Here is a new recipe that I have come up with for Biscuits. Being from Georgia (in the deep South of the USA), I grew up on biscuits. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus snacks...there were always biscuits available. I remember blueberry roly-poly desserts made with biscuit dough.
Most everyone I knew made "cat head" biscuits, not rolled and cut ones. I've tried so many gluten free biscuit recipes. Maybe the authors weren't Southerners...or maybe they've never tried a Georgia or Alabama biscuit. My husband ate them but he didn't exactly smile.
So after lots of tries, I finally made a batch that DID make him smile...and eat half the pan at one sitting. Success.
My flour mix is from Carol Fenster's Sorghum blend found here:
http://www.carolfenstercooks.com/index.php/2011/08/carols-sorghum-flour-blend/
I used the corn starch instead of potato starch because I was out of potato starch.
Miss Connie's Southern Cat Head Biscuits
makes 10 medium
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare baking pan by lining it with parchment paper, then greasing or
spraying the paper. You could also grease the pan directly. The pan can be 9 x 9 square, or a round pan, or a rectangular brownie-type pan.
Mix in a bowl with a whisk:
1 1/2 cups sorghum blend flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch (or other starch)
1 T sugar
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 T baking powder
By hand, cut in
2 Tablespoons crisco or other shortening.
In another small bowl, mix
almost 1 cup milk (animal or vegan)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Or use 1 cup buttermilk
Note: you most likely will not use all of the milk but you never know...
USING HANDS ONLY.
Add milk, about 1/4 cup at a time. Gently and quickly begin working your dough. As the milk absorbs, add some more, work it in. Continue adding a bit of milk at a time until all the flour is dampened. There's a certain texture that just feels "right". You'll recognize it after a couple of batches. Kneading is not necessary and would overwork the dough if you used that method.
Pull off a piece about 2 1/2 inches around. Gently compress into a ball between your palms, pressing softly. Mash softly to make a circle that's higher in the middle than the edges. Your hands (cupped palms) should naturally form this shape.
Place on prepared pan, continue with the rest of the dough. Usually there's enough for one final "baby biscuit" that's smaller than the rest. This is a perfect treat for a child, or a hungry friend who doesn't want to wait until the bread is served.
Put a tiny bit of butter or dab a little oil on the top of each biscuit for a wonderful crust. Bake until the top of the biscuits are lightly tan /browned. My oven takes 15-20 minutes. Each oven is different, so timing your perfect batch is more a matter of sight than the clock.
Let the biscuits cool until you can comfortably hold them. They should be pretty well set by then. Then if you want to split them the crumb will be not so gummy.
I'd love to know how yours turned out. And feel free to ask any questions.
