One of my favourite memories as a child was eating scones loaded with homemade jam and clotted cream with my Grandma and sister! Grandma always made the best scones and I still have her old scone cutter! Grandma’s other speciality was of course her lemon cheesecake.

I was also recently introduced to the traditional ‘Southern Style’ Biscuits by my friend who grew up in North Carolina. Biscuits in this part of the world are actually more like a savoury scone that you might have with a casserole or Sunday roast (perhaps how the English have dumplings?).

This friend of mine was actually diagnosed as a coeliac later in life and therefore can no longer eat her beloved ‘biscuits’ so I set out to come up with a gluten free recipe that she can use for her ‘Southern Style’ Biscuits, but that I can also modify for my sweeter scones with jam & cream (or butter). And below you have 2 different versions that both yield delicious scones, so you can use whichever suits your dietary preference/what’s available in the pantry!

Recipe Type: DF option

Serves ~10 Scones
Time 30 min

Ingredients:

Version 1:

• 2 C Sorghum Flour
• 1/2 C tapioca flour
• 4 t baking powder
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 free range, organic eggs
• 60g grass-fed, organic butter chilled
• 1-2 T nut milk if needed to bring mixture together into a dough.
• For sweet version – 1/4 C rapadura sugar or honey/maple syrup
• Optional for savoury scones – you can also add grated carrot/pumpkin, sun-dried tomatoes, feta, chives and other herbs
• Optional for sweet scones – you can also add some dried fruit like chopped apricots, sultanas, raisins, cranberries and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

Version 2:

• 1 1/2 cups blanched almond meal
• 3/4 cup tapioca flour
• 3 T coconut flour
• 1 T gluten-free baking powder
• pinch salt
• 1 t apple cider vinegar
• 60g grass-fed, organic butter chilled
• 2 free range, organic eggs
• 1-2 T nut milk if needed to bring mixture together into a dough.
• For sweet version – 1/4 C rapadura sugar or honey/maple syrup
• Optional for savoury scones – you can also add grated carrot/pumpkin, sun-dried tomatoes, feta, chives and other herbs
• Optional for sweet scones – you can also add some dried fruit like chopped apricots, sultanas, raisins, cranberries and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

Method (for both versions):

1. Preheat oven to 180 degC
2. Place dry ingredients into a bowl and combine.
3. Add butter and bring together with your fingers so the mixture resembles ‘crumbs’.
4. Add eggs and apple cider vinegar and combine with a spatula. Add nut milk if needed to bring the mixture into a dough-like texture.
5. Roll the dough out onto a floured bench and kneed gently together before spreading the dough out into a shape that’s about 2cm thick.
6. Use Scone cutters to cut out scones and place on baking tray lined with baking paper.
7. Bake for 20 mins or until golden on the outside.