Proper (Gluten-Free) Scones

I like to think of myself as "The One Who Can Make All of Your Pastry Dreams Come True". It is a big title, I realize, but when a friend tells me they haven't had ______ since leaving home ages ago, it is entirely too sad for me to handle. I must fix this problem and fill the need for a food they once found so lovely and comforting.

This is what happened with my friend Heather. She is from England but has been in The States for many years now. She recently told me that she's not had a "proper scone" in her entire time here. American scones, I am told, are filled with too many things, are entirely too large, and "why are they all shaped like triangles??"

And so I was determined to find the simplest scone recipe I could find. Thankfully, I remembered seeing a "simple scones" recipe in Alice Medrich's new cookbook. They were small and round and looked "proper" enough to me. I just made a few adjustments before baking and delivering them along with some créme fraîche and raspberry jam. They were Brit approved, and another pastry dream was made reality.

Gingerbread Granola (+Persimmon Parfait)

You'd think a person would get bored of routine, of the same thing day in and day out, like eating granola with greek yogurt and some fruit every day around 8 AM. Not this girl. Routine is one of the only things that let me maintain my sanity when I'm thinking of a day that involves juggling schedules and prepping for this huge order and weaving in and out of people in the grocery store as I frantically answer emails on my phone.

Yes, I like order.

And so I eat fruit and yogurt and granola nearly everyday. I do, however, change up the flavor every so often (because, you know, YOLO). This chilly season has me craving warm spices like crazy and gingerbread granola is absolutely perfect.

I usually eat some sort of berry with my granola but berries at this time of year are rubbish and it's a bit difficult to pair them with the heavy spices that flavor this gingerbread granola. Persimmons are just the cutest little fruits you ever did see and they have a pretty neutral, mostly just sweet flavor that compliments the granola perfectly. Warming them up with some maple sugar and vanilla puts them over the top.

Yes, changing up the fruit and granola game is just about the only change in routine I'd like for now, thank you so very much.

Side note: this granola is also really good with cherries or pomegranates

Lemon-Almond Mini Bundt Cakes (Gluten-Free)

I have a small (ahem, moderate to great) obsession with collecting every size and shape pan that exists . . . even if I just need it for one specific project. I can't even remember why I decided to buy a mini bundt pan . . . except that I am quite fond of the simple and vintage style of them. One thing I do remember, however, is that I've never posted a recipe for mini bundt cakes.

So, in an attempt to use all of my baking pans enough to justify having them, I created this recipe with one of my favorite combinations--lemon and almond--that is especially good during this dark and cold time of year. 

Lemon-Almond Mini Bundt Cakes 
makes 6

1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (containing xanthan gum)
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
zest from 1/2 medium lemon
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk or almond milk

juice from 1/2 medium lemon
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sifted powder sugar
a pinch salt

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and (GF) flour a 6-mold mini bundt pan.

In a small bowl, stir together flour, almond meal, salt, and baking soda.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar together on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, until fluffy. Add almond extract and zest. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing together on low speed until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Add flour mixture and milk, alternately, in 3 batches, fully combining between each addition.

Divide batter between each of the prepared molds (about 1 cup batter in each). Bake about 20 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until cake springs back when poked. Remove the cakes from the oven and wait 10 minutes before removing them from the pans.

 While the cakes are cooling, whisk together lemon juice, melted butter, powdered sugar and salt. When cakes are cool, drizzle the glaze over the cakes. Sprinkle with toasted almonds.

Blueberry Quinoa Muffins

Things I love about very early mornings:

1. Coffee

2. Breakfast

3. Quiet

Things I hate about very early mornings:

1. Almost everything else.

Considering my list of things to love hours before the sun comes up is very short, I like to make sure I have the best of the best of all of these things. To be the best, breakfast should be both healthy and delicious. These quinoa muffins are both.

Packed with lots of protein from the quinoa and almond meal and antioxidants from the blueberries, these muffins are a fantastic way to start your day. And if you were wondering about the coffee, it's almost always the charmingly tasty Charming Beard Coffee. 

Blueberry Quinoa Muffins

makes 6 large or 12 standard muffins

1 cup quinoa flour

1/2 cup arrowroot powder

1 cup almond flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup applesauce

1 cup frozen blueberries

For the topping:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats

1 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

1/4 teaspoons grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F for large muffin tins or 350 degrees F for standard muffin tins. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

Stir together dry ingredients. Make a well in the center. Place eggs, vanilla, honey, oil, and applesauce into the well and stir together. Fold into the dry ingredients just until combined. Gently stir in blueberries. Divide batter between muffin tins. Make the topping:

Rinse quinoa in cold water. Stir together all ingredients and divide topping between muffins. Bake 30-35 minutes for large muffins or 20-25 minutes for standard ones.

The Brass Ring: Gluten-Free Biscuits

Some days, I want nothing more than to make something comfortable, something I've made 1,000 times before that turns out perfectly. And then there are some days when I feel like kicking some gluten-free baked good ass. These biscuits are a result of one of those days.

I woke up one morning recently thinking about biscuits. And then I realized that biscuits may not be a possibility, which made me angry. I tend to stay away from anything that is so intensely flour-based and have few other ingredients to rely on (puff pastry, croissants, etc.). But this day I was feeling determined. 

I did a lot of research on biscuits, both gluten-free and not, and found that every gluten-free recipe contained eggs as a binder. I wanted to stay away from eggs because of a friend with the allergy. So, I decided to pull out my favorite Martha Stewart Cookbook, and high-quality gluten-free flour (I used Cup4Cup) and got mixing, hoping for the best. Instead of using buttermilk, I used a thicker kefir, which gave both great flavor and enough moisture to keep them together.

When I pulled them out of the oven and saw the perfectly fluffy layers, I knew that I had obtained the brass ring, achieved a master feat: I had made lovely and delicious gluten-free biscuits. And I was thrilled.

Gluten-Free Biscuits

adapted from Martha's American Food

makes about 12

2 1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour (Cup4Cup works best here!)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold salted butter + 2 tablespoons melted butter to use after baking

1 cup kefir (You can also use buttermilk or greek yogurt whisked with a small amount of water)

rice flour, for rolling out dough

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet or lay a piece of parchment on it.

Stir together the dry ingredients. Cut butter into small cubes and cut into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter (seriously, use a pastry cutter. You don't want the butter to get too warm). Work in until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in kefir or buttermilk by hand.

Dust clean surface with rice flour (you can also use GF AP flour but rice flour is cheaper). Roll out dough into a disk that is about 3/4 in thick. Cut out dough with a 2-in round cookie/biscuit cutter and place rounds on prepared baking sheet.

Bake biscuits about 12 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter. Serve warm (preferably with a bit of jam or honey).

Carrot Ginger Muffins

As I write this I am realizing how very often I make/post about muffins and other breakfast pastries. But, it's nice for me to have a food to look forward to eating as my stomach grumbles at work and everything in sight is filled with butter, flour, and ridiculous amounts of processed sugar. It's comforting to know that I have something healthy to eat for the most important meal of the day.

These ginger carrot muffins are not only gluten-free, but also devoid of any butter, and are sweetened naturally by carrots and agave nectar. As a bonus, they are also packed with a lot of flavors and textures, and are super moist!

Carrot Ginger Muffins (gluten-free)
Makes 6 large or 12 regular-sized muffins


2/3 cup canola oil
6 oz shredded carrots
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease 6 large muffin tins, or set up paper liners (like I used) on a baking sheet.*

In a medium bowl, stir together canola oil, carrots, eggs, agave, and vanilla. Set aside

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Stir into the medium bowl. Stir in walnuts (reserving a few if you wish to sprinkle them on top).

Divide batter evenly between the 6 baking cups. Sprinkle remaining walnuts on top of the muffins, if desired. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Turn off oven, prop open door, and leave muffins in there for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.


*Note: if you do not have a large muffin tin, you can bake 12 smaller muffins at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Still allow them to sit in the oven for 5 minutes after you've turned it off.