Gluten-free Vegan Pumpkin Scones

This last week of October has been incredibly busy but also amazingly good. I’ve been immersing myself in the things I love to do most – and between writing, photography and cooking, and pilates which I started a month ago, I’ve got a pretty full plate.

Writing in my journal the other day, I suddenly realized that we’re already almost in November. I sucked in my breath hard when I saw November on the calendar. It came as a shock to me, in the way the end of the year always does.

Time has been moving too fast this year, and while November is my favorite month, I’m not ready for the year to end just yet: 2016 has been beautiful, and I want it to go on for as long as possible.

But I know that it’s been a great  year, and the many changes that have come into my life have only been for good. I’m grateful and aware that I’m more than blessed, and that my life is overflowing with blessings that I never could have imagined.

When I look back at the start of this year, I wish I could tell the Felicia back then a couple of things: that everything would turn out better than you expected; that leaving a corporate job for a freelance career would be the best decision ever; and that you wouldn’t ever have to worry about finances.

I’d coax her to relax and just soak in the moment; to stop worrying so much about the future, because the present deserves your full attention. I’d say to the girl who had no idea what the next few months would look like to be open to as many new experiences as possible; because these are what will push your boundaries and stretch your limits.

And I’d also tell her to keep on going on, to build her castle brick by brick, laying the foundation for a future goal by showing up every single day. That those hours and days of effort that don’t seem to have any significant impact will actually create a big difference one day. That the trick is not in being quick and impulsive, but steady and determined.

That life is really just one big puzzle all the adults (even the mature 90-year-olds) are still trying to figure out day after day, so chill and don’t fret because you haven’t got your life all mapped out yet.

In one year, I’ve learned that if you want something, you have to reach out and go for it. I’ve seen how happiness is only a matter of trying out new things and finding out that you actually love them.

A year is a long time yet also considerably short in the span of an entire life; it’s long enough to learn important lessons, but short enough so that the setbacks we experience shouldn’t pull us down.

This has been a crazy awesome year so far. And I’m so grateful for everything.

Today, I’m sharing a recipe for gluten-free vegan pumpkin scones that I adapted slightly from my pumpkin muffins recipe. I made these scones in a jiffy right after pilates yesterday, because I wanted something sweet for the afternoon lull.

To be exact, I made them in 30 minutes flat, and yes, that’s precisely how simple they are to make.

Here’s how you can make them today.

Start off by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

In a large bowl, whisk brown rice flour, sorghum flour, cornstarch, tapioca starch, xantham gum, sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking powder together.

In another bowl, mix the vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, water, maple syrup and vegetable oil until combined.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir well until you get a homogeneous dough. You may need to use your hands to knead the dough a little, but that’s ok. Just make sure to flour your hands with tapioca starch before doing so.

Sprinkle tapioca starch on a piece of parchment paper or silpat and place the dough on it, shaping it first into a rough ball before rolling it out with a rolling pin to 1-inch thickness.

Using a cookie cutter or small round glass, cut out small circles of dough (I got 12 circles of dough, but this number depends on how small or large your cookie cutter is).

Place the dough circles on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 12 t0 14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a scone comes out clean. Allow the scones to cool briefly before eating them, and enjoy!

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