Old Fashioned Country Biscuits

For the lightest biscuits, the less you handle the dough, the better. A delicious country classic; like mom used to make!

2 cups GF flour blend, plus 1 T. extra for dusting

1/2 t. salt

4 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

2 T. butter, chilled and chopped into pieces

2 T. coconut oil, chilled

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk

Preheat oven to 450˚F.

Combine all dry ingredients and whisk together. Add the butter and coconut oil and work into the dry ingredients quickly, using a pastry cutter or fork. Do not allow the fat to melt. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Stir just until the dough forms a soft, moist glob. It should be sticky. But it still needs to have enough body to be able to form a very soft dough that you can cut into loose biscuits. We are not making hockey pucks here!

Plop the ball of dough onto a tea towel that has been dusted with the extra flour. With floured hands, very gently knead the dough 4 or 5 times and gently pat down  into a mound that is about 1 1/2 inches thick. Again, do not overwork the dough!

Cut biscuits with a floured drinking glass or 2.5 to 3 inch biscuit cutter and  arrange them, touching each other, in an unbuttered cake or pie pan.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden and flakey (not doughy) when pulled apart. They should read around 205˚F on an instant read

thermometer.

Makes: Eight biscuits.

Notes: For a shortcake biscuit to be used with berries and as dessert, add a

little extra sugar to the recipe and sprinkle extra sugar on top of the

biscuits just before baking.

This recipe is from the cookbook: "The Farmer's Daughter Cooks Gluten Free."

To watch a slide show "tour" of book click this link~

Pumpkin Pie Dip recipe

Dip apples and crunchy GF ginger snaps in this creamy dip for a memorable Fall treat! Great served with my molasses cookie recipe in this blog!

8 ounce package LF cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup GF powdered sugar (or substitute stevia to taste)

15 ounce can pumpkin

1 T. ground cinnamon

1 T. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 t. ground ginger

1 T. Grand Marnier, optional
1 cup plain  non-fat Greek yogurt
Ground cinnamon for dusting

In food processor, blend cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Blend in the pumpkin, spices, and liquor. Fold in the yogurt.

Chill until ready to serve. Dust top of dip with cinnamon. 

Serve on a platter with apples and gluten free ginger snaps; Enjoy!

Makes: About four cups of dip. 

This recipe is from the cookbook: "The Farmer's Daughter Cooks Gluten Free."
To see a Youtube slide show "tour" of the cookbook, click on this link:

 

Home Made Apple Butter

Tart and deep amber-colored, this apple butter is the best you will ever taste!

16-20 Granny Smith or other apple*, peeled, sliced, and chopped

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed**

½ cup honey, sorghum syrup or maple syrup

½ cup apple cider or water

1-2 T. lemon juice, fresh

½ t. ground cloves

½ t. nutmeg

2 t. cinnamon

¼ cup apple brandy, added at the end (optional)

Need: 6-8 pint sized glass jars with lids, preferably canning quality.

Place all ingredients in a large capacity crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until apples are very tender. Use an immersible blender wand to work out any lumps. Cook until mixture thickens.

Spoon hot mixture into sterilized jars leaving ½ inch head space. Place lids on jars. Place jars in a large pot full of boiling water. Bring rolling water boil 1-2 inches over the top of the jar lids and prepare in a water bath. Process fifteen to twenty minutes depending on your elevation. Remove jars and cool. Lids will make a popping sound when properly sealed.

Notes: *I used Fujis and the recipe required less sugar. **I used coconut sugar for a lower glycemic index.