creme fraiche*
50ml yoghurt*
100ml double cream*
125ml milk
1 large tbs golden caster sugar
1 larbe tbs gluten free oats

Directions

Preheat oven to 200 C.  In a medium sized bowl combine the flour, oats, ground almonds, baking powder, salt, sugar, xanthan gum and grated nutmeg.  Add the sultanas mix through and set aside.  In another bowl combine the creme fraiche, yoghurt and milk.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and bring the mixture together to make a wet sticky dough.  Put some flour on a wooden board or surface and turn the dough out.  Add a little flour to the dough and gently form it into a square adding just enough flour to stop it sticking to your hands.  You don't have to knead the dough, just gently shape it into a square which is about 2.5cm deep.  Using a sharp knife coated in a little flour, cut the dough into strips (aprox 4.5 cm wide) and then into squares. You should have about 16 squares each square measuring about 4.5 cm x 4.5 cm.  Place the scones on a lined baking tray and brush the tops with a little milk.  In a small bowl combine the sugar and oats and then sprinkle this liberally over the scones.  Bake in a hot oven for 12- 15 minutes until golden.   

Notes

If you prefer not to use oats in the recipe you can substitute buckwheat flour or teff flour if you prefer.  For the topping you can use flaked almonds and caster sugar.

You can use any combination of dried fruit.  Dried apricots, cherries or cranberries would work well.

You can also substitue buttermilk for some of the liquid in the recipe.  In fact any combination of creme fraiche, yoghurt, milk, cream or buttermilk will work, provided you use enough flour to bring the dough together.  The dough will be a bit wet but should not be as wet as a cake batter.