Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

 My new roommate, Ashlee, recently discovered she is allergic to gluten.  Yes, gluten.  I thought about this for awhile because I have never deliberately cooked a gluten free dish nor have I ever thought about living on a gluten free diet.  A gluten free diet is not easy to follow, especially since there are so many foods and drinks that contain gluten.

I wanted to try to make a dish without using gluten and decided to alter a scone recipe that I have been wanting to make:  Lemon and Poppy Seed Scones. 

I used Xanthan Gum in combination with Gluten Free All Purpose Flour.  Xanthan gum is used to give the dough a similar stickiness that regular wheat dough would have.  

The gluten free flour altered the taste a bit; however not for better or worse.  Just different.  These scones were moist in the middle and crunchy on the outside.  Exactly how I like my scones.  Perfect for a quick dip in a cup of coffee.  Plus, the lemon was refreshing and perfect for a sunny sunday.

I hope you had a great weekend :)

Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Scones

8 servings

Altered from Epicurious Recipe:  Lemon-Poppy Seed Scones

Ingredients:

3 Cups Gluten Free Flour

2 1/4 tsp Xanthan Gum

1 Cup Sugar + 1 Tbsp Sugar

3 Tbsp Poppy Seeds

10 Tbsp Butter - Chilled and cut into small pieces

4 tsp Lemon Zest

1 Tbsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

3 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Egg

1/3 (or more) Buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375˚F.

Combine flour, xanthan gum, sugar, lemon zest, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt in a food processor.  Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Whisk egg and lemon juice together and add to processor.  Pulse until well incorporated.  Add buttermilk and pulse until the dough comes together, adding more milk if needed.  Place dough on a floured working surface and flatten into about an 8" circle.  Cut into 8 wedges.  Place on baking sheet and brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with remaining sugar.    Bake for about 22 - 25 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.