Why didn't my scones rise?

Check to make sure your baking powder is still active. Baking powder should react when baking to make your baked goods rise; if it's no longer active, it won't do its job. An easy check for fresh baking powder: add a small amount of baking powder to a pinch bowl or dish. Pour a couple tablespoons of hot or boiling water over the baking powder. The baking powder should immediately bubble. If not, it's no longer good.

Do I have to knead the dough?

No. Ideally, handle the dough as little as possible. Overkneading creates tougher scones that lose their flakiness.

How long can I store these scones?

Scones are best enjoyed the day they're baked, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. You can also freeze the unbaked dough, which I'd recommend over baking a whole batch just to store most of them. Make the dough, slice into wedges, wrap each wedge in plastic wrap, and freeze in an airtight container. Then you can pull out however many wedges you'd like to bake on demand!

Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Scones with Orange Icing

Description

Buttery and tender, no one would ever guess these cranberry orange scones are gluten free! The perfect not-too-sweet treat with coffee.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Scones:

1 3/4 cup gluten free all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (I like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour)
1/2 cup oat flour
1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) cold butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, halved if large
2 tablespoons milk or almond milk, if needed
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

For the Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk or almond milk
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice
1/2 teaspoon orange zest

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Instructions

Whisk the gluten free flour, oat flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture and incorporate using a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingers until the mixture comes together with pea-sized crumbs. Alternatively, add the flour mixture to a food processor with the butter cubes and pulse 8 to 10 times, until the flour mixture resembles coarse sand. Transfer to a large bowl.
Whisk sour cream, egg, orange juice, orange zest, brown sugar, and vanilla together in a small bowl. Slowly pour it into the flour mixture. Stir until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Fold in the cranberries. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop or cutting board.
Dust your hands with a little gluten free flour to prevent sticking and work the dough into a ball. If it’s too dry, add more milk/almond milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it’s a workable consistency without becoming too sticky. Press down to form a disc shape, roughly 6 inches in diameter and 2 inches thick. At this point, you can wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Adjust one of the oven racks to the middle-low position. Line 1 large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.
When ready to bake, cut the disc into 8 triangle wedges. Transfer the wedges to the prepared baking sheet, spacing at least 2 inches apart. Using a pastry brush, brush the scones with the remaining heavy cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Bake the scones for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you prepare the icing.
For the icing, combine the powdered sugar, milk, orange juice, and orange zest. Whisk until smooth and no dry powdered sugar remains. Drizzle over the cooled scones. The icing should harden as it cools.
Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days.