These Gluten-Free Scones are moist and fluffy, sweet and fruity and rich and "buttery"! They're packed with juicy blueberries and lemon flavour, and great for dessert, breakfast or a snack.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil).
Once melted, add the lemon juice to the same bowl along with the lemon zest, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, ground almonds and blueberries.
Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
Mix well until a dough forms, adding the milk a little bit at a time to ensure you don’t add too much - it should be soft, but firm enough to mould easily. You can add a tiny splash more milk if it’s looking too dry.
Line a baking tray with greased baking paper.
Use your hands to shape the dough into a slightly elongated circular shape about 2 cm (1 inch) thick - you can also use a floured rolling pin for this, but I prefer to do it with my hands because it’s easier. There’s no need to use a floured surface as the baking paper works to stop the dough from sticking.
Keeping the dough in that shape, use a knife to carve the surface of the dough into eight - cut in half first, then each half into half, and each quarter into half again until you end up with eight even triangles. It's a bit like cutting up a pizza, but make sure not to cut all the way down through the dough - this is because they come out fluffier when baked pressed together!
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until browned and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Leave to cool slightly then slice them into separate pieces.
Tastes best when fresh, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days - delicious reheated in the toaster!
I’d recommend adding the plant-based milk a little at a time until you get a soft dough that’s still firm enough to easily mould into a shape - stop adding milk if the dough is already too soft.
If the dough is too dry to combine or very hard after you’ve added all the milk, add a little extra plant-based milk, as otherwise the scones won’t rise as much and won’t be fluffy.
Make sure you use enough baking powder - using too little will make them very dense instead of fluffy.