A GF Comfort Food Recipe to Celebrate FALL

After an intense September filled with…life, I just wanted to share one of my favorite gluten free comfort food recipes with you, even though there is nothing sleuthish about it.   After a successful backyard Merlot and Cab grape harvest with the juice happily starting to ferment in the barn, some overnight company, and one family medical crisis, I needed something chewy, a bit sweet, and a teensy sinful to help me slide into the unwinding process.  For me, that something is a batch of my GF Rum Scones.

My GF Rum Scones

½ to ¾ package (about ½ cup) of Trader Joe’s dried blueberries (I  particularly like these because they are small like currants, although those would work too, and because they are semi soft.  I have also used cut up dried cherries, about ½ cup.

1/3 cup dark rum

Put the dried fruit in a small bowl and pour the dark rum over them to let them soak up that rum goodness while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

1 package Gluten Free Pantry’s Scone Mix

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp allspice

1 stick of real butter (butter substitute works fine, if dairy intolerant)

Cut the stick of butter into the dry Scone Mix and spice mixture until the bits are a little smaller than baby peas.

1 egg, lightly beaten with a fork

1 tsp sour cream (optional)

1 tsp GF vanilla

Up to 1/3 cup milk (works fine with a milk substitute)

Add all of the above to the dry ingredients, including the rum/fruit mixture, except the milk.  Mix together with a wooden spoon.  If the mixture is too dry after this to form a ball that sticks together, start adding the milk, a little at a time, until you have the pastry ball.

Don’t over mix.   I squish the ball on a parchment-lined cookie sheet until it is about 1 to 1 ¼  inches high.  At this point, you can make an egg wash to brush on top, but I am too lazy for that.  What sits on the sheet is one large, thick circle of potential scone goodness.

Bake in 400* oven for 15-20 minutes.   Cut into pie shaped wedges after cooling for 8-10 minutes (a serrated knife seems the least shape disturbing)

Then, sit back, legs tucked under you with an ultra soft blanket-throw over your lap; put a chunk of savory cheese and this warm wedge of scone on a beautiful breakfast plate; pour a hot cup of tea, mocha coffee, or other delightful beverage, and RELAX!

Aaaah….