Welcome to Week V of A Gluten-Free Holiday, the event conceived by Amy of Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, designed to bring you lots of GF holiday food ideas every Thursday right through to Christmas! This week’s topic is Breakfasts and Brunch–so of course, I just *had* to volunteer to host this one. It’s no secret that breakfast is my very favorite meal of the day! I’ve got a new favorite recipe to share, too (at the end of this post).
Here at A Gluten-Free Holiday, we’re giving away two cookbooks today–both filled with yummy vegan recipes! For information about how to enter to win, keep on reading! Here’s what’s on offer this week:
One reader will win a copy of Jennifer Katzinger’s Gluten Free and Vegan Holidays. This book offers recipes for holidays throughout the year. I took a peek on amazon.com and it looks like a beautiful book!
And. . . .
A second reader is eligible to win a copy of my book, Sweet Freedom! (If you eat gluten-free, please note that only about 30% of the recipes in the book are gluten free; the rest use spelt and/or barley flours. You can always replace those with all-purpose GF flour, however; I’ve tried it on more than a dozen recipes and it works just fine!). All the recipes are free of refined sugars, wheat, eggs and dairy.
Here’s How to Enter the Giveaway:
To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite breakfast food is. And please do feel free to link up your own recipes so that others can find some inspiration as well! Every recipe you link counts as an extra entry.
You can also enter again with any or all of the following additional methods. For each one, please come back and leave a separate comment telling me that you did so:
The first time I ate home-baked scones was a bit of a revelation for me. I was in Windsor, Ontario, visiting my former university room mate over the Christmas holidays. After an afternoon spent chattering like hungry chipmunks, we relaxed over a homecooked dinner of lasagna and one too many glasses of wine before calling it a night. I awoke the next morning to the characteristic hissing and bubbling of the coffee maker, my nose leading me toward the beckoning aromas in the kitchen. There at the counter was my roomie (let’s call her Marilyn) slicing cinnamon scones from a pan, setting them on plates and topping each with a dollop of freshly whipped cream. She proffered a mug of java and a plate; the biscuit was still warm, the cream melting and beginning to run in rivulets down the sides of the pastry.
I was in awe: you mean you could make those things from scratch?
In school, Marilyn was a lively, chatty woman with a hearty laugh, someone who embodied the term “joie de vivre“; clearly, she loved life. Also, she loved men. She loved everything about them, and she made it look so easy: chatting was easy, laughing was easy, dating was easy–in word, Marilyn was easy.
Marilyn had perfected the art of flirting and could attract more men in five minutes than the words I could type in that time span (and I’m a pretty fast typist. Then again, Marilyn was pretty fast, too.). But apart from her social talents, who would guess that she could bake as well? I mean, one doesn’t usually associate scones and sex (though I suppose that whipped cream is another matter altogether.). Once she shared the recipe with me as she baked up a fresh batch, I was astounded at how simple it was to whip up such delicious delicacies by hand.
I transcribed the recipe (which, as I recall, made use of an alarming amount of Crisco shortening), and once I returned to Toronto, I went to town baking scones. I haven’t lost my admiration since.
A few weeks ago, I spied a recipe for Oatmeal Poppyseed Biscuits in an in-house magazine put out by one of our local supermarkets. My thoughts turned to a bulk bag of poppyseeds I’d bought a while back, sitting abandoned in the back of my cupboard, and I decided to whip up my own, ACD-friendly, version of the biscuits.
I couldn’t be happier with this recipe. The biscuits rise high and light, with a delicate crumb that’s just sturdy enough for slathering with coconut butter or homemade cranberry-apple compote. The oats add a lovely textural contrast and an alternate kind of flakiness, that you might find in butter-laden ones.
The HH adored these little cakes and quickly scarfed down two of them.
“So, can I have another one of those?” he asked, the plate already in his hand, outstretched toward the cookie sheet.
I laughed and glanced back at him from my post at the kitchen table, where I was laying out the cakes to photograph them. ”Ah, we’ll have to see,” I teased, lowering my chin and batting my eyelashes. “I’ll consider giving you a taste, but then what will you give me?” (Hmm. Could it be Marilyn taught me more than simply how to make scones?).
He raised an eyebrow and smiled a crooked smile. “Your wish is my command,” he replied.
Oatmeal Poppyseed Scones (suitable for ACD Stage 3 and beyond)
These are a perfect addition to your weekend breakfast or brunch. The dough comes together incredibly quickly, and the scones can go from idea to table for a freshly baked, warm and inviting breadstuff in under 30 minutes.
2/3 cup (160 ml) old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick-cook)
1 Tbsp (30 ml) poppy seeds
2-1/2 tsp (12. 5 ml) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1 ml) baking soda
1/4 tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt
1 tsp (5 ml) xanthan gum
3 Tbsp (45 ml) solid (cold) extra virgin coconut oil, preferably organic, plus an extra 1 Tbsp (15 ml), melted, for brushing tops of scones
3/4 tsp (3.5 ml) apple cider vinegar
enough unsweetened plain or vanilla soy or almond milk to make 2/3 cup (160 ml) with the vinegar
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla
10-15 drops plain or vanilla liquid stevia, to your taste
Preheat oven to 425F (220 C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, poppyseeds, baking powder, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum; whisk to blend. Stir in the oats and set aside.
Pour the apple cider vinegar into a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 2/3 cup (160 ml) total. Add the vanilla and stevia and stir to blend. Set aside.
Drop the coconut oil in chunks over the flour in the bowl. Using a pastry cutter or a wide-tined fork, cut the oil into the flour to create pea-sized bits (don’t over mix the oil into the flour–it’s okay if there is still a lot of flour that’s not mixed with the oil). Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and quickly toss with a fork until it comes together in a rather soft dough.
Using a large ice cream scoop or 1/3 cup measuring cup, scoop the dough and place mounds on the cookie sheet. Use a floured hand or the back of a silicone spatula to gently flatten the top of each scone. Melt the final tbsp (15 ml) of oil and gently brush the scones with oil. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Allow to cool 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack. Serve warm with coconut butter or jam (or both). Makes 6-8 biscuits. May be frozen.
If you’re interested in previous Gluten Free Holiday posts, here’s what’s been going on so far:
This month’s SOS (Sweet or Savory) Kitchen Challenge asked readers to whip up dishes with spinach, and wow, did you ever take on this challenge with gusto! We received a dozen fantastic, creative recipes to try that all highlight the super-healthy leafy green. And yes, a few desserts are included as well!
Thanks to everyone who entered the challenge this month. As always, if you’ve submitted a recipe and I forgot to include it here, please let me know asap so I can add it to the list.
Here’s what’s on the menu with spinach:
THE SAVORY CONTRIBUTIONS:
Our very first entry was from Janet at Taste Space (Toronto) –a colorful and delicious Quinoa and Butternut Squash Spinach Salad with Cranberry and Pear. Well, I think the title tells you everything you need to know–doesn’t that just sound delectable? This savory salad is also a bit sweet with the pear and cranberries. Suitable for gluten free, vegan, sugar free, egg free and dairy free diets.
Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes (Dundee, Scotland) offers up a great recipe for Spicy Spinach and Potato Curry adapted from a recipe she found in one huge tome of a cookbook. Her pics look great (and check out the gratuitious cuteness of her new baby, Cooper!) This recipe is suitable for gluten free, soy-free, vegan, and ACD diets (contains coconut milk).
Kiersten from Full of Beans (Charlotte, NC )’s vegan Coconut Curried Chickpeas and Spinach looks like the perfect quick weekday dinner. I love a good curry, and with chickpeas AND spinach, you can’t go wrong with this one! Vegan, soy-free, gluten free, ACD-friendly and otherwise nut-free.
A double savory whammy comes to us from Lisa of Vegan Cookbook Critic (Toronto). First up, Lisa created a quick and easy savory Avocado-Spinach Spread–just look at the deep emerald color of that dip!
She also “uncooked” some gorgeously green Spinach-Hemp Flatbreads on which to spread it. Unlike many other dehydrated flatbreads, these remain soft, perfect for sandwiches. These both are vegan, dairy free, gluten free, raw, and sugar free.
Mom at the Gluten-Free Edge (Georgetown, Texas) decided that her Spinach Mushroom Pie should undergo a vegan revamp for this month’s entry! This is her remake of a long-time favorite recipe, and it worked out beautifully. The recipe is gluten free and vegan.
Chaya from The Comfy Cook is back this month with a fabulous Oriental Rice Pizza. This savory dish is filled with veggies and is a snap to make with its rice-based crust. It’s gluten free, sugar free and dairy free.
Johanna of Green Gourmet Giraffe (Melbourne, Australia) offers a cheezy spinach-based soup this month with her Pumpkin, Bean and Spinach Soup. While the recipe itself looks delicious, half the fun of the recipe is Johanna’s recounting of the experimentation that led her to it. And doesn’t the concept of tofu croutons just sound fabulous?
Valerie of City Life Eats (Washington, DC) has created a Lemony Spinach Pepita Pesto. With a unique combination of ingredients, this pesto would be delicious on more than just pasta. It’s gluten free, vegan, nut free, sugar free and ACD-friendly.
Aubree Cherie, who blogs at Living Free (Kennett Square, PA), decided to move out of her usual spinach zone with these Almond Spinach Biscuits. A great savory biscuit with a hint of sweet (dried cranberries), these treats were gobbled up by her significant other in no time. Definitely a fun (and delicious) recipe. Gluten free, sugar free, vegan and ACD-friendly.
My event partner, Kim at Affairs of Living, cooked up a fabulous Creamy Spinach and Celeriac Soup for those days when you crave something rich and healthy at the same time. The recipe is vegan, gluten free, sugar free, ACD friendly, soy free and nut free.
My savory contribution this month is a Classic Tofu Quiche recipe that I’ve had for years but never thought to post. The millet crust helps to make it quick, easy, and delicious! It’s gluten free, sugar free and vegan.
THE SWEET CONTRIBUTIONS (Yes, even spinach has a sweet side!):
Rachel from My Munchable Musings (WA) treated us to two sweet recipes this month! First up are these Spring Picnic Cupcakes, her take on the classic Strawberry and Spinach Salad–in a sweet mini confection! She’s also included a great bit of additional history and nutritional information about spinach here. These are wheat free, sugar free and vegan.
Rachel also created these adorable Green Thumb Print Cookies, that are gluten free! I love how the strawberry sits perfectly in the thumb print–seriously yummy looking. These are gluten free, sugar free and vegan.
Kim’s second contribution this month is her Invisible Spinach Smoothie. While you may have enjoyed smoothies with spinach before, this quick and easy recipe contains another veggie that you might not expect. Vegan, ACD-friendly, gluten free.
Finally, my sweet contribution is this Green Monster Muffin. Based on the concept of green smoothies, these muffins offer up spinach in a slightly sweet, hearty breakfast baked good. I’ve used chopped apples, but you could add in raisins or even chocolate chips to the mix if you like. Vegan, sugar free, gluten free.
Thanks again to everyone who played along this month. Enjoy these recipes until next month, when Kim–our hostess for June’s Challenge–will announce the new SOS ingredient.
[Grain-free biscuits as a base for Nectarine Shortcakes. . . ACD-friendly!]
Today’s post will be a short one*, as I’m still frantically marking essays in preparation for our final exams tomorrow (and then more marking!). But I’ve been wanting to post this for days and have been too busy baking up a storm for yesterday’s Breakfast Televisionappearance. Thanks to everyone who sent good wishes via email, comments, twitter, Facebook, etc. (and thanks again, PR Queen, for your devotion to the cause, waking up at 4:30 to help)–I really appreciated it!
I had a great time and even got to talk about some key ingredients and recipes from Sweet Freedom–so much fun! (well, maybe not having to wake up in the middle of the night–literally–in order to be at the studio by 6:30 AM. But talking about cake and frosting was fun). I’m trying to acquire a copy of the segment so I can post it online–will let you know when I get one!
But you’re not here to chat about TV (well, not exclusively, anyway), are you? And you know that I’m always tickled to chat about baking.
Now that I’ve decided to venture into the realm of baked goods once again, I’ve been playing in the kitchen and seem to have permanent flour dust on my cheeks. After five months with neither flours nor sweeteners (not to mention a host of other ingredients), and even though I’m thrilled with the weight loss, I did sorely miss my muffins, quick breads, bars, cookies, cakes–you get the idea.
Enter grain-free coconut flour, bean flours and buckwheat flour–and a very steep learning curve. And now, make room for biscuits!
My first attempt at grain-free baking, the Grain-Free Lemony Almond Pancakes, were a huge hit, both at home and on this blog. Today’s Coconut Flour Biscuits are my latest effort, and I have to say I’m equally happy with the results (if eating 2 biscuits a day for a week is any indicator of “happy”).
Actually, it’s probably a good thing I’m not yet back to baking my usual treats for now. Clearly, I still have no self control when it comes to baked goods.
[Coconut Flour biscuits without embellishments. . . .]
These scones were the result of my yearningneeddesperation desire to create something that approximated a baked good without actually being a conventional baked good. Rather than use chickpea flour once again (as I did in both of these), I wanted something different to provide a lighter texture and appearance.
Then I remembered my bag of coconut flour in the freezer. I’d purchased it on a previous foray to Whole Foods, where I’d been dazzled by the tempting array of photoshop-perfect produce, local and artisanal crackers and breads, refrigerated glass cases resplendent with Basil-Lime-Chili Tofu (a favorite), spelt berry salads, roasted veggies, veggie patties, tofu “steaks,” even kale and seaweed salad (and all available to sample, just for the asking!).
I spied a bag of coconut flour and, having read a lot about it and its astonishing ability to absorb moisture and contribute additional fiber to dishes (it’s apparently got 61% fiber–the highest of any flour), how could I resist? I figured I’d sprinkle 1/4 cup here, 1/4 cup there to various baked goods. I made something (can’t remember what), then plopped the bag into the freezer for later use, and haven’t touched it since.
[. . . or slathered with almond butter for a delicious breakfast.]
Until now, that is. Well, when I swung open the freezer the other day and noticed the bag sitting there, my spirits lagged as soon as I read the “best before” date. Like a cheerleader on prom night, that flour was about to go bad. I knew I had to save it! I concocted some biscuits and ate two right away. (I wasn’t being a glutton. I was saving that flour from itself, so to speak.)
I’m thrilled this recipe worked out, as I’ve finally got something substantial on which I can slather nut butter for breakfast, and there’s no guilt about diverging from the ACD. They are also the base for that colorful shortcake at the top of the post (variation included below).
These are dense yet tender, without a pronounced coconut flavor. While they’re not a perfect reproduction of conventional biscuits, they were still tasty enough to pass the “HH Test.” In fact, I was forced to bake up a second batch after the HH tried them, because he ate two in a row.
Now that I’ve discovered such a great use for the flour, I should have no problem finishing up that bag. It felt good to be able to use it before it expired. Oh, and to be baking again.
*Well, short for me, anyway, as loquacious as I am. Brings to mind a joke my friend Sterlin and I started in highschool, during the era of four-hour phone marathons: during a particularly busy time one evening, I called Sterline to chat. After the hellos, she warned me: “I really can’t stay on the phone tonight. Half an hour,max.”
Grain Free Coconut Flour Biscuits
Surprisingly light, these biscuits are perfect for breakfast or as an accompaniment to a saucy dish. While they’re not as cakelike as conventional biscuits, they make a great substitute that can satisfy a craving for carbs in a low-carb treat.
1 Tbsp (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus enough soy, almond or rice milk to equal 1 cup (240 ml)
1-1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) pure vanilla extract
3 Tbsp (45 ml) finely ground flax seeds
1 Tbsp (15 ml) agave nectar, light or dark, or 10 drops stevia
2 Tbsp (30 ml) melted organic coconut oil, plus 1 Tbsp (15 ml) for brushing tops
3/4 tsp (3.5 ml) baking powder
3/4 tsp (3.5 ml) baking soda
1/4 tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp (135 ml) coconut flour
3 Tbsp (45 ml) buckwheat flour (or use chickpea or whole bean flour)
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment, or spray with nonstick spray.
Place the 1 Tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice in the bottom of a glass measuring cup, and add milk until the liquid measures 1 cup (240 ml). Add the vanilla, flax and agave or stevia to the cup and stir; whisk in the 2 Tbsp (30 ml) melted coconut oil until evenly combined. Set aside while you measure the dry ingredients, or at least 2 minutes.
In a medium bowl, sift the coconut flour, buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and stir quickly just to blend. Do not overmix. The mixture will seem a bit soft initially but will absorb the liquid fairly quickly; this is as it should be. (If using buckwheat flour, you may need to add 1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) more milk to attain the desired texture). The mixture should be softer than a regular dough, yet still hold together, almost like a thick cookie dough.
Using a large scoop or 1/3 cup (80 ml) measuring cup, scoop the batter and place mounds on the cookie sheet. Flatten each mound slightly with your palm or a silicon spatula.
Bake for 12 minutes in preheated oven. Remove from the oven and brush very gently with the final 1 Tbsp (15 ml) melted coconut oil (the biscuits will be very delicate and can squish easily). Rotate the pan and return to the oven for another 12-15 minutes, until tops are very deep golden brown–do not underbake! Remove from oven and cool on cookie sheet, then carefully remove for storage. Makes 6 biscuits. May be frozen.
NOTE: if you try to eat these while they are still warm, the centers may seem too moist. Once they cool, however, the texture changes.
Nectarine Shortcake Variation:
1 batch biscuits (or you can use your own favorite biscuits for this)
Cut cooled biscuits in half horizontally. Cover the bottom half with some nectarine slices and a dollop of cream. Top with the other half of the biscuit and more cream. Savor. Makes 6 servings.
The close friendship between my buddy Sterlin and me was soldered back in high school, when we first discovered that we were the only two girls in the entire school who had never had a boyfriend (well, I guess there was “BB,” too, but we figured that sleeping with the entire senior class had to count for something).
This revelation prompted an immediate sense of community between us, after which we spent endless hours (in the way that only teenagers can) on the telephone, musing about why we didn’t have a boyfriend, how much we wished we could have a boyfriend, what we would do if we ever got a boyfriend, and what it was other girls like BB had that we didn’t, allowing them to seemingly conjure streams of drooling boys trailing behind them like empty cans tied to a “Just Married” car bumper. Entirely unjustly, we thought, these girls enjoyed a surfeit of boyfriends, while we had to make do with an unrequited crush on our French teacher, Mr. Krauser.
But then, we discovered historical romance novels, and our focus shifted. You know the ones: innocent, nubile, yet spunky lass is swept away (usually literally) by swaggering, swarthy, self-assured rake with a (very well hidden) heart of gold. Over time, he wins her devotion, while she tames his savage nature. Well, we were spunky, weren’t we? Sterlin and I began to daydream, starry-eyed, about meeting a similar hero (even though we never fully understood exactly what a “rake” was) and riding off into the sunset, where he’d unravel the secrets of our nascent womanhood and we would charm his wild heart.
In the books, at least, we could get close to the most desirable of men. For some reason, these novels (at least, the ones I remember) all sported titles pairing two nouns, representing male and female: there was The Wolf and the Dove, and The Flame and The Flower (both Kathleen E. Woodiwiss masterworks) or perhaps The Raven and The Rose or The Pirate and thePagan (both by Virginia Henley). And let’s not forget my favorite, The French Teacher and the Girl with Braces and Long Hair Parted in the Middle Who Liked to Bake (okay, my memory may be a bit fuzzy on that one–high school was a long time ago!).
Well, given our combined paucity of feminine wilesflirting abilitylacy lingerie boyfriend-attracting attributes, we eventually decided to woo our guys with food (the way to a man’s heart, and all that). So Sterlin developed Date Pasta as her staple, while I attempted to perfect an ideal chocolate cheesecake, or brownie, or even muffin (since, you know, I had high hopes of my imaginary beau staying for breakfast).
Those erstwhile romantic efforts came back to me in a flash last week after I’d been browsing through some old cookbooks. Previously, I’d had a little email exchange with Lisa (Show Me Vegan) about buying or keeping cookbooks we no longer really use, or those that contain only a smattering of recipes still relevant to our newly acquired dietary habits.
One such tome in my collection is called The Breakfast Book, by Diana Terry (and though I’ve owned this book since the 1980s, I never realized until today that it was published in Australia–which, I may have mentioned, is the land of my dreams, with its picturesque vistas, lush wilderness, stunning cities, enviable weather, and dashing, rakish Aussie gentelmen–all of whom just happen to speak with that sexy Australian accent).
Ah, yes, well. Pardon me: back to the book. Terry offers a sample menu for a brunch with a decidedly orange theme. The lucky boyfriend guest is treated to Champagne with Grand Marnier, Scrambled Eggs with Wholemeal Brioches, Fresh Fruit with Ricotta-Orange Dip, and Viennese-Style Coffee. Of course, none of the recipes would suit me in its present form, but that certainly didn’t stop this spunky gal.
After reading about the citrus-suffused eggs that were then gingerly ladled over a split brioche, its top placed rakishly askew, I asked myself: “Who said tofu scrambles should be savory, anyway? Why not sweet? And why must they always be one shade shy of neon yellow? And couldn’t my own, homemade, biscuits stand in for a brioche? And just what does “rakishly” actually mean, anyway?”
So I created this scramble, which is slightly sweet and not too yellow. And it’s very creamy. And it has orange zest and juice in it. And you ladle it gingerly over the bottom of a carob and raisin biscuit, the top of which is placed rakishly askew over it.
And may I just say–I ended up loving this dish. In fact, our affair bordered on the torrid. Who needs a boyfriend? I’d rather eat this*. But if you’re feeling generous, go ahead and share it with your wolf, or your flame, or your rake.
[PS. Giveaway, as promised, will be announced in my next post--stay tuned!]
*Okay, not really. If I had to choose between a sweet tofu scramble and my sweet HH, of course the HH would win out. But just barely.
This dish makes a lovely first course for a brunch, and looks fairly impressive, too. If your biscuits are not the rakish kind, then just serve them in a basket with jams and spreads alongside the scramble. Add a crisp, green salad, for a full meal.
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 Tbsp. (30 ml.) extra virgin olive oil, preferably organic
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. (90 ml.) natural smooth almond butter
2 Tbsp. (30 ml.) tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/4 tsp. (1 ml.) turmeric
2 Tbsp. (30 ml.) nutritional yeast
1/8 tsp. fine sea salt
zest of one large orange, preferably organic
juice of one large orange (about 1/3 cup or 80 ml.)
1 Tbsp. (15 ml.) pure maple syrup
1/4 cup (60 ml.) water
1/4 cup (60 ml.) fresh parsley, chopped fine
1 block (about 400 g.) firm or extra-firm tofu (the kind in its own plastic wrapper, not in a tub filled with water)
4-6 biscuits, warm (you can use my recipe, below, or another one)
In a large frypan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté over medium-low heat, stirring often, until onions soften and begin to caramelize, 10-15 minutes.
While the onions cook, combine the almond butter, tahini, turmeric, nutritional yeast, sea salt, zest, juice, maple syrup and water in a small bowl. Whisk to create a creamy sauce.
Rinse the tofu and crumble it into scrambled-egg-like bits, or dice into small cubes. (If you have time, you can press it first to remove some of the moisture, but this isn’t necessary).
Once the onions are cooked, pour the sauce into the pan and top with the tofu. Stir to coat all the tofu bits with sauce. Add the parsley and stir it into the mixture. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until heated through, 3-5 minutes.
Cut the biscuits in half and place the bottoms on single-serving plates. Spoon a generous serving of the tofu over the bottom and cover each with the tops, at–you guessed it–a rakish angle. Makes 4-6 servings.
Carob and Raisin Biscuits
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. (90 ml.) plain or vanilla soy or almond milk
2 Tbsp. (30 ml.) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing tops
1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml.) apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. (5 ml.) Sucanat or other unrefined evaporated cane juice
1/3 cup (35 g.) raisins
1/2 cup (70 g.) whole spelt flour
1/4 cup (35 g.) light spelt flour
1/4 cup (35 g.) carob powder
1 tsp. (5 ml.) cinnamon
2 tsp. (10 ml.) baking powder
1/4 tsp. (1 ml.) fine sea salt
Preheat oven to 425F (220C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray.
In a small bowl, whisk together the soymilk, oil, vinegar and Sucanat. Add the raisins and stir to coat them with the liquid mixture; set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, carob powder, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Pour the wet mixture over the dry and stir just until the mixture comes together in a soft dough.
Using a large ice cream scoop or 1/3 cup measuring cup, scoop the dough onto the cookie sheet 2 inches (5 cm.) apart. Wet your palms and flatten each biscuit slightly.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, then remove the pan and brush the tops of the biscuits with more olive oil. Rotate the pan and bake another 5-10 minutes, until the biscuits are well browned and dry. Allow to cool about 5 minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely. Makes 4-5 biscuits. May be frozen.
[Grain-free biscuits as a base for Nectarine Shortcakes. . . ACD-friendly!]
