By Laura Mack
March 21, 2016
These are simply dreamy low carb, grain-free scones — and my standards are high. As a former pastry chef and bakery owner, I’m used to the real deal made with wheat flour and sugar. When I committed to a low carb, grain-free way of eating two years ago, I thought my days of dreamy scones were over. I’m pleased to say that I’ve found a great replacement for the high-carb version. They’re over-the-top delicious served with a dollop of my creamy lemon curd or low carb jam.
These scones are adapted from a lovely recipe from blogger Carrie Brown. The use of xanthan gum contributes to a great texture that, while delicate, doesn’t fall apart. I actually prefer these over traditional scones, which can sometimes seem a bit dry.
You’ll notice that most of the ingredient quantities are shown first by weight. When baking, I always weigh my ingredients using a digital scale because it is more accurate and consistent. I’ve included cup measurements for those who prefer that, but you will get the best results measuring by weight. The exception is when measuring very small amounts such as tablespoons or teaspoons. Once you get used to weighing ingredients, you’ll never go back. It’s faster and you end up with fewer utensils to wash, not to mention the very best results!
I prefer to roll my dough thicker, about 1 1/4″, and use a smaller (~2″) biscuit cutter, so that I get a nice tall scone. That way, they can be easily split (with a serrated knife) for toasting. Because they are delicate, you’ll need to use a toaster oven, not the pop-up kind. I’ll happily eat these lovelies plain, straight out of the toaster, but a bit of low carb lemon curd or jam definitely elevates them. They are so buttery already, they don’t need additional butter (in my opinion; feel free to add it if you’d prefer!). When toasting, do keep an eye on them. Almond flour can burn more quickly than wheat flour, and there’s nothing more heartbreaking than a burnt scone.
I could go on and on about how much I love these scones, but you’ll just have to bake some to experience the wonder. Don’t be intimidated — they are actually easier than wheat flour scones. As a bonus, your home will smell amazing! Remember to include a pot of tea or a cup of coffee for the perfect pairing.
Almond Flour Scones
Author: Laura Mack
Recipe type: Baked Goods
Prep time: 45 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Total time: 1 hour 10 mins
Serves: 14
A dreamy low carb, grain-free scone, perfect for toasting or slathering with low carb creamy lemon curd.
Ingredients
15 ounces / 4½ cups almond flour, or more as needed
2½ ounces / ⅓ cup xylitol (or equivalent sweetener)
1 tablespoon xanthan gum (can omit, but texture will be more crumbly)
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt (increase to ¾ tsp if using unsalted butter)
6 ounces / ¾ cup butter, salted, cold, cut into ½" chunks
1 large egg
1½ ounces / 3 tablespoons almond or coconut milk (not canned)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
---
Topping
1 ounce / 2 tablespoons heavy cream, for glaze (or 1 beaten egg)
1 tablespoon xylitol (or equivalent sweetener), for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F. Line a 18"x13"x1" baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Add dry ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to blend.
- Whisk together egg and other wet ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup. Set aside.
- Add butter chunks to the processor bowl and pulse until butter is the size of small peas (about 8 1-second pulses). Slowly pour the wet ingredients through the feed tube while pulsing until a soft dough is formed.
- Transfer dough to a wooden board and knead just until the dough comes together. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle with a small amount of almond flour and knead briefly, repeating if necessary, until the dough is soft but not sticky. Place the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and pat into a disc about 6" diameter. Wrap with plastic and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill.
- Sprinkle about a tablespoon of almond flour on the board (or a piece of parchment paper) and place the chilled disc of dough on top. Roll out to an even thickness of about 1¼". Using a biscuit cutter about 2" in diameter, cut out a scone. Very gently push the dough out of the cutter and place the scone on the prepared baking sheet. Continue to cut out and place scones on the baking sheet, leaving space between them to spread during baking. Gather scraps of dough, roll, cut out, and repeat until all of the dough is used. You should have about 14 scones.
- Brush tops with heavy cream (or beaten egg) and sprinkle with xylitol (or equivalent sweetener). Place sheet pan on the middle rack and bake until tops are golden brown, 20-25 minutes, turning the baking sheet halfway through cooking time.
- Remove pan from oven and let cool 20 minutes before transferring scone to wire rack to cool completely.
- Scones can be stored in a tightly covered container for up to one week in the refrigerator. To freeze, wrap each chilled scone in plastic wrap and transfer to a freezer-proof container or zip-top bag. It's best to use them within 2 months of freezing.
- To toast, split with a serrated knife (even frozen) and place in a toaster oven. Keep an eye, as almond flour can over-brown quickly.
Notes
Nutritional info* per serving: 289 cal, 26 g total fat (80%), 7 g total carbs, 3 g fiber, 4 g net carbs, and 8 g protein. Please note that I do not count the sugar alcohols from xylitol in the total or net carbs.
*I use Living Cookbook 2015, along with package information and data from www.nutritiondata.self.com, to calculate the nutritional information for my recipes. Thus, I can make no guarantees as to the accuracy.
No comments:
Post a Comment