Apricot Goat Cheese Rosemary Scones (gluten-free, grain-free)

I have been on a scone kick lately.  It started with the wonderful Lazy Morning raspberry scones.  Then I made Cranberry-Orange Scones, based on a slew of requests from you lovely folks. Today, it’s another wild flavor combination inspired by my baking friend Karen.  Allow me to introduce you to Apricot Goat Cheese Rosemary Scones!

These delicious little goodies are gluten-free, grain-free and I guess Paleo depending on who you ask.  I’m so perplexed by diet labels these days.  First dairy wasn’t considered Paleo and now some of my Paleo friends tell me grass-fed dairy is A-OK.  Y’all know my deal on this–if it’s real food and it makes you feel great, I say eat it.  Labels schmabels.  I’ll keep labeling my recipes to the best of my knowledge, but also ask that you folks be kind to me if I label something in a way that you disagree with.  Otherwise I’ll be forced to refund all of the money you pay to read my site. 😉

In the past I haven’t shared a whole lot of dairy in recipes, but have mentioned a few times that I function well with sheep and goat dairy, but not much cow dairy.  I do indulge in cow dairy on occasion (usually Thursdays, wine and cheese night around here), but have to be careful as it causes asthma to rear it’s ugly head if I eat a bunch of it.  My point in sharing this relates to the paragraph above.  I listen closely to my body and respect what makes my body feel best.  If a bunch of mozzarella doesn’t jive, I steer clear of it.  Gluten will never be my friend, cow dairy is at best an acquaintance.  But goats and sheep–they are my buddies.

I was doing a bit of research on apricots recently, primarily because I’m a food nerd and always trying to learn more about what I eat.  I knew that apricots were high in Vitamin A, which reportedly helps us look younger among other more important things like maintaining bone strength. I was even aware of a hefty punch of potassium in apricots, which is a super important electrolyte, especially in the heat of Summer.  What I was surprised by was the iron content! Apricots pack an iron punch similar to a serving of lentils or blackstrap molasses, both ingredients I have gobbled up in the past to help amp up my iron levels.  Isn’t it fascinating the amount of goodness that’s to be found in food that also tastes great?!?

Alrighty, enough rambling.  On to the recipe.  Make a batch of these today and have one with a tall glass of iced green tea.  The flavors go well together.  It’s usually hot tea and scones around here but it’s too warm for hot tea even early in the morning.  Enjoy!

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Apricot Goat Cheese Rosemary Scones (gluten-free, grain-free)

Author Johnna

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond meal or flour
• 1/3 cup arrowroot
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg from a Happy Hen
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup chopped , dried apricots (I prefer unsulphured)
• 4 ounces goat cheese crumbles
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine almond meal, arrowroot, baking soda and salt. Stir to combine.
3. Make a well in the dry ingredients. Add egg and honey to the well, stirring well to combine. This will be a dense, dough-y mixture.
4. Gently fold in apricots, goat cheese and rosemary.
   
5. 
6. Turn dough out onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Gently pat into an 8" circle about 3/4" thick.
   
7. Using a knife, score the circle into 8 even wedges, like cutting a pizza.
   
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes, until lightly browned on the edges.
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few moments before cutting the scones on the score lines. Serve warm or at room temperature.