Strawberries and Cream Scones

I've tried making scones before and they didn't turn out so great. I think you definitely have to recipe test more than once in order to find the right balance of ingredients, making modifications with flours, sweeteners and flavors. I've been experimenting with gluten free baking mixes lately and it's pretty tricky to get just the right texture. For this one, I used Bob's Red Mill all purpose gluten free flour and almond flour. The secret is adding xanthan gum. It behaves like gluten and binds and stretches, making the end result a little lighter. The almond flour is light and nutty and perfect for pastry. Plus, it tastes really good with the strawberries. The cream is coconut milk but you could use almond milk. These were originally vegan but I used butter. You could use cold coconut oil or a vegan butter if you wanted. I served these for a ladies brunch I hosted at my place. I also made fresh almond milk that morning which was so delicious as an addition to coffee and tea. You can read my post on making your own almond milk and almond flour here plus links to earlier posts with recipes that showcase it.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup Bob's Red Mill gluten free all purpose flour
3|4 cup homemade almond flour
1|2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1|2 cup coconut sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1|2 teaspoon baking soda
1|2 teaspoon sea salt
splash of vanilla
5 tablespoons cold butter
1|2 cup coconut milk or almond milk
1 cup diced strawberries

DIRECTIONS
Sift the dry ingredients together and cut in the cold butter using a pastry knife or pulse in a food processor. Mix in the vanilla and the milk. Fold in the strawberries. Spread a sheet of plastic wrap out on the counter and dust it with a little flour. Press the dough into a 12 inch circle and cut into 8 wedges.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for 16-18 minutes at 400 degrees. Rotate the pan halfway through the cook time. Cool on a wire rack.

ENJOY!