Preparation time: 10 minutes

Baking time: 20 to 30 minutes

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• Scones

Scones are popular in coffeehouses, but it’s hard to find gluten-free versions. So, make your own! They are really quite simple. Once the dough is mixed, work quickly to shape it and get it into the oven so the leavenings can get to work. You can serve scones with anything you like, but—if you ask the English—the traditional options are strawberry jam and clotted cream.

Makes 4 scones

• ⅔ cup Carol’s Gluten-Free Flour Blend
• ¼ cup tapioca flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for sprinkling
• ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, buttery spread, or coconut oil, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 large egg, at room temperature, beaten to a foam
• 1 tablespoon milk of choice
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup currants

1. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch rimmed baking sheet (not nonstick) or line with parchment paper.

2. In a food processor, blend the flour blend, tapioca, sugar, cream of tartar, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, and butter until crumbly. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the beaten egg for brushing on the scone tops. Add the remaining egg, the milk, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and pulse just until blended. Add the currants and pulse twice to incorporate. (Or, in a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients and butter with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture is crumbly. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla until blended, then stir in the currants.) The dough will seem too soft to hold its shape, but that’s okay.

3. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet and pat with a wet spatula into a smooth 5-inch circle that is ¾ inch thick. Make sure the dough is the same thickness across the entire circle, rather than tapering at the outer edges; thinner edges brown too quickly and can burn. Whisk the reserved 1 tablespoon egg with ½ teaspoon water and use a pastry brush to brush the mixture over the top and sides of the circle. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar.

4. Bake until the top is browned and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, but leave the oven on. With a serrated knife, cut the dough into 4 quarters and pull the wedges about ½ inch away from the center so the innermost edges are exposed to the heat and can crisp up a little. Return the sheet to the oven and bake another 5 to 7 minutes, or until the edges look dry and firm. Cool the scones on the pan for 10 minutes, then serve slightly warm.

SCONES WITH FROSTING DRIZZLE Scones are delicious on their own, but a drizzle of frosting takes them to the next level. Make a batch of Vanilla–Powdered Sugar Frosting (see recipe). Thin the frosting with a little water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the frosting easily falls off a spoon. With a tablespoon of frosting at a time, use back-and-forth motions to drizzle the frosting on each cooled scone. Serve immediately.

Per scone: 330 calories; 3g protein; 10g total fat; 2g fiber; 57g carbohydrates; 70mg cholesterol; 353mg sodium