Paleo Frosted Cherry Scones (AIP)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:  I LOVE blogging about desserts!!  Anytime I create a treat recipe, it makes me SO excited!  Partly because desserts (especially baked ones) can be tricky to execute, so when they turn out, it feels like a huge victory!  And partly because the photos are fun to take, the clean-up is minimal, and the reward is oh-so-sweet.

This week, these Paleo Frosted Cherry Scones had me jumping for joy when they came out perfectly on the first try!  (Woohoo!)  What’s even better is that their appearance here on Fed and Fulfilled coincides so well with Mother’s Day!  So, if you’re still looking for gift ideas, why not bake up a batch of these lovelies and enjoy them over tea with your mom or other special ladies in your life?!

Not only are my Paleo Frosted Cherry Scones pretty to look at, but they taste wonderful, too!  The texture is lightly crisp on the edges and soft and almost buttery in the middle, thanks to the coconut butter and coconut oil.  They also have a light almond flavor (which is optional for strict AIP folks) and are bursting with dried cherries.  And to finish them off, I drizzled them with both plain and cherry coconut butter frosting.  Perfect with your tea or coffee, delicious as a dessert, and healthy enough to cap off breakfast or brunch!  So, make mom proud and show off your baking expertise with a fresh tray of scones to share with her this weekend!

When I was growing up, I’m pretty sure my first scone experience was an unfavorable one.  I remember biting into the store-bought, super dry, flavorless baked good and wondering why anyone would choose a scone over a cookie, a donut, or just about any other sweet treat.  Definitely a bad first impression!

Thankfully, my mom is an excellent baker with a love for scones.  Leave it to Mom to completely blow my mind when she baked up soft, tender scones that were filled with dark and white chocolate chips, had a hint of mocha flavor, and sported a shiny, golden-brown finish from an egg-wash.  Those scones totally changed my outlook on the scone world and got me hooked!  I remember looking for any excuse to eat them – breakfast, brunch, snacks, dessert.  We must have made them a zillion times – even a gluten-free version that I’m pretty sure we ate on the morning of my wedding!

And then my scone experience soared to new heights when my family took a trip to England several years ago.  I knew we were in for an immense treat since the British are known for their tea and scones.  But I had no idea just how tasty British scones could be until I was eating them with clotted cream, strawberry jam, and a cup of English breakfast tea in the lavish tea room at Claridge’s Hotel in London.  The scones were simple, soft, and buttery and we just couldn’t get enough!

That brings me to today.  How can an autoimmune paleo girl even come close to recreating the delicious scones of her past?  No eggs, no butter, no sugar, no grains…  The challenge was daunting.  As I was writing this recipe, fears of bone dry, flavorless scones were haunting me.  Yet, I was determined to create something that my mom (and maybe even the fine folks at Claridge’s) would be proud of.  One that both Mom and I would enjoy as much as her old favorite scone recipe.  And of course, one that would be a hit with all of you – whether you’re Paleo or not!

Well, friends, I’m happy to report that these Paleo Frosted Cherry Scones fit all my criteria and then some! Mom has already sampled them and heartily approved, so I know we have a winning recipe on our hands.  And we don’t even have to go all the way to London to recreate our dazzling tea and scones experience!  (Though if you DO go to London, Claridge’s afternoon tea is a must!  It was the highlight of our day there!)

Now, let me get to the good stuff.  My scone recipe is fairly simple, since it’s a one-bowl ordeal for the dough.  You will need some specialty ingredients, like gelatin and coconut butter, but thanks to Amazon and Thrive Market, you can easily order them if you don’t have a Whole Foods nearby!  I think one of the keys that makes these scones so soft and buttery is the Artisana Coconut Butter!  It really made the texture perfect, not to mention it’s always my go-to for frosting and glazes.

And speaking of frosting and glazes, I created two optional toppings for my Paleo Frosted Cherry Scones.  The first is a cherry, coconut butter, coconut oil blend, using fresh cherry juice and a pinch of beetroot powder to really bring out the red color.  The second is simply coconut butter and a touch of coconut oil.  Feel free to use one, both, or neither, though they definitely enhance the appearance!  I simply filled a sandwich bag with each frosting and piped them onto each scone after they baked.

I should also quickly point out that I did use almond extract in these scones, since I absolutely love the flavor of almond and cherry together.  No, almond extract is not strict AIP, but the good news is, you can sub vanilla extract or totally leave it out and you’ll still have a delicious scone on your hands.  It will just taste more like coconut without the extract.

I’ll leave the rest of the recipe for you to peruse as I dedicate this post to my sweet mom who taught me all about baking and who inspired my love for scones in the first place!  (Love you, Mom!)  Now it’s your turn to hone in your scone-making skills so you can savor my Paleo Frosted Cherry Scones with a cup of tea and the company of your mom or special lady in your life.  And more importantly, make sure you tell your mom how much you love and appreciate her!  Loving words are worth more than 1,000 scones!  Happy Mother’s Day!

Paleo Frosted Cherry Scones (AIP)

 

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Created by: Joanna Smith

Serves: 8 scones

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut flour
• ½ cup coconut sugar
• 4 tablespoons arrowroot flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 6 tablespoons coconut oil (solid)
• ½ cup coconut butter, melted
• ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon almond extract (omit for AIP)
• 1 gelatin egg (1 tablespoon gelatin + 4 tablespoons water)
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup unsweetened dried cherries, chopped

For the Cherry Frosting:

• 2-3 tablespoons melted coconut butter
• 1 tablespoon cherry juice
• ½ teaspoon melted coconut oil
• ¼ teaspoon beetroot powder

For the Coconut Frosting:

• 2-3 tablespoons melted coconut butter
• ½ teaspoon melted coconut oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in coconut oil with a pastry cutter or fork until it's the size of small peas and well incorporated.
3. Stir in the coconut butter, applesauce, and almond extract.
4. In a small saucepan, put 4 tablespoons of water and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of gelatin on top. Let sit for a minute, then heat on medium/low heat and whisk constantly until the mixture is really foamy.
5. Stir in the foamy gelatin "egg" into the scone mixture, then add the apple cider vinegar and stir.
6. Add in the dried cherries last, stirring gently until you have a crumbly, soft dough.
7. Form scones into triangles (I made 8) and bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 15-18 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Let cool.
8. For the frostings, use two small bowls. In one bowl, combine the ingredients for the cherry frosting. If mixture is too thin, add extra coconut butter. If too thick, add a bit more coconut oil or cherry juice. In the other bowl, stir together the coconut frosting. Add extra coconut butter to thicken or coconut oil to thin it out.
9. Using a sandwich bag, a piping bag, or a knife, drizzle each frosting over top the cooled scones. Store scones covered in fridge or freezer.

Notes

~For the frostings - the measurements are an estimate, since I kept adding coconut butter and coconut oil until I was happy with the consistency. So, you might need more or less coconut butter/coconut oil depending on how thick or thin you want them. Just play around with them and have fun!

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