Restaurant eating is one of the toughest things to maneuver when you are eating gluten free. We are usually left with few choices such as a meat with no sauce, a salad and plain veggies. As gratifying as it is to be able to eat in a restaurant with a gluten restriction, it is nearly excruciating to sit and watch your wheat eating friends devour the rolls, bread or biscuits! My mind won't stop thinking about that beautiful brown bread or the mouth-watering garlic cheese rolls and I have to bake some upon arriving home!
If your gluten free restaurant adventure leaves you feeling desperate for bread, try my much-requested, easy recipe for these soft, cheesy, garlic buttered biscuits!
You will need a food processor. There are many adaptations of this recipe on the Internet.
This is my version with the main flour ingredient being brown rice for nutritional value. If you have never baked gluten free, you will have to make a trip to the health food store for the flours and zanthan gum (made from corn and in many foods you've eaten like ice cream, sauces and salad dressings). Your initial purchase may seem a bit on the expensive side, but you will be able to create so much more than just one batch of these delicious biscuits. This flour mix can be used to make many gluten free breads and cookies! You'll find it is a much better value than trying to satisfy your gluten free bread desires with the pre-made versions on the shelves which come with an expensive price and a taste reminiscent of buttered cardboard!
Gluten Free Garlic Cheese Biscuits
½ cup potato starch ¾ cup brown rice flour 1 ¾ teaspoons Xanthan Gum 1 tbsp baking powder ¼ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 1 tbsp sugar 1/3 cup cold butter cut into 1/4 inch cubes (or favorite margarine substitute) ¾ cup buttermilk (or substitute by adding 1 tbsp white vinegar to ¾ cup regular milk and let sit 5 mins) 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese ¼ cup butter (or favorite substitute) ¼ tsp garlic powder
While oven is preheating at 375 degrees F, spray a cookie sheet or pizza pan with cooking spray.
Using a regular blade on your food processor, pulse together the potato starch, brown rice flour, Xanthan Gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar; eight pulses, one second each.
Place butter pieces over the mixture and pulse processor 15 pulses or until mixture resembles large crumbs.
Pour buttermilk or substitute over the mixture. Pulse eight times or until dough rolls into a soft ball.
Add shredded cheddar cheese. Pulse 3 times or until cheese is distributed.
Drop dough onto sheet by lightly scooping small handfuls and gently dropping into a ball shape, (these won't be perfectly round, they are drop style biscuits).
Bake 10 - 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
As biscuits are baking melt ¼ cup butter and mix in garlic powder.
Brush butter and garlic powder mixture on tops of all biscuits.
Makes 6 - 8 biscuits.
Enjoy while warm and satisfy your soft biscuit craving!