Perfect Biscuits #recipe + Cookbook Nook giveaway from @DarylWoodGerber

From Daryl aka Avery:

The winner from last week's Cookbook Nook giveaway is:

Deb F. 

Congrats!  

But don't despair. I'm in a very giving mood. There are more giveaways....see below.

STIRRING THE PLOT comes out in less than a week. For the book, as for all the Cookbook Nook mysteries, I do a lot of research using real cookbooks. That's right, real, not fictional.

I found out about the How Can It Be Gluten-Free Cookbook  from the Food Section of the LA Times. The article raved about the book and how conscientious the chefs were when creating the recipes. I've shared a recipe or two from the cookbook before. The chocolate cupcakes were divine. 

And now for making the perfect biscuit...

This is my new go-to recipe. You honestly cannot tell the difference between this and a "real flour" biscuit. Promise! I used to make biscuits weekly when I could eat gluten. I know the difference. So I have to share.

That's what word of mouth is all about, right? Sharing something that's good with others who might like the same thing!

You can see where I'm going with this line of thinking, right? [Forgive me, I'm in PR mode. I just read a blog about authors who "share" too  much. Do I? If so, I'm sorry, but I get excited near a release!!]

Anyway, if you like STIRRING THE PLOT or simply the Cookbook Nook series, please share the information with a friend!

To show you how much I appreciate your help, I'm sharing a giveaway today on the blog. As I said before, see below...or read to the end...

Note: I've also got a contest with a huge amount of books from other authors, including all the authors on this blog, plus Kate Carlisle, Carolyn Hart, and more, on my Facebook page. Have you entered?

And: I'm having a huge launch for STIRRING THE PLOT via my mailing list.

All giveaways end September 29.

Enjoy the biscuits.

"Life is not an easy recipe; savor the mystery!" ~ Me

PERFECT BISCUITS

ALA THE HOW CAN IT BE GLUTEN-FREE COOKBOOK

Ingredients:

2 cups gluten-free Flour (I used Pamela's artisan blend)

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons powdered psyllium husk (I did not use): I substituted 1 ½ teaspoon whey powder

1 teaspoon sugar (I used 2 teaspoons)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

¾ cup plain whole-milk yogurt (*see note below)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions:

Whisk flour blend, baking powder psyllium (or whey), sugar, salt, and baking soda in large bowl until combined. Add butter to mixture, breaking up chunks with fingertips [THIS IS A GREAT TIP; I NEVER DID BEFORE AND IT WORKED LIKE A DREAM], until only small, pea-size pieces remain.

In separate bowl, whisk together yogurt [NOTE: I DID NOT HAVE PLAIN YOGURT IN FRIDGE, SO I MADE A MIXTURE OF A VANILLA GREEK YOGURT AND SOUR CREAM – WORKED LIKE A DREAM, TOO], egg, oil, and lemon juice until combined and no flour pockets remain, about 1 minute. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let batter rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. [VERY IMPORTANT]

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees F. 

Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  [The book says to place inside of second baking sheet. I did not. Don’t know why that tip was given.] Using 1/3 cup dry measure, scoop heaping amount of batter. [I HAD TO PRESS THE BATTER INTO THE MEASURE. THEN I USED A SPATULA TO SCOOP THE PRESSED BATTER OUT ONTO THE BAKING SHEET.] Using the 1/3 dry measure scoop makes a perfectly domed biscuit; 8 total. Space biscuits about ½-inch apart in center of the baking sheet.

Bake until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes.  [NOTE: KNOW YOUR OVEN. My biscuits, which I baked for 14 minutes on the first try, turned too dark but delicious.  I cooked the second batch 13 minutes. Perfect!]  Transfer sheet to wire rack and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. [Again, how could I wait? I served within 2 minutes and they were divine.]

Notes from the cookbook: psyllium husk: It is crucial to the structure of the biscuits.  [I understand why they think this, but I do not use it. I substitute whey powder for moisture. I didn’t notice anything wrong with the structure. The biscuits split apart nicely. Sorry, chefs. I'll try psyllium husk next time.]

Resting time: The author says: “Do not shortchange the 30-minute rest for the dough; if you do, the biscuits will be gritty and spread too much.” I FOLLOWED THIS TIP TO THE LETTER!]

IF YOU'D LIKE TO FREEZE FOR USE AT ANOTHER TIME: Wrap individual uncooked biscuits in two layers of saran wrap, then in aluminum foil.

To bake frozen biscuits: Let thaw to room temperature and bake as above.

If already baked: wrap as above. Remove from freezer and unwrap. Biscuits can be reheated in a 425 degree F oven for 10 minutes. [I also microwaved one, thawed, for 15 seconds on medium high power. It turned out great]