"Everything-free" Honey Butter Biscuits...or Scones

I have been stuck in a debate over whether to call these biscuits or scones. The sweetness tips the scale toward scones, but I love the rhythm and alliteration of the name Honey Butter Biscuits. Can they be both?

See the rise on those? They turned out beautifully!

They are free of gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, almonds, sorghum, and nightshades. If you use a special baking powder (and a substitute for the xanthan gum, they can be corn-free too. (see note below)>>

This is a recipe that I just came up with a couple of days ago. I made them for the first time yesterday morning (my birthday) and they made a delicious part of my breakfast.

The idea was birthed from thinking about biscuits topped with butter and honey. I suddenly wondered how it would work to put the honey and butter into the biscuits themselves. I am loving the results! These are tender, with a nice crunch to the bottoms. They have a pleasant, light sweetness from the honey, and a buttery feel from the coconut oil. They paired beautifully with my mug of lemon balm tea cooled with coconut milk.

"Everything-free" Honey Butter Biscuits
free of gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, almonds, nightshades, rice (and corn)

makes about 12, using a 2" cutter
preheat oven to 375 or 400 Fahrenheit ****
Line your baking sheet or pan with parchment paper (or lightly oil)

"Buttermilk"
1/2 cup non-dairy milk  
      (I use Silk or SoDelicious unsweetened original coconut milk beverage)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Set aside until needed.

Dry ingredients
2 cups gluten-free flour (I use 1 cup each of millet flour and arrowroot starch)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum*
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together thoroughly.
Cut in:
1/2 cup Spectrum palm-kernel oil shortening/all-vegetable shortening
   (Other butter alternatives, such as Earth Balance buttery sticks, should work well) 

Wet ingredients
1/4 cup liquid honey***
2 teaspoons melted buttery-flavored coconut oil
Stir together, then add, along with the soured milk.**
Make a "well," or small hollow, in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well, then mix together, using a fork.

 Isn't that a beautiful dough?

Scoop dough onto a surface dusted with more gluten free flour (a tablespoon or two each of millet flour and arrowroot starch, mixed together). Gently fold dough over onto itself several times, then pat out or roll to about 1 1/4" thick. Use a sharp cutter, dipping in flour between cuts.

Place rounds on prepared sheet, leaving  an inch or two between them.
Bake for around 18 minutes, until they're cooked in the middle and the bottoms are lightly golden brown.
Transfer to cooling rack so bottoms don't continue to cook on the hot pan.

>>Leftover gluten-free baked goods are better when warmed. I've found that 9 or 10 seconds in the microwave works well for a single item (biscuit, scone, muffin). This restores its soft, light texture. 

****Biscuits and scones usually cook at 400 or higher. Because our oven is quirky (a very small, gas-powered RV oven) I've had to lower the baking temperature. If you're using a normal oven, and it doesn't run hot, you could safely bake at 400. An inexpensive oven thermometer is a good way to find out how accurate the settings are on your oven. If things always seem to over-brown before they're cooked through, then you probably need to reduce your cooking temperature by 25-50 degrees for most recipes.

***Liquid honey- as in a normally runny consistency. If your honey has crystalized and turned solid, you can warm it to make it flow again. A common method is to set the closed container of honey in a larger container and add hot water. Just be sure that the water level stays below the edge of the honey container. Runny honey is good. Watery honey would be sad.

**If the milk is still cool from being refrigerated, it will instantly turn the melted coconut oil to hard little clumps. Mixing the coconut oil with the honey first helps to prevent this.

*Xanthan gum serves a very important function in gluten-free baking. It sort of acts like gluten, thickening the dough and giving it structure. >>>Xanthan gum can be derived from corn. People often substitute guar gum for the xanthan gum if this is a concern.<<<
   

   

"Everything-free" Apricot, Honey & Almond Scones

The process of developing this recipe has made me very happy. They are just so good!

They've quickly become one of my new favorites- tender and lightly sweet, buttery and flavorful, and also free of gluten, dairy and eggs. 

I've made them both as drop scones and cut. I've made them with chopped, dried apricots and with Apricot Jammy Bits from King Arthur Flour. Every way seemed just right to me, so I've included directions for all those variations.

"Everything-free" Apricot, Honey and Almond Scones
Makes 8-12
total time- about one hour (Bake 15-20 minutes)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or oil it lightly

"Buttermilk"
1/2 cup alternative milk (2/3 cup for drop scones)
I use SoDelicious or Silk brand coconut milk beverage.
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Combine and let sit to curdle until needed.

Dry ingredients:
2 cups gluten-free flour
      (I use 1 cup millet flour + 1 cup arrowroot or tapioca starch)
2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine in a large mixing bowl and whisk together thoroughly.

Fat:
1/2 cup butter-alternative
(I use Spectrum palm kernel oil shortening. Most butter alternatives should work.)
Using a pastry blender, cut fat into dry ingredients .

 Wet ingredients:
Combine in a smaller bowl~
3 Tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons melted coconut oil (I use "buttery flavored" coconut oil)
1 teaspoon almond extract (If you can't tolerate almond, use vanilla.)


Whisk together well, then add soured milk. If the cold milk touches the melted coconut oil before it's mixed with other things, the coconut oil will turn to hard little chunks.
Add wet ingredients to dry and stir with a fork. When about halfway combined, add apricots.

Additions:
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped small
*toss chopped apricots with a teaspoon or two of flour or starch, to keep from clumping together*
-OR-
2 Tablespoons King Arthur Flour brand Apricot Jammy Bits

Stir until thoroughly combined. 
(Xanthan gum needs vigorous stirring, in order to activate properly.)

Shaping:
-Drop Scones- (Makes about 12 drop scones)
Scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet, in blobs of about three tablespoons. I use a dough scoop for this. They don't need to be nicely shaped. Drop scones are meant to be rough and irregular. Space them an inch or two apart, to allow for spreading as they bake.

-Cut Scones-(Using a 1 1/2" cutter, I get around 8 or 9 scones)
Lightly flour a clean board or surface. Turn dough out onto prepared surface. Gather into a ball, then gently fold dough in half. Flatten it slightly, then fold again. Repeate several times. Gently roll or pat dough to about one-inch thickness. Use a sharp cutter, dipped in flour to help prevent sticking.

You can also shape dough into a rectangle and cut into squares with a sharp knife, into a circle and cut into triangles, or into a rectangle and then into small triangles. The baking time will be longer for larger scones, less for smaller.

Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Mine usually take 18 minutes.

Drop scones ready to bake ~

Cut scones in the making~ and finished, jeweled with apricot goodness.

Here's a link for the King Arthur apricot jammy bits. They also come in raspberry, strawberry, peach, cherry, apple cinnamon, orange and blueberry.
 https://shop.kingarthurflour.com/items/apricot-jammy-bits-8-oz
       
   

"Everything-free" Cinnamon Walnut Scones

These are SO good! With a mug of honey-sweetened tea, they're just right for this chilly February day. ***Revised and updated May 14, 2020***

For years, when I would go home to visit, I went with my sister to the Farmer's Market in our hometown. There was one table I always made sure to go to, where they sold goods from a local baker. He made the most delicious cinnamon and walnut scones; simple, but so very good.

The scones I made this week remind me of those old favorites. I loved them so much that I took a picture and posted it on Instagram. I just had to share the joy! :)

The cinnamon bits I use are from the King Arthur Flour company. Cinnamon chips that I've seen in grocery stores don't have the same flavor. They tend to taste like those hot cinnamon candies- not at all what I want in a scone! The ones from King Arthur, called Cinnamon Sweet Bits, taste like real cinnamon; like the filling of good cinnamon rolls. They used to carry a version that was in the classic "chip" shape, but those had a little dairy in them. The ones they carry now are irregular bits and small chunks- and they are dairy-free! It's best to order them in the cooler months of the year. Baking chips can melt if shipped during hot weather.

Here's a link to the ones I use:
https://shop.kingarthurflour.com/items/cinnamon-sweet-bits

If you don't have cinnamon bits to add to these scones, they will still be very good. 

Cinnamon Walnut Scones
makes 8-10
Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Bake time: 15-20 minutes

Line baking sheet with parchment paper (prevents sticking)
I use an AirBake baking sheet, which helps with even browning and helps to prevent burning.

Combine:
1/2 alternative milk
   (I use Silk or SoDelicious unsweetened original coconut milk)
2Tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
   (I use coconut vinegar. Apple cider vinegar would work just as well)

"Souring" the milk (essentially turning it into buttermilk) helps to lighten the scones, giving a better rise. You can certainly skip this step, but I do like the improved texture that it gives.

In mixing bowl, combine:
2 cups gluten-free flour mix 
     (I use: 1 cup fine millet flour, 1 cup arrowroot or tapioca starch)
1 Tablespoon baking powder  
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (if not using Cinnamon Bits, increase cinnamon to 1 1/2 tsp.)

Cut into dry ingredients:
1/2 cup butter alternative
     (I use Spectrum palm kernel oil shortening. Earth Balance soy-free buttery sticks or Melt sticks would also work. For those who can have dairy, real butter should also work. If using real butter, skip the coconut oil. Real butterfat will give the texture that I approximate with coconut oil.)

Add and stir with a fork:
3 Tablespoons agave nectar or honey

2 teaspoons melted coconut oil 
   (I use butter flavored coconut oil, but unflavored coconut oil would work as well. The coconut oil is not essential but gives a nice, buttery "feel.")
1 teaspoon vanilla (gluten-free, if you're especially sensitive to gluten)
( the soured milk)


When wet ingredients are halfway mixed into wet, add:
2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts
      (If not using Cinnamon Bits, increase chopped walnuts to 1/4 cup)
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon Sweet Bits

Stir until well combined. Gluten-free dough is not as sensitive to over-mixing as wheat-based doughs. On a surface lightly floured with gluten-free flour (I use the same mix- millet + arrowroot) gently gather dough together, folding it over onto itself a few times. Make sure there is enough flour mix underneath to keep it from sticking to the surface.

Pat dough into a rough circle, about 1" thick. Using a sharp round cutter (I use a 2 1/4" biscuit cutter) cut out scones, dipping the cutter into a bit of the flour mix between cuts. This helps to keep the dough from sticking to the cutter. Place scones on parchment lined baking sheet. Regather dough and pat out again as needed.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15- 20 minutes, until scones are cooked through and bottoms are lightly golden. (If you make smaller scones, 15 minutes should be plenty of baking time)

Transfer to cooling rack.  
(If left on the hot pan, the bottoms will continue to brown and become tough.)

Store airtight and eat within a few days. For best texture, reheat a scone for 9 or 10 seconds in the microwave. Re-warming gluten-free baked goods restores their soft, pleasing texture.

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Link to the cutters I use. They're sturdy, stainless steel and affordable.
For scones, I use the second-largest of the set:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001X9H3W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For measuring things like shortening, honey, agave nectar, or nut butter, I use a Pampered Chef brand measuring tool. Once you've measured the ingredient, you simply push it out into the bowl. It's so much easier than trying to scoop or scrape sticky, greasy things from measuring cups or spoons! Here's a link to the one I use:

https://www.amazon.com/Pampered-Chef-Mini-Measure-All/dp/B001F0LYDQ/ref=sr_1_3?crid=BR2RRCARN3Y5&keywords=pampered+chef+measuring+cups&qid=1582915931&s=home-garden&sprefix=pampered+chef+meas%2Cgarden%2C165&sr=1-3

The one in the link above measures in increments of tablespoons, ounces or fractions-of-cups up to one cup. This makes measuring out three tablespoons of agave nectar or honey simple and easy. They also have a larger version that measures up to 2 cups, and a small one that will measure teaspoons.

Baking time may vary, depending on your oven. We live in an RV (travel trailer) so my baking is done in a very small gas oven. Check scones two or three minutes early, in case your oven cooks faster than mine does.


***I just learned how to properly insert links into my blog posts, so they will actually work! :)