Recipe: Gluten-free cheddar biscuits by Tina Galhaut

These biscuits are a Sunday breakfast favorite in our household. I serve them with winter hash and poached eggs (recipe coming Feb. 8), and the leftovers make great after school sandwiches for our son Logan (just cut the biscuits in half, toast them and add organic turkey, avocado and tomato slices or your favorite sandwich fixings and enjoy)!

Gluten-Free Cheddar Biscuits

Makes 10 biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose gluten-free flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (white or orange cheddar)

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh cracked pepper (optional)

1/2 cup butter (cut into small cubes)

2/3 cups milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and cover a half sheet pan with parchment paper.

Add the gluten-free flour, salt, baking powder and cream of tartar in a large bowl, combining well.

Cut the cubed butter into the dry ingredients (with your hands, or a pastry blender or two knives) until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Add the sharp cheddar cheese and fresh cracked pepper, stir well to incorporate then add the milk and stir just until combined.

The dough will be sticky (but not wet) when you turn it out onto a (gluten-free) floured surface. Knead the dough gently with the flour until the dough no longer sticks to the surface. Since gluten-free dough is finicky, keep the handling to a minimum by shaping the dough into a large flat circle from which biscuits are ready to be cut. Keep shifting the circle of dough as you are creating the circle to ensure it’s not sticking to the surface. Your circle should be the height you want your biscuits to be.

Using your favorite biscuit cutter (or glass jar — depending on the size you want your biscuits) cut out and place on your half sheet pan. Leave room between biscuits for a crisper biscuit and place closer together (touching) for a softer biscuit. Continue to reshape the dough until all biscuits have been formed — remember not to handle the dough too many times.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until they’re golden brown on top.

These are best served warm straight from the oven as the cheesy dough can be pulled from the cut biscuit centers and eaten (with or without butter) as a yummy prelude to the crispy biscuit!

Don’t be afraid of gluten-free baking, just keep practicing!

Tina Galhaut has been cooking, baking and living gluten-free these past four years, testing many recipes on her teenage son Logan until they are as good or better than the original. As wife, mother and co-owner of Z Bistro in North Carson, Tina and her chef husband Gilles offer many gluten-free selections on their menu. Contact Tina by email at atzbistro@gmail.com.