Gluten Free Pizza Scones… GF After School Snacks, Part 3
GF After School Snacks, Part 3... Pizza Scones!
Last week marked the beginning of the 2011 school year for our District. Even though there were only three school days, it sure seemed like a long week. We were able to get in one last summer get-together with friends before the big day arrived. I tried to be prepared for the morning routine again, but it always seems there is a new twist every year. This year, it is middle school. I can hardly believe we have reached this milestone. I am very unprepared for this new venture… but it is upon us anyway, so here goes!
I was finally able to get around to another “after school snack” recipe today. Actually, I did a lot of cooking and baking this weekend. Just trying to catch up and stay ahead of the game with all the learning going on again. It always seems to make our bodies hungrier! Not too long ago, I saw a recipe on Family Fun’s website for “Pizza Scones”. The idea intrigued me, so studied my recipe for GF breakfast scones a bit to see how I could tweak it for something more savory. The result was an awesome gluten free gem that will be perfect for tomorrow afternoon when the bus arrives!
Gluten Free Pizza Scones
Ingredients:
- 8.5 ounces (about 2 cups) gluten free flour blend (I use this blend for scones: 7 1/8 oz Brown Rice Flour, 2 3/4 oz Sorghum Flour, 4 oz Potato Starch Flour, 1 1/2 oz. Tapioca Starch – mix well and store in an airtight container)
- 3 ounces (about 1/2 cup) fine or medium grind corn meal
- 2 Tbls baking powder
- 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 tsp basil
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2.5 ounces (about 5 Tbls) cold butter, cut into small pieces (or cold palm shortening for dairy free)
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes, seeded (you can also use diced sun-dried tomatoes if you have them, just make sure to soak them in hot water for a minute and then drain before adding to the recipe)
- 4 ounces (about 1 cup) shredded mozzarella or dairy free equivalent
- 1/3 cup finely chopped pepperoni, or other pizza topping (such as diced ham, green pepper, mushrooms or black olives)
- 1/2 cup Flax Gel (2 Tbls ground flax seeds, mixed in 6 Tbls hot water)
- 3/4 cup of buttermilk (for dairy free, mix 1 Tbls apple cider vinegar with 3/4 cup rice milk or other dairy free milk of choice)
- extra rice milk and some parmesan cheese for sprinkling on top
Method:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare the flax gel by mixing the 2 Tbls ground flax seeds with 6 Tbls hot water. Set aside to thicken while preparing the rest of the ingredients. At this time, if you are using a dairy free buttermilk, make sure to mix the apple cider vinegar with your milk of choice and set that aside as well.
- In a large bowl, mix the gluten free flour mix, cornmeal, baking powder, xanthan gum, basil, oregano, and salt. Cut in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a separate bowl, combine the tomatoes, cheese and pepperoni (or other toppings).
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flax gel and buttermilk.
- Add the pizza toppings mixture and the flax/buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir with a spoon or your hands until the mixture forms a sticky dough. Do not over stir or your scones will be hard.
- Lightly flour your work surface with extra GF flour blend and turn the dough out of the bowl onto the work surface. Knead the dough just briefly to get it to pull together. Gently shape the dough into two rounds, flattening slightly. Slice each round into four wedges.
- Place the wedges on your prepared baking sheet, at least 1 inch apart. Brush with a little rice milk and sprinkle with some parmesan cheese if you think of it.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Hi Nicole! Yesterday I was asking your husband about detoxing & health benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar, and he directed me to you, as you are the expert 😉
I recently read that I can take a few tbsps of apple cider vinegar (in water with honey) before every meal for a mild detox.
I heard it helps with detox, acne, exema, and weight loss. All of which I need help with.
What have been your experience with Apple Cider Vinegar?? And have you heard of the same benefits from it that I list above?
Thanks! 😉
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for the great question! Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV for short) has many great digestive help qualities, which in turn helps with detoxing and resolving skin issues. When you take 1-2 Tbls of ACV with a meal (and mixing it with honey and drinking plenty of water is definitely important), it supports digestion beginning in the stomach. Many times, the ailments you listed are rooted in poor digestion, low stomach acid, or low gut probiotics. ACV will help with the poor digestion and low stomach acid. It is worth a try if you can keep up with it. You would need to find specifically ACV “with the mother” (such as Bragg’s), meaning it is in the most natural form and fermented. It is truly good stuff. I have even felt it’s positive effects when I was taking it to stave off a head cold! Here is a link to the Bragg’s website with some info on their ACV. Also, my dad uses ACV three times a day with meals to help his arthritis and to keep his joints functioning well. He has been really successful so far and has not had to turn to more medication as long as he uses the ACV everyday. Let me know how it goes if you decide to try it!
Thanks Nicole! Believe it or not, your husband gave me very similar info yesterday! He must pay attention, lol. I went out and bought Braggs with the Mother. I noticed it helps with food cravings so far (or it’s just in my head). But so far so good.
Here’s my concern, do you know if by ingesting it all the time there is potential to begin smelling like vinegar? That’s my fear, that I will begin emitting a nasty vinegar smell. I’ve tried to do some online research, but I get mixed reviews.
What do you think?
Hi Lisa, Good to know he is paying attention! I don’t think the “food cravings” issue is all in your head. When you begin to meet the needs your body has been asking for, you will notice some things gradually become a thing of the past. Food Cravings might be one “clue” that your body has been trying to tell you that there is something that needs attention.
I also understand your concern about “becoming a bottle of vinegar”. I have not experienced that at all. I followed the ACV three times a day regimen with meals myself for about a month and a half and did not seem to notice that I smelled like vinegar after a while. My dad has been doing that for well over a year and I don’t notice any vinegar smell lingering when we are together. All in all, I would just make sure to drink plenty of water during your day. If you are a soda drinker, it always helps to remove that from your diet and replace it with water. Also, I learned a long time ago (actually from my mother in law) to drink water at room temperature. Very cold or hot beverages disrupt your digestive processes and the body has to work harder. Keeping your water intake to room temp only makes a big difference. Drinking room temperature water is also a big adjustment if you are one who likes your beverage very cold… so don’t be too hard on yourself if it takes a while to get used to it. That took me about a year to embrace!