Banana Ginger Scones

So, I'll be honest. I made these scones a couple of weeks ago....and then kept forgetting to take pictures of the finished product.

I finally remembered as the very last scone was about to be consumed. It was delicious - so it served it's purpose.

When I told my mom I was making these scones she was a bit jealous. Her response over the phone: "I want one!!!" She and I are a scone-loving pair. Imagine my grief-stricken scone-loving self when told I should remove gluten from my diet.

Yikes.

This was my first attempt at scones since going gluten-free. I've been getting ever more adventurous with my baking. Gluten-free flours and the elusive xanthan gum are no longer my enemies. Thank. God.

When I decided to play around with these puppies, it was all because of a pair of very lonely, VERY overripe bananas sitting in my fruit bowl. My husband has a secret (okay, maybe not so secret) love affair with banana bread. But banana bread is old hat. I wanted something new. And I was craving scones. So I gave him the choice: banana bread or banana scones.... Then swayed him in my direction.

I love the bites of sweetened spiciness that the bits of ginger add to these scones. But I'm a ginger fanatic anyway. I chew on pieces of ginger after lunch and dinner and to help settle my stomach when I'm experiencing indigestion. Best trick ever.

You could make these scones with regular all-purpose flour. It actually works out to be about the same amount as the gluten-free flour, which is typically not the case, but true here. Use any kind of milk you like - I used dairy free - or swap out the butter for margarine or shortening. You can definitely use plain, unsweetened yogurt. In that case I would recommend increasing the amount of added sugar by 1 Tbsp or so. These are not quite as crumbly as traditional gluten scones, but I kind of liked them that way. I could toss them in my toaster oven and not worry about them falling apart!

Play around with these! If you don't like ginger, I won't be offended. Use cinnamon, chocolate chips, or dried fruit. That's the beautiful thing about scones - they don't discriminate. And they pretty much always taste good!

Banana Ginger Scones

Prep Time: 15 minutes (+ 30-60 minutes chilling time)

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 8 scones

• 2 large Bananas, very ripe - peeled and mashed thoroughly with a fork
• 2-4 Tbsp Unsweetened Almond Milk (or any other milk - if using cow's milk, I recommend 2%)
• 6 oz container Vanilla Non-Fat Yogurt (Stonyfield is a great choice!)
• 12.5 oz Gluten-Free Flour Blend (a scant 3 cups)
• 3 Tbsp Sugar
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Ground Ginger
• 4 Tbsp Light Butter, chilled
• 1/3 cup finely chopped Crystallized Ginger
• Turbinado Sugar, for sprinkling

1. Place the mashed bananas into a 1-cup measure. Add enough milk to equal 1-cup, if necessary. If the mashed bananas equal 1-cup alone, then do not add any milk. Pour bananas and milk into a small mixing bowl, add yogurt and stir to combine; set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift or whisk together dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, and ground ginger.
3. Break butter into small chunks. Add to dry ingredients and cut in with a fork, your fingers, or a pastry blender, until mixture is coarse and crumbly.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until ingredients have come together. Dough should be wet and very sticky.
5. Turn dough out onto a sheet of parchment or wax paper and form into a disc - about the size of a dinner plate. Cover with another piece of wax paper and wrap tightly. Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the butter to firm up.
6. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Once the dough has set, remove it from the freezer and remove the top piece of wax paper. Flip over onto a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper and remove the second piece of wax paper. Cut the dough into 8 wedges and push them apart slightly, so they have some room to spread when they bake. Sprinkle each wedge generously with Turbinado sugar.
7. Bake scones for 30 minutes, or until they have turned golden brown and are firm to the touch. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet. Or enjoy while still warm with butter or jam and tea!

*Adapted from theKitchn*

Happy gluten-free baking!