Ah spring. Though the weather may not always cooperate, I get so many mental pictures whenever that first day of spring arrives ~ tulips popping through, the morning bird serenade returning, leftover piles of snow fighting to melt, Sunday brunch cravings, and cherry blossoms. We are still a couple of months shy of full blown cherry season, but with this fruit now planted firmly in my mind, I was pleased to discover the brunch-friendly Cherry Oat Scones from The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook: How to Bake Without Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Eggs, Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, and Sesame by Cybele Pascal. This recipe uses dried cherries, for a year-round treat!

From Cybele, "These hearty scones are a perennial favorite, and now, thanks to gluten-free oats, even those on gluten-free diets can enjoy them. Feel free to swap out other dried fruits for the cherries. Dried apricots, cranberries, raisins, chopped dates, or figs are all wonderful substitutions. These are delicious with a little vegan butter!"

Onto the recipe ...

Cherry Oat Scones
makes 12 scones

Recipe from the Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook by Cybele Pascal

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons rice milk
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 cups Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix [recipe follows]
• 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 2 tablespoons double-acting baking powder
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1-1/4 cups gluten-free old-fashioned oats
• 1/3 cup dairy-free, soy-free vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• Sanding sugar (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Whisk together 1 cup of the rice milk and the cider vinegar. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour mix, xanthan gum, baking powder, granulated sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

4. Add the oats and toss. Add the shortening in pieces, and work in with a pastry blender or two knives until you have a pea-sized crumb.

5. Add the cherries, tossing until combined.

6. Add the rice milk mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until combined but still clumpy.

7. Flour a work surface lightly with a little gluten-free flour mix, and turn out the dough. Lightly flour your hands. Sprinkle the dough with a little flour mix.

8. Divide the dough in half. The dough will be sticky. Shape into two 6-inch disks. Cut the disks into 6 pie-shaped wedges. Transfer the scones to the baking sheet. Brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons rice milk, then sprinkle with sanding sugar.

9. Bake in the center of the oven for 17 minutes, or until lightly golden.

10. Serve warm from the oven, or let cool on a cooling rack.

Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix
makes 6 cups

Recipe from the Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook by Cybele Pascal

"The key to the very best gluten-free baked goods is Authentic Foods superfine brown rice flour; it is the Cadillac, or cashmere, of brown rice flours and is worth its weight in gold. It is not grainy like other rice flours, and bakes the most fantastic cookies, cakes, pie crusts, and so on. If you can’t find it at your local natural foods market or Whole Foods, order it online. Both Ener-G and Bob’s Red Mill brown rice flours will also work in these recipes, but they won’t turn out quite as well. I do not recommend Arrowhead Mills brown rice flour, which I find too gritty. The brands of potato starch and tapioca flour or starch are not important; I find them all interchangeable."

• 4 cups superfine brown rice flour
• 1-1/3 cups potato starch (not potato flour)
• 2/3 cup tapioca flour (also called tapioca starch)

1. To measure flour, use a large spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup, then level it off with the back of a knife or straightedge. Do not use the measuring cup itself to scoop your flour when measuring! It will compact the flour and you will wind up with too much for the recipe.

2. Combine all ingredients in a gallon-size zipper-top bag. Shake until well blended. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Reprinted with permission from The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook: How to Bake Without Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Eggs, Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, and Sesame. Copyright © 2009 by Cybele Pascal, Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA. Photo credit: Chugrad McAndrews.