In my world scones are a delicious summer treat (did I say summer, well, stretch summer into spring, and then include a few ‘nostalgic’ (any excuse) moments scattered through the year…) best served with all-fruit strawberry jam and a dollop of thick coconut cream, and eaten still warm from the oven, whilst feeling a bit naughty and pretty wonderfully indulgent, and very British (in a hazy-eyed being part of the past and yet fully present way). It’s a truly magical and seductive spread. Your favourite tea in the pot, mine is Earl Grey rooibos with coconut milk, a good jam, home-made or a gift all the better, coconut cream, your best cups and saucers, and fresh delicious buckwheat scones, light, moist and full of that toasty buckwheat flavour. It’s almost toooo good to be true. And it’s all yours. Or you could share it, if anyone’s been nice enough, and if they get there in time ♥
I’ve re-written this post and updated the recipe slightly, making it better and easier to follow (sorry guys, baking isn’t my exact forte, as much as I love it I don’t get so much practice these days, and this overhaul has been long overdue!). I’ve shared some recent photos I took of my birthday-tea treat (well, anything eaten on the days following my birthday counts so Dan says and I’m going with it!). Read my recent discussion of the meaning of the word treat as in ‘a treat’ here. I think these buckwheat scones fall into the indulgent-but-still-pretty-healthy-too camp. For me it is a rare treat as I limit my carbs, and strawberry jam, even though fruit only, is very sweet and added to the scones this is a feast of unparalleled delight!
Last summer…
FLASH-BACK TO PRE-WEDDING MADNESS…
I’m eating them whilst watching the Great British Bake-off, which I totally love, even though I can eat absolutely nothing that they make! It has, as always, inspired me to bake (probably not the best of timing with the wedding in a matter of weeks and me out of action and so unable to do much exercise… cue Psycho music for a peek into my internal state of well-being… AAAAHHHHH!). All I know is, I WILL watch the bake-off (just you try to stop me), and I WILL bake. Oh God! This is an epic collision. I’m going to have to hula-hoop whilst watching the bake-off, it’s the only way… and work on making really low carb, low sugar bakes, and non-bake bakes (?), that are inventive and gorgeous, and good for me… deep breath… can you tell I’ve just eaten strawberry jam, and that I don’t eat it that often? (Fruit) sugar rush!
…SLOWLY FILTERING BACK INTO CURRENT DAY CALM (okay, maybe post-traumatic shock would be a more accurate description).
Poor me, poor me, pour me another cup of tea…
As seen through the sunny haze of my greed, enthusiasm, happiness ♥
Making the buckwheat scones bite-size works so well, especially with the buckwheat flour, as a large gluten-free scone can easily crumble, even with the addition of psyllium husk to bind. Buckwheat flour is a superior flour to most others. It is a pseudo-grain, less acidic and inflammatory, more nutritious, low GI/ GL, good for your digestive system and grain-free. Psyllium husk is all those good things too, so good for you. I enjoy a wholemeal scone best, and buckwheat makes scones that are both wholesome and very light. It is neutral, not acidic, though with the addition of jam this is not an alkaline food and so as part of an anti-inflammatory diet such as I follow should be enjoyed as part of your 30% and balanced with a good salad or such-like later in the day!
The key to a good scone I think is to be gentle and to cut in the butter, adding the liquid carefully and not overworking the mixture, and also to not over bake. The batter is wetter for these gluten-free buckwheat scones than the wheat four varieties so you spoon the mixture onto the baking pan instead of cutting it out. This gives less control over the shape, however they fill out nicely as they rise and make lovely scones. (Conveniently) I really like the more rustic look too, I’m not a manicured lawn type of girl. Psyllium husk binds well, the scone may be a little crumbly, but not unmanageable and very, very scrummyily so.
- 1 1/2 cups/ 150g of buckwheat flour (fine sift is best)
- 4 tbsp psyllium husk
- 1 heaped tsp baking powder
- a pinch of salt if fat is unsalted
- 60g soya-free marge
- 1 1/2 cups of loose coconut milk/ yoghurt + solid cream for garnish (you can also use nut milk)
- 3 tbsp coconut sugar, alternative natural sweetener
- 1 tsp cider vinegar (I use raw)
- 1/2 cup seedless raisins
Preheat the oven to 220 C.
Grease an oven tray. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, add the fat and cut with a knife until in small bits mixed in to about the size of a pea, handling gently. Add the vinegar to the coconut milk to curdle in a separate container. If you have only solid canned coconut milk then add water to make up the 1 1/2 cups of liquid creamy milk. Gently mix the liquid and flour, being careful not to overwork, and spoon the mixture onto your greased baking tray. The mixture should hold its shape, if too loose then add a little more flour. 1 heaped tbsp for each scone works well, making 25 scones. If you want larger scones simply increase the size and add a few minutes onto the baking time.
Bake for 7 mins (10 if double the size), until very lightly brown, and then transfer to a cooling rack. Best eaten warm. When cool keep in an airtight container and refresh in the oven.
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I’ve been reading… George R R Martin ‘Tuf Voyaging’
I’ve been listening to… Martha Wainwright ‘Proserpina’
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