Lactose Free Scones

I’m delighted that there are more lactose free products available these days.  The markets where I shop now carry lactose free milk, sour cream, yogurt, cream cheese and half & half.  All these items are good to have on hand for that day when one feels like baking.  This scone recipe from Averie Cooks is one of the best  I found. Averie uses sour cream to moisten the dough.  It works beautifully.  Thanks to Green Valley Organics, I was able to make these treats using their lactose free sour cream.

These frozen berries are perfect for this recipe.  Keep them in the freezer until you’re ready to mix them in the dough otherwise they will start to defrost very quickly.

Bursting with lots of juicy berries, these scones are delectable with a little pat of butter on top  (Earth Balance Buttery Spread in my case).  Sometimes I split and toast them if I’m in the mood for a warm and crispy scone.

Scones are easy and quick to make and they freeze well.  Choose your favorite shape.  Wedges, squares, rounds. Drizzle the tops with a light lemon glaze or sparkling sugar, or nothing at all.  Either way, you will be rewarded.  Thanks Averie, for the wonderful recipe.

The Best Glazed Mixed Berry Scones

Adapted from Avery Cooks blog

Makes 8 large or 12 medium scones

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour + more for your work surface

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (Or unsalted butter + pinch of salt.  Buttery Sticks or butter should be very cold)

1 large egg

1/2 cup sour cream (I used Green Valley Organics lactose free sour cream)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 heaping cup frozen mixed berries (keep frozen until the last minute so berries do not get soft)

Glaze

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons lemon or orange juice

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, add 2 cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder.  Whisk to combine.  Slice butter into small cubes and add to flour mixture.  Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut butter into flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Some larger pea-sized clumps are OK.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, add the egg, sour cream, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.

Pour wet mixture over dry, and fold until just combined with a spatula.  Don’t over mix or the scones will be tough.  The dough will be wet and shaggy.  Fold in the berries.

Sprinkle a few tablespoons of flour over a clean work surface and lightly coat hands.  Turn dough onto surface and knead into an 8-inch round (approximately).  Sprinkle a little more flour over the dough and on your hands if the dough is too wet to come together.  Try not to add too much flour or the dough will be dry.

With a large knife, slice round into 8 equal-sized wedges.  Using a thin spatula, transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet and space about 2 inches apart.  Try not to have too many exposed berries touching the baking pan. They have a tendency to burn.  If you prefer square-shaped scones, pat dough into a rectangle and cut into 12 equal-sized pieces.  If you are using sparkling sugar, sprinkle it on before baking the scones.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until scones are very lightly golden and cooked through and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Allow scones to cool on baking tray for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to cool completely.  If you are using a glaze, make the glaze while the scones cool.

Combine the confectioners sugar and citrus juice. Whisk together until smooth.  You may need to adjust the consistency of the glaze by adding more sugar or citrus juice.  Drizzle the glaze over the cooled scones.