we're coming up on almost 7 weeks until amesy turns one whole year old (!!!!), which seems insane sometimes. i've begun casually planning a few things like buying decorations from my favorite store in brooklyn, and making a smash cake in the form of a mini dinosaur..maybe..? frank thinks it'll be too hard, but i think i can do it (we'll see!). it's really too difficult to put into words what a (almost) year of being a parent feels like. frank and i have had discussions about how much our relationship has changed, but also how much we've continued to have a similar dynamic. how we love each other more than anything, but how we love amesy so much more. if i could describe my feelings about it in one sentence it's that this first year as a parent has gone at warp speed, but has also crept by at the slowest rate of time imaginable. it's all very disorienting when i stop to think, which is why perhaps i tend to just go, and do. but i think this 1 year mark will hit us, at least that's what i'm anticipating.

these scones aren't directly related to amesy, or his 1 year birthday, but they are related to my diet; which had changed when i was a few months postpartum. balancing my blood sugar has also been an issue, even from a really young age. but i recently began confronting it once again, and i started reducing the amount of grains in my diet, which is something i've done here and there for a few years now. it's not something i would say is for everyone, but it works for me, and i feel better for it. (just as a side note, everybody and body is different, what works for me, may not work you and vice versa.) in any event, i've been baking with almond flour a lot, and have just started working with cassava flour, which is made from the root of a yuca (or cassava) plant. whenever i bake with a nut flour i always combine it with a starch (it gives the baked good more a crumb texture, and it's great for binding), and cassava works perfectly here, just like in these cookies from the other week.

i never liked scones growing up, but my mom would occasionally have one in the afternoons with some tea, and over time i began liking their lightly sweetened, biscuit-like flavor and texture. i've tested grain-free scone recipes here and there, but was never really happy with the result. (i even made a semi-pledge back when the blog was still a teeny baby, that i was looking forward to making a good grain-free scone!) finally after about 4 years these babes were born! they are perfect sliced in half, toasted up, and slathered with some salted ghee, or vegan butter. the summery berries in there can replaced with whatever fruit you like or have on hand, i could imagine peaches or nectarines tasting really great as well. i hope you have the chance to make them. and if you do, tag me at #dollyandoatmeal so we can share in the goodness :)

big love! xo

Grain-Free Summer Berry Scones | dolly and oatmeal

grain-free summer berry scones | gf & df

| makes 4 large scones |

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup cassava flour, more for dusting
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 heaping teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 large egg (preferably pasture raised), at room temperature
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup mixed raspberries and blackberries, cut in half
1 egg white (optional)

method

in a mixing bowl, combine the milk and vinegar, give it a little whisk and let it sit for 10 minutes, until it's curdled a bit.
while the milk and vinegar are resting, use a separate mixing bowl and whisk together the almond flour, cassava flour, coconut sugar,baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
to the milk and vinegar mixture, whisk in the egg, oil, and vanilla.
add the wet ingredients to the dry, and use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients together. then cover the bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
in the meantime, preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. remove the dough from the fridge and fold the berries in. turn the dough out onto the parchment lined baking sheet.
dust your hands and the top of the dough with cassava flour and form it into a round with a 1 1/2-inch thickness. use a sharp knife to cut the dough in half, and then in fourths. (the dough will be sticky, this is ok.) pat the 4 pieces of dough into rounds with about 1 1/2-inch thickness. lightly brush the tops with egg white (if using).
bake for 18-23 minutes, until the tops and edges are golden. let them cool before eating. scones can be stored at room temperature covered by a piece of parchment for about 3 days. alternatively, you can store these in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, and reheat them in your toaster/oven.