KAMUT Cheddar Biscuits

I got a bag of KAMUT Khorasan white flour the other day and was itching to make something. It was after work when I got the urge to bake so I didn’t have time to make a loaf of bread unless I wanted to stay up late.

I made soup for dinner and decided what I really wanted to serve with the soup was biscuits. Some good ‘ole biscuits.

 

For some reason, making biscuits with KAMUT sounded like a great idea. I didn’t even give it a second thought that they might not turn out. I took some of the flour, sifted it through my fingers and it felt like biscuits.

The dough was really nice to work with. These biscuits aren’t necessarily light and fluffy, but the flavor and texture draws you in. I tried one of the biscuits as soon as it came out of the oven and it melted in my mouth. I ran upstairs to tell my son to come down quickly because I had made a treat. I mentioned biscuits and he was right there.

Southerners do love our biscuits, but the funny thing is that I am not known for my biscuits. I was always an okay biscuit-maker, but these biscuits are so easy and they taste divine. We enjoyed them so much we almost ate them all in one sitting, but we didn’t. We saved some for the next day. They were delicious warmed over.

The best part about these biscuits is that they are made with a heritage grain. I’m in love with this flour and these biscuits!

 

KAMUT Cheddar Biscuits

Adapted from: Biscuit Bliss by James Villas

Makes: 10-12 Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 2 cups KAMUT Khorasan white flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 T. (3/4 stick) chilled butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• Cayenne pepper, to taste
• 1 cup almond milk, plus 1 T. if necessary

 

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2) Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the chilled butter pieces using a pastry cutter until the mixture is a mealy texture. Add in the cheese and cayenne pepper and mix until well blended. Pour in the milk and stir until the dough is soft. You might need to add a little more milk to make sure the dough is completely wet.

3) Remove the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead it gently a few times. 

4) Pat the dough out into a circle about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out rounds using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter.  Work the scraps together and cut additional rounds.

5) Place the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet about 1/2-inch apart. 

 

6) Bake in the upper third of the oven until the biscuits are golden brown. This will take about 12 to 13 minutes. Serve them while they are hot or room temperature.

 

I’m submitting these biscuits to the #TwelveLoaves monthly challenge. The theme for January is “Keep it Simple.” These biscuits are about as simple as you can get.  I used KAMUT Khorasan white flour, but you could use white all-purpose flour if you prefer.

Happy Baking!

Cathy

 

Cinnamon Spelt Tea Biscuits

I enjoy attending events during the Holidays and baking special treats. As I mentioned in my previous post, I attended a Christmas Tea last weekend. I brought Lavender and Orange Biscotti and these Cinnamon Tea Biscuits.

These crunchy biscuits are sort of an updated version of old-fashioned English tea biscuits. They’re not the fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth Southern biscuits that I grew up eating. However, I must say I really like them. They’re not too sweet or rich. The combination of cinnamon and butter makes the perfect accompaniment for tea or coffee. They taste great warm or room temperature.

 

These biscuits are fun to make. I made my version with Spelt. They are rolled out and folded over similar to how we folded the Pocketbook Rolls last month, but those rolls were round and these are square. Those were fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth rolls. These biscuit rolls crunch in your mouth, but the crunch gives them substance.  They are very enjoyable.

 

Cinnamon Tea Biscuits

Makes: About 1 dozen 3” biscuits or 20 smaller biscuits

Adapted from: Biscuit Bliss: 101 Foolproof Recipes for Fresh and Fluffy Biscuits in Just Minutes by James Villas

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups white Spelt flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled butter, cut into bits
• 2/3 cup almond milk
• additional butter for topping

 

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with spray oil and put it aside. Mix the cinnamon and brown sugar together on a plate and set it aside.

 

2) Whisk together the rest of the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and salt, in a large mixing bowl.  Add the butter bits and cut them in the flour with a pastry cutter.  Mix until the mixture is mealy. 

 

3) Add the milk and stir the mixture just until a soft dough forms.

 

4) Transfer the dough to a lightly-floured surface and knead 3 to 4 times.

 

5) Roll out the dough to about 1/3-inch thick and cut out 3-inch squares. I decided that 3 inch squares were a little too big so I cut the squares in half.

 

6) Fold the squares in half, then press the top into the prepared sugar-cinnamon mixture.  Arrange the squares on the prepared baking sheet. Generously sprinkle the tops of the squares with more cinnamon sugar and dot each square with a little bit of butter.

 

7) Bake the biscuits on the center rack of the oven until they are glazed, about 15 minutes.  Serve them hot or at room temperature.

 

Happy Baking!

Cathy