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almond, baking, biscuits, blog, blogging, breakfast, butternut, celiac disease, flour, food, foods, GAPS, gluten allergy, gluten free, recipes, squash, vegetable, weight watchers
I used to love biscuits. And bread. And anything baked. And then a little over three years ago I was diagnosed with Celiac disease. Celiac disease is an auto-immune disorder in which the body’s immune system is triggered by the gluten protein (more specifically, a prolamine of the gluten protein called gliadin) found in wheat, barley, rye, and sometimes oats. At that point I didn’t know anything about alternative flours or how the heck I was going to give up my beloved bread. I didn’t even know much about cooking, let alone baking. So I starved for awhile. And then I got tired of being hungry and started researching, experimenting, and testing. When most people think about gluten-free cooking they think of rice flour, sorghum, teff, amaranth, etc. Most folks don’t think about nut flours. Poor almond flour is the red-headed stepchild of the gluten-free world. I love baking with almond flour, as it’s high in protein and gluten- and grain-free. Plus, it’s so much easier to use a single ingredient than trying to whip up a gluten-free baking mix from four different grain flours and various binding agents!
My hubby has dutifully gone gluten-free and grain-free for me (at least in our home), but I know he misses his bread with dinner. And so do I for that matter, even three years later. I came up with this biscuit recipe a couple of months ago as a way to have an on-the-go snack I could take with me when running errands on the weekends, and luckily my husband loves it! I make a batch almost every week, but they never last more than a few days. So here you go–a gluten-free, grain-free, protein-rich biscuit that will fill you up and satisfy your carb cravings. And the butternut squash adds a hint of sweetness and a dose of good nutrients as well, including Vitamin E, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium and Magnesium, and a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium and Manganese.
Butternut Squash Almond Flour Biscuits”
- 1/4 cup pastured butter (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup pureed butternut squash
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp honey (raw, local and unfiltered if possible)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups finely ground blanched almond flour (I recommend Honeyville brand–Bob’s Red Mill will not give a good texture in most baking recipes)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl with a hand mixer until well combined. The batter will be very thick (see picture below).
Using an ice cream scoop (about 1/3 cup), drop batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet leaving an inch between each biscuit. These biscuits will not spread while baking, so there’s no need to leave more room. Using wet fingers, flatten each biscuit slightly. Bake for approximately 20-22 minutes, until tops are golden brown and cracks have formed. Note that almond flour browns more quickly than traditional flours (as do baked goods containing honey), so make sure to check that biscuits are done by checking for firmness and not by color alone. Let cool for five minutes on pan, then remove to a cooling rack (or dinner table!). Recipe makes 12 biscuits.
These are best fresh out of the oven, but will last several days stored in an air-tight container outside of the fridge. Slice one open and toast it up in a toaster oven (if not fresh out of the oven), then top with a dollop of pastured butter (from grass-fed cows) for a lovely dose of Vitamins A, D, and K2. Not to mention amazing buttery flavor.