Gluten & Dairy Free Blueberry Scones

I am soooo late to the party. I had no plans to make scones today, but after playing Irish music all morning and showing the kids my Ireland photo album and youtube videos of Irish dancing, my daughter became very enthusiastic about St. Patrick's day, bringing down every green article of clothing (including my lucky underwear) she could find and insisting we all dive in to find something to wear; and she begged to make scones. Now scones have always been a bit of a mystery to me -- part biscuit, part muffin, but not so sweet. This recipe is Gluten Free and also Dairy Free, but if you're not allergic, by all means, feel free to add the butter and milk back in! I like my scones a skosh sweeter. Feel free to cut the sugar in half if you are not so inclined.

Gluten Free Dairy Free Scones

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups Multi-purpose Gluten free baking flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup dairy free margarine (I use Smart Balance or Earth Balance)
1 cup frozen blue berries (or dried berries, apricots or raisins)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup cold rice milk, vanilla flavored
1 tsp gluten free vanilla extract (I use Kirkland's from Costco)

Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease or line pan with parchment

2) Whisk together the flour blend, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt and nutmeg.

3) Work in the cold margarine with a fork until the mixture is crumbly.

4) stir in the dried fruit (if using frozen blueberries, hold off until just before dropping onto the pan)

5) Whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla until frothy.

6) Add to the dry ingredients, stirring until well blended. The dough will be sticky.

7) Drop dough by the 1/3-cupful onto the pan. Let the scones rest for 15 minutes.

8) Sprinkle the scones with sparkling sugar or cinnamon sugar, if desired. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving. Best enjoyed warm with dairy free margarine or jam.

Yield: 8 scones