Since tasting (and falling in love with) Siete tortilla chips, I have been dying to do some baking experiments with cassava flour. Market-fresh plums presented the perfect opportunity!

Cassava is a South American root vegetable, and its flour can be substituted for all-purpose in a 1:1 ratio to make gluten-free/grain-free treats. I added about 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum per cup of cassava (advised by something I read via Google) to give my dough a bit of elasticity, but in future recipes I’ll use a bit less – if any, as the scones turned out slightly gummier than I’d like (but were still delicious).

The scone dough inspiration comes from a photocopied recipe of my grandmother’s titled “Very Good Scones”. I subbed cassava flour for the all-purpose, cream for milk, and balsamic roasted plums for dried cranberries. I’d recommend eating these as soon as they are out of the oven, but they held quite well for a day or two in an airtight container.

Balsamic Roasted Plum Scones

• 4 ripe plums, sliced
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 cups cassava flour
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup cream

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spread the plums on a parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Roast the plums for about 15 minutes until they are soft and lightly browned.

Reduce the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the cassava flour, xanthan gum, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With your fingers or a pastry cutter, work in the butter until the dough has developed small clumps – about the size of peas. Add the egg and cream, and gently mix the dough together. Carefully fold in the prepared plums. Move the dough to a flat surface, and mold into a disc. Cut into rounds or triangles, and bake for about 15-20 minutes.

Serve warm with an ample side of butter.

The clafoutis recipe came from Savour, with the substitutions of cassava flour for all-purpose (plus xanthan gum), plums for cherries, and a slight reduction in sugar. Though clafoutis is traditionally made with cherries, it was delicious with plums, and I’d love to try it with other stone fruit. This dessert does not save well, but I did read that the batter can be made up to two days ahead of baking. If making again, I would definitely serve with a dollop of whipped cream!