Baby Steps from a Box

I hate Bisquick. When I learned how to cook, I felt like I had really graduated into cooking once I lost the crutch of mixes. I was determined to learn how to bake gluten free without it. How different could possibly it be?

Very.

It occurred to me after weeks of baking failure that there was nothing wrong with baby steps, even if it did mean paying an obnoxious amount for a mix. After all, it was just until I figured out the basics. It turned out I really needed that mix, because it would have never entered my brain to put eggs in biscuits and have them actually turn out. But they do, and while they do have a certain egg-y flavor reminiscent of waffles, they are good. Better when you break down the biscuit mix and make it from scratch. Which is exactly how I learned how to do it the first time, and exactly what I did with my cornbread recipe.

And they absolutely rock when you get farm fresh eggs with yolks that are a deep orange and are practically leaping from the whites. The batter gets turned a simply gorgeous yellow color, and there is nothing like really golden baked goods.

King Midas is jealous of this batter.

Not every recipe on that box was worth recreating. Pizza crusts that taste like biscuits are not my favorite. But lo and behold, I got myself a few baking skills, and you can't argue with results.

Like golden clouds of nom.

Yes, I am still learning, and still borrowing from quite a few places as I find my brand of gluten free. I just hope I can help a few people who are in the same boat along the way. So, my adaptation of those famous biscuits, gluten free style - 

 

Basic GF Biscuits:

2 cups gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum (I used this one.)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/3 cup shortening

2/3 cup milk

3 eggs

Preheat oven to 400*.

Combine the flour blend, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Cut in the shortening (or other solid fat) using a pastry blender or two forks, until the mix looks crumbly. Combine the milk and eggs separately and beat the eggs well, then add to the flour mix. Stir in well, then drop by mounded spoonfuls onto baking pan lined with parchment or sprinkled with cornmeal.

 

 Bake 10-13 minutes, until lightly browned and looking nommy.