MONIKA’S GLUTEN-FREE BISCUITS

This recipe is kindly provided by my friend Monika Soria Caruso of www.windycityvegan.wordpress.com. She’s a wonderful gluten-free baker and even has her own flour blend. If you don’t want to make the custom flour and starch blend in this recipe, you can use 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (285 g) premixed gluten-free flour blend, plus extra for kneading, in place of the sorghum flour, millet flour, potato starch, and tapioca flour.

GLUTEN-FREE SOY-FREE OPTION

TOTAL PREP TIME: 45 minutes

TOTAL COOKING TIME: 20 to 25 minutes

YIELD: 12 to 16 biscuits

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup (100 g) sweet sorghum flour, plus extra for kneading
• 3/4 cup (90 g) millet flour
• Scant 1/4 cup (48 g) potato starch
• 6 tablespoons (45 g) tapioca flour or starch
• 2 teaspoons fine-grain sea salt
• 1 tablespoon (13.8 g) baking powder
• 1/2 cup (112 g) vegan shortening (such as one Earth Balance buttery margarine stick), chilled and cut into small cubes (*use soy-free)
• 1 to 1 1/3 cups (230 to 307 g) plain soy yogurt (*use coconut yogurt)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Sift the flours, starches, salt, and baking powder thoroughly in a large bowl and then transfer to a food processor. Distribute the cubes of chilled shortening evenly over the surface of the flour and pulse several times until the pieces of shortening are the size of peas.
2. Add 1 cup (230 g) of the yogurt and pulse just until incorporated. The dough will be stiff, with a few dry spots. If needed, add the remaining 1/3 cup (77 g) yogurt and pulse to incorporate. Transfer the dough to a large bowl, cover, and chill for half an hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C, or gas mark 8) and place a cookie sheet on the center rack to preheat at the same time.
4. Tear a large piece of parchment paper the size of your cookie sheet. Lay it out flat and sprinkle lightly with gluten-free flour. Turn your dough out onto the parchment paper and sprinkle the top lightly with more flour so your fingers don’t stick.
5. Pat the dough out into a 1-inch (2.5 cm) rectangle, cut in half, and stack one half onto the other. Repeat five or six times, patting the final rectangle to 1/2 to 3/4 inch (1.3 to 2 cm) tall.
6. Cut the rectangle into several small pieces (about 12 to 16). Space them out as much as you can over the piece of parchment paper. Using a peel or another baking sheet, carefully transfer the parchment paper onto the preheated cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the biscuits have turned golden.
8. These keep for up to 2 days if wrapped loosely in a dish towel but taste best if eaten the same day.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

PER BISCUIT:

• 166.8 calories; 8.2 g total fat; 2.3 g saturated fat; 2.4 g protein; 21.0 g carbohydrate; 1.0 g dietary fiber; 0 mg cholesterol.