A tale of 2 Scones :: Gluten-Free Baking Success (& Failure)

We LOVE the holidays.And I LOVE to bake. So Christmas is pretty much the convergence of heaven + paradise for me. And I love sitting around with friends enjoying stories, inspiration, troubles, and dreams for the future.AND I like bringing the good energy of positive people into my space - they bless my kitchen, which is right next to my office, they share their wealth of wisdom with my son, and they create my "chosen family" that grows every year I live in NYC.Last weekend we invited over 9 friends to share a holiday brunch by the tree.But our diverse group of friends has a variety of dietary restrictions:- vegan- vegetarian & pregnant- gluten-free- soy averse- hard core omnivores- 3 kids under 6......which made for a cooking challenge!What's your friendly neighborhood healthy chef to do bake? I like to something that EVERYONE can enjoy - but sometimes that ain't easy.So I chose 2 recipes - both gluten-free, both from trusted cookbooks. Luckily, one recipe turned out fine.Better than fine, actually.The other recipe was a total failure. Actually, this is the 3rd recipe that hasn't worked from this particular cookbook, so I won't be going back to it. (Part of me wants to warn you which cookbook this is, but I also don't want to spread bad news...should I/ Is this part of my duty? What do you think?)I had to through out the whole batch. Bummer.Well, I'll give you the entire brunch menu later, but for now, I'll share the biggest success of the day -Spiced Raisin SconesThe secret to these moist, gluten-free crowd pleasers is the combination of gluten-free flour with almond meal and coconut flour.The natural fat and moisture from the almond and coconut make these scones light yet moist and flakey.Kinda' like magic.You'll need:1 1/4 cup unsweetened Almond Coconut milk2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar2 cups Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour1/2 cup almond meal1/2 cup coconut flour2 tablespoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt2 teaspoons cinnamon1/2 teaspoon allspice1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg1/8 teaspoon ground cloves1/2 cup Earth Balance, or non-hydrogenated margarine, or frozen coconut oil, shredded on a cheese grater1/3 cup maple syrup2 tablespoons coconut oil1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract2 tablespoons sucanat, or natural cane sugar1 cup raisins What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Measure the milk and add the vinegar, then set it aside to curdle, just like buttermilk. Without the moo.
3. Combine the flour, almond meal, coconut flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cloves in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.
4. Chop up the Earth Balance and drop it in. Use your finger tips to lightly crumble and mix the Earth Balance int the flours until it looks like coarse sand.
5. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add the milk, oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Mix with a wooden spoon until about half the flour is incorporated. Add the sugar and raisins and mix again until just mixed. Don't over mix! It takes the lift and flakiness out.
6. I use a medium sized ice cream scooper to scoop out perfectly rounded scone shapes onto the baking sheet.  You can also use a 1/4 cup measuring cup.
7. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Yields: 14-16 sconesYum-i-licious.xo,Alex