Easy Eats - March/April 2012

BACON CHEDDAR BISCUITS MAKES 6 PREP TIME 15 min, plus chilling COOK TIME 15 min

2 ¼ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend

1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if flour blend contains xanthan gum) 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and diced 2 tablespoons bacon grease, chilled and coarsely chopped 1 extra-large egg, chilled 1 cup buttermilk, chilled

1 In a large bowl, whisk the flour blend, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt until combined. In a small bowl, toss the cheese with 1 tablespoon of the dry ingredients to keep the cheese from clumping together. Set the cheese mixture aside.

3 Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, flatten the wrapped, chilled dough into a 1 inch-thick round.

2 To the large bowl of dry ingredients, add the butter and bacon grease and, using a handheld pastry blender, cut the fats into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles small peas. Add the cheese mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the egg and buttermilk, using a fork to break up any lumps. Stir with a spoon until a dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

4 Remove the plastic wrap and cut out rounds of dough with a floured 2 ½-inch biscuit cutter. Gather up the scraps, chill and re-roll. Arrange the biscuits on the baking sheet about an inch apart. Freeze the baking sheet for 10 minutes.