Gluten-free Scones with Blackberry Curd
DIETARY – Gluten-free/Nut-free/Vegetarian
Scones are a quintessential part of British life. An innocuous thing to look at, the humble scone is about as plain as baked goods get, but it’s what you put on top that really makes them come to life. A good scone should be soft, light, just the right side of crumbly, and puffed up beautifully so it slices perfectly in two. Scones can be sweet or savoury and can be topped with everything from traditional jam and clotted cream to curd, cheese, and even smoked salmon – the possibilities are endless!
Making a gluten-free scone that met my strict guidelines above definitely posed a challenge, but I was fortunate enough to have spent time learning how to make amazing scones at the exquisite Lord’s Cricket Ground in London a few years back, so I had a few tricks up my sleeve!
The first step is to rub the butter with the dry ingredients. You can either do this by hand, which involves using your fingertips to rub the cold butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Or you can use a stand mixer to do the job for you. Turn your mixer on to high speed and leave it running for a few minutes until you have that breadcrumb-like consistency. It’s important the ‘crumbs’ look even and there are no big lumps. It’s also essential to use fridge-cold butter to give you the right texture.
The next most important thing is to bring your dough together – but only just – once the milk and egg mixture is added. Don’t be tempted to start kneading it into a perfectly smooth dough, as you will likely get scones as flat as pancakes! Simply bring the mix together in the bowl, then tip out on to a lightly floured surface and use your hands to gently roll and press into a flat circle about an inch thick.
Finally, the last thing you can do to ensure a good rise on your scones is to cut them out correctly. Take your cutter and dip it in flour first, then push slowly down into your dough, but do not twist. This is really important; just push down, then carefully lift up and allow the scone to drop easily out of the ring without any twisting or too much prodding. Twisting can cause an uneven bake. Once all your scones are on the baking tray, brush just the tops with egg wash.
Now on to the curd. Blackberries are still in season here in Australia, and they are one of my favourite fruits to bake with. I have fond memories of summers gone by spent foraging in the English countryside with my grandparents for wild blackberries that we would bring home and turn into pies, crumbles and ice cream. And later with my mum and sister, who lived a stone’s throw from rows upon rows of wild hedgerows laden with juicy fruits. There’s nothing quite like the thrill of finding bucket loads of free edible treasures on your doorstep!
I had the idea to turn the blackberries into a curd rather than a jam as, for me, the curd is much more indulgent and delicious. And seeing as this recipe is being released on Mother’s Day, I figured Mum deserves something extra special! It’s super simple to make, taking less than 20 minutes from raw berry to jar. Happy baking!
Gluten-free Scones with Blackberry Curd
Ingredients
- 350g gluten-free self-raising flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 60g caster sugar
- 70g unsalted butter
- 175ml whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg + 1 more for the egg wash
- 250g blackberries
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 205g caster sugar
- 80g unsalted butter
- 2 whole eggs, beaten
- 2 egg yolks, beaten
Method
- I recommend making the blackberry curd the day before you make your scones to give it a chance to cool completely and set. If you do want to do it on the same day, allow the curd to cool for at least 3 hours at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. To make the curd, first put the blackberries and lemon juice together in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook for 5-10 mins until the berries are very soft.
- Take off the heat and allow to cool for 15 mins, then pour into a blender and blitz until smooth.
- Pass the puréed fruit through a sieve to catch all the seeds, then add it to a saucepan along with the butter and sugar, set over medium heat.
- Stir until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Allow to come up to a gentle simmer.
- Take the curd briefly off the heat and slowly whisk in the beaten eggs. I do this a little at a time off the heat to help prevent the eggs from scrambling.
- Once the egg is fully incorporated, put the saucepan back on the heat and whisk vigorously for around 30 seconds.
- Allow the curd to bubble slowly (not boil) for 3-5 mins, whisking frequently, then take off the heat and pour into your prepared jar (it's enough for one large or two small jars). It will have significantly thickened.
- Set aside the curd to come to room temperature, then store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
- To make the scones, first pre-heat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan oven)/400°F/Gas Mark 6 and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients together, then rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. This is a much quicker, easier job if you have a stand mixer. Simply use the paddle attachment and switch to high speed for around 3-5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the milk, vanilla extract and egg.
- When your mix resembles breadcrumbs (ensure there are no big lumps), pour in your milk mixture and bring together until it just forms a dough – avoid over-mixing or kneading here to prevent your scones from falling flat in the oven.
- Lightly flour your surface with a little gluten-free self-raising and tip the dough out. Carefully bring it together and flatten it out with your hands to form a smooth circle around an inch thick.
- Get your 7cm round cutter and dip in flour. Shake off the excess, then slowly press down into your dough – do not twist the cutter, this will result in an uneven bake! Lift the dough up and carefully allow the scone to drop out of the cutter and on to your prepared baking tray. Continue until all your dough is used up – you can bring the dough together and re-roll with your hands as often as you need to use it up.
- Brush the tops of your scones with beaten egg and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden on top. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
- Enjoy your scones halved with a layer of curd and dollop of cream on top! The scones will keep for up to 3 days and the curd will last for up to four weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.