GLUTEN FREE ORANGE & CHOCOLATE CHIP SCONES – Southern Tea Party Recipes - Part I

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     These scones are rich, tender and moist with a natural orange flavor and just enough chocolate chips.  The orange flavor is from both the grated zest from one orange and ½ tsp. of pure orange extract. 

     I used the recipe from my Lavender Scented Scones (minus the lavender) and used heavy cream in place of the milk.  

     I have noticed that measuring flour for bread or quick bread type recipes, like scones, is not the same as for cakes, pies or cookies.  Many bread recipes give measurements for the flour by weight (ounces, grams etc.) not volume (cups, tbs., etc.).  Now I know why…depending on how you measure out the cups you can have a lot more or less flour in the recipe.  This difference in amounts of flour can change the texture, moistness and consistency of breads, scones etc.  Some batches may be too dry, others too wet and heavy.  No I did not take the time to weigh out my flours after measuring them by cup, but I did measure out the tapioca flour differently on purpose. Somehow with tapioca flour the cup measuring is not as consistent as with the chickpea or sorghum flours.  I scooped the tapioca flour into the cup instead of spooning it in from the bag of flour. This gave the scone mixture a stiffer and easier to work with consistency without making the scones dry.  The other flours I measured out as usual, spooning the flour into the cup and then leveling it off.

     When I was a teenager I lived in Denmark for a half a year with a Danish family.  I learned then that in Europe most baking measurements are done by weight. I brought home a kilogram scale and a deciliter cup to use with the Danish recipes I learned (I still have and use the scale and cup). There was one recipe for pancakes with beer that used a measuring cup.  I will never forget how shocked I was when my Danish “Mother” banged the cup of flour down on to the counter to compact the flour for measuring.  In the USA this is just not done.  Here if you want light cakes you spoon flour (sometimes sifted first) into the cup and level it off gently with a flat knife.  All flour is measured that way here.  I have been doing more bread baking lately and I find that it works better in bread recipes to weigh the flour out instead.

GLUTEN FREE ORANGE & CHOCOLATE CHIP SCONES

By glutenfreebakingbear.com

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups	Sorghum Flour
¼ cup	Chickpea or Chickpea/Fava Flour
¼ cup	Tapioca Flour
½ tsp.	Xanthan or Guar Gum
4 tsp.	Baking Powder
5 Tbs.	Sugar
¼ tsp.	Salt (I used pink Himalayan Sea Salt)
1 Tbs.	Grated Orange Zest (I used the zest of one Orange)
½ tsp.	Pure Orange Extract
5 Tbs.	Butter – Cold & Unsalted cut into 5 Tbs. sized pieces.
2/3 cup	Heavy Cream
½ cup	Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
1	Egg – mixed with a fork for brushing the tops of the scones before baking (optional).

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl place the flours, baking powder, salt, xanthan or guar gum, sugar, and orange zest.  Stir together until well mixed.

If you have a food processor you can place all these ingredients into the processor and pulse a few times until well mixed.

Add the cold pieces of butter and, with a pasty blender or two knives, cut the flour mixture into the butter until it looks like wet sand.

With a food processor, add the butter to the flour mixture in the processor bowl and pulse until the flour mixture is cut into the butter and it is the consistency of wet sand. (see photos and directions on my Lavender Scented Scone post for more detailed instructions)

If using a food processor put this mixture into a bowl and then continue with the next steps.

Make a well in the center of the flour/butter mixture and, all at once, pour the cream and chocolate chips into the well. 

Stir the cream and chips into the flour/butter mixture with a fork until just mixed.  Do not over mix or the scones will be heavy and hard.

Turn the dough out onto a counter or cutting board covered with plastic wrap.

Gather the dough together into a circle and press together gently until it holds its shape.  The circle will be about 2 inches high.

Cut the circle into eight pieces by cutting it in half, then cut each half in half, and then cut each quarter in half.

Half a circle of dough cut into quarters.

Place the scones on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and let rise for about 15 minutes before baking.

Scones resting on silpat lined baking pan.

Bake in center of the oven for 12-15 minutes (This batch took 18-20 minutes, I think it was because they were quite thick.  I covered them with aluminum foil so they would not get too brown with the longer baking time).

Baked GF Orange & Chocolate Chip
Scones right out of the oven.

Serve warm or at room temperature.  They are best served the same day.

Freeze leftovers.  Thaw and/or reheat before serving.

These scones do not need butter, clotted cream or jam.  They are rich and sweet enough on their own.

GLUTEN FREE ORANGE & CHOCOLATE CHIP SCONES By glutenfreebakingbear.com Ingredients 1 ¼ cups Sorghum Flour ¼ cup Chickpea or Chickpea/Fava Flour ¼ cup Tapioca Flour ½ tsp. Xanthan or Guar Gum 4 tsp. Baking Powder 5 Tbs. Sugar ¼ tsp. Salt (I used pink Himalayan Sea Salt) 1 Tbs. Grated Orange Zest (I used the zest of one Orange) ½ tsp. Pure Orange Extract 5 Tbs. Butter – Cold & Unsalted cut into 5 Tbs. sized pieces. 2/3 cup Heavy Cream ½ cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips 1 Egg – mixed with a fork for brushing the tops of the scones before baking (optional). Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl place the flours, baking powder, salt, xanthan or guar gum, sugar, and orange zest. Stir together until well mixed. If you have a food processor you can place all these ingredients into the processor and pulse a few times until well mixed. Add the cold pieces of butter and, with a pasty blender or two knives, cut the flour mixture into the butter until it looks like wet sand. With a food processor, add the butter to the flour mixture in the processor bowl and pulse until the flour mixture is cut into the butter and it is the consistency of wet sand. (see photos and directions on my Lavender Scented Scone post for more detailed instructions) If using a food processor put this mixture into a bowl and then continue with the next steps. Make a well in the center of the flour/butter mixture and, all at once, pour the cream and chocolate chips into the well. Stir the cream and chips into the flour/butter mixture with a fork until just mixed. Do not over mix or the scones will be heavy and hard. Turn the dough out onto a counter or cutting board covered with plastic wrap. Gather the dough together into a circle and press together gently until it holds its shape. The circle will be about 2 inches high. Cut the circle into eight pieces by cutting it in half, then cut each half in half, and then cut each quarter in half. Place the scones on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and let rise for about 15 minutes before baking. Bake in center of the oven for 12-15 minutes (This batch took 18-20 minutes, I think it was because they were quite thick. I covered them with aluminum foil so they would not get too brown with the longer baking time). Serve warm or at room temperature. They are best served the same day. Freeze leftovers. Thaw and/or reheat before serving. These scones do not need butter, clotted cream or jam. They are rich and sweet enough on their own.

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