{gluten-free} Cranberry Walnut Scones

I love the holidays, and I love my friends and family.  I love my dog, and my apartment, and my city (NYC or bust, baby).  I love nights out with a good friend (hi Erin!) and long conversation over a bottle of red (why would he ever tell you those things? I’m still pondering).

I love waking up tired, sitting in front of a huge monitor working on sourcing and writing and recipe-ing, and pondering the big questions, such as “have I ever seen the rain coming down on a sunny day?”.

I love uploading photos on my computer and then unearthing one of something sweet.  That I baked a few weeks ago.  And drafted a blog post of.  And never finished.

Dusty Jacqueline, tricks are for kids.

I love making scones.  They’re incredibly quick to whip up for a family/friendy brunch as I learned from my dear friend Ruark’s father, Kevin.  He would make the biggest, fluffiest, sweetest looking scones that I would drool over as I watched them being eaten (he or Ruark or Ruark’s mom Chris would have also made me some incredible omelet or something so trust me I wasn’t playing a sad song on his sister’s violin or anything). 

I had to make them gluten free, and over time I’ve played with so many varieties, posted a few (Lemon Genmaicha Green Tea, Moccachino, Royal Wedding Pear and Coriander, Maple Vanilla) and made plenty just for the joy of serving them.  I’m psyched to add this recipe to the list, because these are my favorites.  As proven by the fact that this recipe is one of five Dusty Baker Show pilots I just shot and I devoured four of them during my last photo shoot:

Notes:

I use frozen berries most of the time when making scones so that they don’t break when being kneaded or rolled.  Cranberries are perfect for freezing, and since you only really get them this time of year I love buying a few extra bags and keeping them in the chiller.

The flax gives the scones a bit of extra fiber and helps pull the gluten free flours together without additional starch or eggs (most gluten free flour mixes use 1/2 starch to 1/2 flour, I use 1/4 starch to 3/4 flour for the most part).

I cut them into 8 scones, because I think they’re an eatable size that way.  If you want them heftier, cut into 6 (that was Kevin’s original recipe).  I roll them into a log and cut into triangles, but you can also just shape them into rounds.

Now, I like my scone drier and slightly sweet, something perfect for jam or soft cheese.  My roommate, along with many others, prefer their scones moist and sweet (the Royal Wedding scones are very moist and sweet out of those above).  So if you want yours more moist and sweeter, use 1/2 a cup of sugar and add a few Tbsp of milk to the batter.  If you like em British and dry and sarcastic and difficult, but perfect in their witty way, like I do, follow the recipe below.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Am I even typing WORDS right now?

Happy Holidays to You and Yours,

– a very Dusty Jacqueline

Cranberry Walnut Scones

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold, cubed
  • 2 cups gluten-free flour (I use 1 cup brown rice, 1/2 cup millet, 1/2 cup arrowroot starch and 1 tsp. xanthan gum)
  • 1/4 cup flax meal
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup white sugar (adjust to taste)
  • 1/2 cup cranberries
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts / walnut pieces
  • 1 egg, plus 1 whole, egg or white for washing
  • 2 Tbsp sour cream or yogurt

Method:

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment or Silpat.

In a large bowl whisk flour, flax, soda, powder and salt.  Add butter and work in with fingertips until pea-like and crumbly.  Don’t use the palm of your hands – keep the butter as cold as possible.

Mix in the sugar, cranberries and walnuts with a fork.

Make a well in the center.  Add egg, yogurt/sour cream and optional milk.  Use a fork to begin to pull the dough together until the pieces start clinging a bit.

Turn onto a floured surface and knead about 6 times, being careful not to break the cranberries.

Roll into a log and cut into 8 triangles.  Wash with egg and sprinkle with sugar if desired.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until they give just a tiny bit to the touch.

15 Comments

  5. Kathy says:

    Those look wonderful! Do you use already pre-mixed gluten free flours or mix your own? I’ve recently shunned glutens (well, for the most part) so I’m always looking for new recipes for baked goods. Thanks for sharing, can’t wait to try out this recipe!

    • The Dusty Baker says:

      I blend my own because I try to vary the mix for the flavor I want when baking and generally don’t like potato and bean flours, which are in most mixes. My go-to blend is 1/2 cup starch (arrowroot or tapioca), 1/2 cup millet or quinoa or some flavorful flour, 1 cup brown rice flour (sometimes white) and 1 tsp xanthan gum.

  9. Pingback: New Video! Basic Gluten-Free Pie Crust (3-methods) | The Dusty Baker

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