Sublime Scones

Scones are one of those things that are hard enough to get right when they're not gluten-free, and they're even harder to re-produce when you take gluten out of the mix (literally). This recipe is one that I've adapted from a Phil Vickery recipe. Phil uses his own flour mixes, but I find the Doves Farm flour mixes are brilliant and work great for this recipe.

Ingredients

• 300g Self raising gluten-free flour (we need to give these bad boys a fair chance at rising!)
• 4 Tsp's baking powder (check that it's gluten-free)
• 25g Caster sugar
• 2 Tsp's xanthan gum (I use Doves Farm)
• 100g Butter at room temperature plus extra for greasing
• 2 Eggs plus another egg beaten to glaze your scone tops (optional)
• 120ml Milk
• Pinch of salt

Makes 12-14

Extras

• Baking tray
• Something to cut your scones out with, a tumbler will do if you don't have a proper cutter.
• Brush to glaze your scones with
• Rolling pin

Method

• Pop your oven on high to gas 7. Get on with greasing your baking tray, you can either use butter or a little bit on sunflower oil.
• Get yourself a nice big bowl and sift your flour in. Add the baking powder, sugar and xanthan gum and give it all a good stir with a wooden spoon. 
• Cube the butter into the flour mix and rub in lightly with your fingers and then make a well in the centre of the mixture.
• In a jug or small bowl whisk the eggs and milk together and then pour into the well you've made and mix everything together to make a nice soft slightly sticky dough. 
• Sprinkle some plain flour onto a clean surface and plop the dough onto it. Using your rolling pin lightly roll out the dough until its about 2cm's thick.
• Using your cutter, cut out your rounds and evenly space them on the greased baking trays.
• Brush your beaten egg over the tops of your scones and pop in the oven for around 10-15minutes. They should go a nice golden colour on top and be very firm to the touch.
• Take your scones out of the oven and let them cool down for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
• Dig out your jam and clotted cream and get spreading. on a diet? Use a little low fat cream cheese instead of clotted cream, with a dot of jam you won't even notice the difference.