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Your scones don't rise because they're sad about being cut into those terrible triangular shapes! Scones ("skon") are round. There is simply no other way! But besides my being a rigid traditionalist, the roundness encourages even rising all round (corners stick). Also, I'll repeat what has been said: you have to use a sharp cutter with a thin edge. Dull or thick edges "seal" the layers and don't allow for as much rising. I was raised with baking powder and butter scones. Butter to be cut in, then rubbed in. Wet and dry mixed 'til just incorporated. No buttermilk or sour cream, although there might have been a little lemon juice (it's been 8 years). The texture should be such that they can be split apart by hand. Not as dense as cake, not as flaky as a N. American biscuit (thinking Red Lobster). Now go out there and make hundreds of happy round scones! ::climbs off soap box::

Oh... my... now <i>this</i> is food porn! It's going in my "spank bank" (I like to eat grilled maple bacon-peanut butter-cream cheese sandwiches, but never thought of expanding it into cheesecake form!)

I am a celiac, so I appreciate what you are trying to do for the gluten free populace. I'm not a huge fan of bread (never have been) so I have unfortunately not explored that area of GF baking and have not yet encountered (in my city) a GF bread that has the "correct" texture for bruschetta or crostini, whether pre-baked or in mix form. However, in the States you have a lot more access to smaller, independent bakeries and food companies. (Please forgive this next bit if it is information you are already familiar with!) I have to second what gbbaker said with regards to cross contamination. It might seem that celiacs overreact to this issue, but the sad truth is that cross contam. happens on a molecular level and, depending on the sensitivity of the individual celiac, the results are serious to varying degrees. There is a bakery in my city that produces both regular and GF products and, even though they have a side of the kitchen dedicated to being GF and bake on different days, I get sick if I eat their products. One of my celiac friends gets sick simply from walking through the bakery section of the grocery store if they happen to be baking (inhaled flour particles)! If you plan to produce your own breads, you will need to be very careful about cleaning ovens, baking sheets, pans etc. You will need to have duplicates of wooden equipment (wood is porous). In addition, staff will have to be trained to be very vigilant and to take the disease seriously. It isn't an allergy; it isn't someone being picky; it isn't a fear of carbs - it's a very real, incurable, auto-immune condition. My best advice - if you seriously would like to pursue this option - is to consult with your local chapter of the Celiac Association. The celiacs will thank you Best of luck (and my apologies again for being a Crusader )

Vanilla ice cream and *heavily* cilantro-laden salsa. It's a flavour "sensation" that does not so much linger, as permeate I can't resist a food dare, to my obvious detriment.

Thank you, K8. Now I just need to get over my habit of lurking and join in! I haven't tried that mix; we're somewhat limited to what's readily available here and the product lineup changes frequently. I will keep an eye out though, or see if one of the health food stores here can order it in. Crisco is... unnatural. I can taste it from across the room and it's not a taste I enjoy. Again, I didn't grow up with it, so my palate isn't accustomed to that particular flavour sensation. My husband made a couple of pies one afternoon as a special treat, only to have me wrinkle my face up and stare accusingly at this blatant attempt to "poison" me I ate the filling, but just could not get over the Crisco taste. I know, I don't deserve nice things.

I had never seen a "box cake" until I came to Canada in 2001. I guess there *must* be insta-cake available in South Africa, but I have never come across it. I was raised on scratch cakes and even cakes that were bought came from a local Dutch bakery that made from scratch. The "tuis nywerheid" ("home industry" - small co-op stores) offerings that were especially helpful for the 7am Mom-I-forgot-I-need-cake-for-school-today emergencies, were also all made from scratch by women whose families had been doing so for generations. Generally I don't like the taste or texture of box cake. I find it too sweet and the texture is spongy and weird in my mouth. There's also the sameness of flavour that is disappointing. Don't even get me started on the idea of icing/frosting from a can! That said, since going gluten free in April 2005 (celiac disease) my tune has changed. I'm getting the hang of baking without that wonderful, evil protein, but there's a white/yellow mix by Celimix that I would go so far as to say is better than any regular mix I've tasted. Goes together in a snap, always bakes perfectly, has a great texture - even more so for being gluten free - and lasts for days. How the mighty have fallen