Featured Post

Brilliant Gluten Free Coconut Macaroons, GF, Sugarfree option

I love the sweet chewiness of a coconut macaroon but the sugar content in the commercial products was always too much for my tastes. Until I made these...They are divine and healthy! And guess what? they are super easy to make gluten free!

Chocolate Almond Meal Scones, GF, DF, SF

These Gluten Free Paleo Scones are the perfect cross between a cookie and a cake.  Crisp on the edges and soft inside.  Deliciously nutty with dark chocolate chunks, they are full of healthy protein and satisfied my cravings without a lot of carbs!

I love having some sort of grain free baked good in the house at all times.  Yes, I admit I'm a Cookieholic and this morning I realized I was all out!  Luckily I had a bag of gluten free roasted almonds and some time on my hands.
So I decided to make up a recipe for a "Paleo" Scone.  Forgive me if I use Paleo casually, I know it's important to many people.  I am not a strict Paleo follower so I hope you will understand if I make a mistake or add an ingredient that doesn't qualify. 

I used roasted almonds this time because I found some gluten free lightly salted ones on sale, but normally I prefer gluten free raw almonds.

Here's how I use raw almonds to make them easier to digest,
I soak 4 cups of them overnight in 1 tablespoon sea salt and enough water to cover.  I change the water twice during the course of the overnight soak, then drain them, pat dry and slow roast/dry the nuts.

I dry the nuts in a single layer, in the oven at 150 degrees for 18-24 hours or until crispy.  I'm thinking about drying the pulp after I make almond milk this way too and grinding it into almond flour.  I'll let you know how that goes.

I  set aside some nuts to grind in my coffee mill  to a fine almond meal for baking.  The rest I use to make Homemade Almond Milk  and my Almond butter.

I don't often bake with store bought Almond Meal flour, it's just too expensive for me, but you are welcome to try substituting if you have it.

Linked to Allergy Free Wednesdays


Chocolate Chunk Almond Meal Scones, GF, low glycemic

Ingredients:
  • 2 1/4 cups gluten free almond meal, finely ground, sift and regrind until flour
  • 1 teaspoon psyllium husks- opt, but I like them and they add structure and fiber
  • 1/3 cup gluten free potato starch 
  • 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 cup cold butter or cold coconut oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup sugar substitute of choice.  I use Splenda or Vanilla liquid stevia or try 1/4 cup local honey
  • 2 teaspoons gluten free pure vanilla 
  • 3 ounces of dark chocolate, chopped
Instructions:
Grind your dry almonds to a fine meal and sift.  Regrind any large bits.  I use a coffee mill filled 1/2 full so that it can grind easily.  Don't grind too long or you will make Almond butter!
I didn't make my scones very sweet,  you can increase the sweetness with more Vanilla Liquid Stevia or substitute with your favorite sweetener of choice
  1. In a large bowl combine the almond meal, salt, psyllium husks, potato starch and stir well
  2. Cut your cold butter into cubes and add to the flour.  Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until mealy or combine in the food processor.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, sweetener, vanilla .
  4. Stir the wet into the dry until just incorporated, stir in chocolate chunks
  5. Chill in the fridge for 30-40 minutes. 
  6. Put your dough into the middle of a 9 inch pie plate and pat out evenly.  Cut into 8 pieces but leave the "pie" together in the pan.  You can recut again after baking.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and edges start to brown.