Gluten-free pecan maple date scones perfect for winter

Pecan maple date scones (Yield 16 scones) The smell of these coming out of the oven is just incredible. The rich texture of the ground almonds and pecans, mixed with the natural sweetness of dates and maple syrup, is a favorite of mine (especially first thing in the morning). They're gluten- and wheat-free, dairy-free, high in protein and have no added refined sugars. Read on for the simple recipe:

Ingredients ½ cup of ground pecans 2 cups of ground almonds ½ cup of pecan halves and chopped dates ½ teaspoon each of baking soda and sea salt 1/3 cup both of melted coconut oil and pure maple syrup 2 eggs

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350F 2. Pre-grease a baking sheet or use parchment paper. 3. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients. 4. In a large bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. 5. Fold dry ingredients into wet by ½ cup at a time and blend. 6. Drop the batter 2 tbsp at a time, 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. 7. Bake for 12-17 minutes.

Nutrition per scone Calories 196 Saturated fat 5 g Fibre 3 g Protein 5 g Sugar 4 g

The basics of almond flour:  I love using almond flour in gluten-free baking as it's an easy way to increase the protein and fibre in a recipe and keep you feeling full all day! Almond flour is actually just blanched almonds (almonds with the skin removed) ground. Yes- that is it! Almond meal is ground almonds with the skin still on.

Almond flour works best with cookies, muffins and cakes. You'll get a much denser product but it tastes amazing!

How to substitute almond flour in your recipes: 1 cup of regular flour = 96 grams of almond flour.

- Always weigh your almond flour as it's much heavier than regular flour. - Ensure to butter or line your pans with parchment paper as almond flour tends to stick. - All almond flour products do best if you allow them to sit for a few minutes and then loosen. - For each cup of almond flour add in ½ teaspoon of baking powder.

This recipe was taken from Live The Smart Way a gluten-free and wheat-free cookbook from Kathy Smart, North America’s gluten-free expert and National Health Activist of Canada. Get more from Kathy Smart.