Scones, Fruit Salad with Yogurt, and Mini Apple Chicken Sausages

What a lovely day for baked goods. I'm trying my hand at gluten free and lactose free baking using a very successful scone recipe from my Steampunk Birthday Tea Party. Baking is always a surprise, you never know if you did it right until it's done. Then you taste to discover if your experiment was a success or not. Most range cooking allows you to alter as your going, taste to see if it needs more salt or a dash of something else, but baking is one where to alter it you have to start from the beginning and make the whole thing over. It makes me keep notes on how to fix things for the future. Let the experiment begin!

Besides the gluten free scones I also made regular scones (see Dried Cherry Scones, but substitute curants for dried cherries), a fruit salad with yogurt, and pan fried mini chicken apple sausages. Enjoy.


Gluten and Lactose Free Scones

Makes 8 large scones

Ingredients:
2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/3 cup sugar (I like evaporated cane juice)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 Tbs butter substitute (I used Earth Balance)
1/2 cup raisins and currants (or other dried fruit in small pieces)
1/2 cup sour cream substitute (I used Sour Supreme)
1 egg

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, xanthan gum, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Cut in butter substitute until completely incorporated, use a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers. There should be no lumps and the consistency should be of coarse meal.
4. Mix in dried fruit.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream substitute and egg until smooth.
6. Stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until there are no more dry pockets, you will probably have to use your hands for this.
7. Form dough into a 6 to 8 inch circle, 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 8 triangles using a sharp knife. Place triangles onto a cookie sheet at least 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15-17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.
8. Serve with preserves.


Fruit Salad with Yogurt
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1/2 cantaloupe, seeded and cubed
3 mangoes, cubed
2 granny smith apples, cored and cubed
3 green pears, cored and cubed
1 basket blackberries
1 large carton vanilla yogurt

Preparation:
1. In a large bowl, combine cantaloupe, mango, apple, and pear.
2. Top with berries and yogurt.
Optional: Top with granola.