Gluten-Free Makeovers (26 page)
Read Gluten-Free Makeovers Online
Authors: Beth Hillson
¾ cup milk, soy milk, or other milk
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 cups Self-Rising Flour (page 16)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter or non-dairy buttery spread, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons organic shortening cut into small pieces
Cream or milk of choice for brushing
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the milk with the cider vinegar. Set aside.
Combine the flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the knife attachment. Pulse two or three times to blend. Place the butter and shortening pieces over the top of the flour. Pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Add the milk and pulse until the dough pulls away from the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper. (Be careful to keep fingers away from the knife blade. It’s very sharp.) Knead the dough and pat into a circle about ¾ inch thick. Use a 2- or 3-inch biscuit cutter to cut out biscuits. Try not to twist the biscuit cutter as you remove it from the dough. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Gather the remaining dough and roll out again, cutting out as many biscuits as you can. Repeat until all the dough is used. Brush the tops with cream.
Place in the center of the oven. Lower the temperature to 375°F and bake 18 to 22 minutes or until the tops are slightly browned.
Serve warm with jam and/or butter.
Tip
:
Adding cider vinegar to a baking powder–soda dough gives extra lift to gluten-free baked products.
MAKES 16 TO 18
I made these
for breakfast one day when I had out-of-town visitors and found myself short on time and ingredients. These sconelike cookies called for something crunchy and all I had was gluten-free granola flavored with bananas and dates. It inspired this recipe, which I’ve since converted, to use two favorite ingredients of mine—banana and dates. Now I always keep them on hand just to make this recipe.
¾ cup sweet white sorghum flour
¾ cup brown rice flour
½ cup tapioca starch/flour
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter or buttery non-dairy spread, cut into small pieces
2 large eggs
½ cup buttermilk (or soy milk combined with 2 teaspoons cider vinegar)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup coarsely chopped dried banana slices
¾ cup chopped dates
Additional buttermilk or soy milk for brushing
Additional brown sugar for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Combine the sorghum flour, brown rice flour, tapioca starch/flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until the brown sugar is blended into the ingredients. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
In a separate bowl using a mixer, beat the eggs until light yellow and thick, about 3 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and beat about 1 minute. Beat in the buttermilk and vanilla until smooth. Fold in the dried banana and dates.
Using a medium scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving about 1 inch between each scone. Use a sheet of plastic wrap to gently press and smooth the scones into 1-inch-thick disks. Brush with buttermilk, sprinkle with brown sugar, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.
The cookies may be reheated. These freeze well.
