Cinnamon Cream Scones

This post could be titled, “Six Degrees of Food Blogging Separation”. Why? Because what led up to making this adaption of an original Cooks Illustrated Cream Scones recipe is just that kind of story.

The story starts in the fascinating world of social networking. It’s a place with many venues for sharing your life story, your views, your passions—or just some of your favorite recipes. I’ve chosen blogging and, for a briefer, more immediate exchange, Twitter. Sure, there’s a bunch of other options into which I dip my toe—TasteSpotting, StumbleUpon, and so on. But, for now, Twitter & blogging are mainstays.

Each day I tap into the collective consciousness of a few hundred Tweeps I’m following because they’re similar or interesting to me. I read about their families, their jobs, and their food issues and experiences. I laugh with them, and I dread to think there will be days I’ll cry with them. I’m lucky enough to read about the cooking adventures of these @cooks. I swear some days I can smell the aromas coming from their kitchens as they describe the scents, textures, and flavors of the food they create. Oh, and the pictures…as we say in New Jersey, to die for!

These Cream Scones are one such treat that was baked at one end of the Twitterverse—in the kitchens of @savorysweetlife (her recipe), then @FourChickens and @glutenfreegirl—and made its way to me and who knows who else. We all tweaked (& Tweeted) them just a little to accommodate our food proclivities and each time thumbs up.

So, if Six Degrees of Separation means every person is at most six relationship steps away from any other person on Earth then Six Degrees of Food Blogging Separation means every Food Blogger is only six steps away from each recipe that has ever been posted on the internet. We’ve got a lot of cooking to do!

Today while I pondered that thought over my first steaming cup of Joe I had a sweet, warm little Cinnamon Cream Scone—gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and vegan—to keep me company. It might only have been finer if I’d had some homemade strawberry jam—which I did not. But, I did have sour cherry preserves and those were just fine!

Cinnamon Cream Scones

¾ cup sorghum flour
½ cup brown rice flour
½ cup tapioca flour
½ cup sweet rice flour
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons Earth Balance Buttery Spread, chilled
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Turbinado sugar (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. The rack should be in the center position.

Mix the lemon juice into the coconut milk.

Place the dry ingredients (sorghum flour through salt) into a food processor fitted with a blade. Cover and pulse a few times until all ingredients are mixed evenly. Add the Earth Balance in small chunks and spread evenly across the top of the dry mixture. Cover and pulse about 12 times (in one second pulses). The mixture should resemble a coarse meal. (If you are doing this by hand put the dry ingredients in a big bowl and whisk until combined. Then, using two knives, a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut the Earth Balance into the dry mixture until it resembles a coarse meal.)

Transfer the dough to a large bowl. Using a spatula, stir in about half of the coconut milk and the vanilla. Add more coconut milk a little at time until the dough begins to form. (Don’t worry if you don’t use all the milk.) The dough should be a little soft and sticky but still be able to hold together when formed and cut.

Lightly dust the countertop or pastry mat with sorghum or rice flour and turn the dough out onto it. Form it into a circle about 1 inch high and 8 or 9 inches across. Use a round biscuit cutter to form a circle in the center of the dough. Then cut the remaining dough into 8 wedges. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar, and place wedges & center circle on a cookie sheet lined with parchment.

Bake for 12-15 minutes. The scones should be lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack when cool enough to handle for about 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Raspberry Yogurt Muffins

June seems to be flying by. Sometimes life picks up speed—days and weeks pass in fast motion.

It means, at least in my case, life is busy with work, family, and friends. That can be exciting but does make it difficult to keep the balance. I’m not built for a life of non-stop activities with intermittent sleep. As much as the events of the day are fulfilling and provide great opportunities for enjoyment I want—no, need—to have down time. To have quiet moments, chunks of time ahead of me where I can basically fill the void with whatever I want. (And, sometimes just to muse over life.)  I spent many years on the corporate treadmill and now looking back life was a blur of work, child rearing, socializing and exhaustion. I made a change to a better work-life balance a few years ago. It’s a good thing, as Martha Stewart says.

The past few weeks resemble my previous life and it leaves little time for me to indulge in one of my favorite pastimes—cooking and, now, blogging about cooking. Maybe this summer is just going to be that way. We’ll have to see.

Every now and then, even in a busy life, it’s important to take a break. To have a cup of tea and a scone, or biscotti, or in this case, a muffin. And, these Raspberry Yogurt Muffins are a really good choice. (Gotta run or I’ll be late for work! Ciao.)

Raspberry Yogurt Muffins

1/2 cup coconut yogurt, plain or vanilla
3/4 cup rice milk, or other dairy substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
4 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
2 flax eggs
3/4 cups sorghum
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup sweet rice or coconut flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar, for decoration

Heat oven to 400℉. Lightly grease and flour muffin cups or line with paper or foil liners.

In bowl combine (whisking them together) yogurt, milk, vanilla, sugars, melted coconut oil, and flax egg.

In separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet a little at a time mixing gently by hand until the batter comes together. Gently fold in walnuts and raspberries. Spoon into muffin cups.

Sprinkle muffins with turbinado sugar or your favorite streusel topping.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Makes about 12 to 15 muffins

Variation - substitute orange juice for half the milk and add 1 tablespoon orange zest.

Notes:

*Flax egg = 1 tablespoon ground flax + 2 tablespoons warm water. Mix and let stand for a few minutes. For this recipe double that to make 2 flax eggs.

I recently wanted to make these muffins but had no sweet rice or coconut flour in the pantry so used this flour mix: 1 cup sorghum flour, 1/4 cup tapioca and 1 cup gluten-free oat flour. Instead of coconut oil I used 4 tablespoons canola oil. I added 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and used sheep milk yogurt instead of coconut yogurt. The muffins came out perfect!

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