Almond Flour Classic Drop Biscuits

These biscuits are fantastic.  I realize almond flour is not in everyone's refrigerator, but it is worth seeking out just so you can try these.  They are just the right proportion of salty and sweet - they are crunchy on top but incredibly tender inside.  They are, in short, the perfect biscuit.  Only they are much better for you than the average biscuit.

Yes, this recipe involves a couple of ingredients that are not exactly everyday.   But I find it fun to experiment with healthier variations on the norm - not for using all the time, but for occasions like this, when you just feel like a warm, flaky, drop-dead delicious biscuit.  If you don't want to invest in agave nectar, you can use honey or maple syrup, though of course they have less neutral flavors than agave does.  The almond flour is worth the price of admission, though.  It's a superfood, like I'm sure you keep hearing, so this is yet another yummy way to get almonds in your diet.

These biscuits are sitting on the fence between sweet and savory, so you could use them as part of a dessert (strawberry shortcake, perhaps) or alongside a warm and hearty dinner (maybe some rotisserie chicken and veggies - mmm, now I'm hungry.)

Almond Flour Classic Drop Biscuits

from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook

makes 9

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup grapeseed oil (I used canola)

1/4 cup agave nectar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment or a silpat liner.

2.  Mix almond flour, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.  In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, agave, eggs, and lemon.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until well combined.

3.  Drop biscuits on prepared baking sheet in scant 1/4 cups, 2 inches apart.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of one.  Let cool a few minutes - serve warm.

Enjoy!

Nectarine and Blueberry Crumble

I had a few nectarines that were looking a bit bruised and sad, so I set out on a quest to find a yummy nectarine cobbler or crumble recipe. Surprisingly, I couldn't find one! I'm sure there are plenty on the internet, but in my cookbooks nectarines were woefully absent from the dessert sections. I figured nectarines and peaches are similar enough in texture that a mere substitution would be acceptable.

So here we have a nectarine and blueberry crumble sweetened with nothing other than the fruits themselves. It's not a super sweet dessert, just tasty in its own right. If you feel like adding a little brown sugar to the topping, it would make this feel more like a dessert than a bordering-on-savory fruit dish. But if you're feeling adventurous, try it as is and see what you think.

This is another almond flour recipe, and the almond flavor truly adds a lovely nutty dimension to the dish. If you don't feel like forking over the cash for almond flour, you could try using wheat flour but I won't make any promises as to how it will turn out. (And you might want to add that brown sugar if you go the wheat flour route, as without the nuttiness of the almonds this will be rather bland).

The bottom line is, this is a dessert that is truly, honestly healthy. Full of healthy fats, protein and unadulterated fruit, you can serve this up with no guilt whatsoever.

Nectarine and Blueberry Crumble
adapted from Elana Amsterdam's Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook
serves 8

INGREDIENTS:

4 fresh nectarines, sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup canola (or other neutral) oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In an 8 x 8 baking dish, lay out the fruit in a relatively even layer.

3. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry, until you have a coarse crumbly mixture. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit in the baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.

4. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until topping is browned and the juices are bubbling. Let cool for 30 minutes, then serve warm.

Ice cream or whipped cream would make this a little bit more sinful and desserty. Either way, enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Scones with Almond Flour

One thing that makes cooking infinitely enjoyable is simple experimentation. When I hear about a new ingredient or method that I haven't tried before, I do a little research, often buy a cookbook (any excuse, am I right?), and then I try it out. And you people get to benefit by reaping the results without any of the hard work. Sounds fair, right?

Well this one can hardly be called hard work, other than having to seek out a relatively expensive and hard-to-find ingredient. That ingredient is almond flour. Most people don't bother with almond flour unless they are gluten intolerant or diabetic, but the bottom line is, it is tasty and good for you. And any ingredient that I can put into a baked good and call healthy, well, I'm a fan.

So yes, almond flour is a bit pricey. But if you're lucky enough to be able to use it as an extra curricular ingredient, as I am doing here, rather than a dietary requirement, then you can splurge once in a while, right? Almond flour is loaded with protein and nutrition without all the carbohydrates of wheat flour. You can make it yourself by grinding up blanched almonds, but realistically it's not going to save you much money, if any. Sadly, almonds are not cheap. But they are a superfood, and they are delicious. So we are slaves to them just the same.

Another rather pricey ingredient featured in this recipe is agave nectar, which has a much lower glycemic index than regular sugar, honey, or maple syrup. So again, it's good for diabetics. But if you don't feel like splurging twice in this recipe, you can substitute honey or maple syrup. Just know that your scones are slightly more sinful than mine!

These scones taste fantastic. Gluten-free (not to mention dairy-free and without any refined sugar) can be a beautiful thing, people. I am all about healthier recipes that don't use anything artificial or chemical. And this recipe rewards you with flavors reminiscent of macaroons and toasted almond goodies, with melty chocolate chips and a hint of cinnamon. Fantastic.

Chocolate Chip Scones with Almond Flour
adapted from Elana Amsterdam's The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook
makes 16 scones

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 large eggs
3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with silpat liners or parchment.

2. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (almond flour through cinnamon). In a small bowl, whisk wet ingredients (oil, agave, and eggs). Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until well combined.

3. Fold in the chocolate chips. Scoop scant 1/4 cup blobs of batter onto the cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between blobs. Bake for 12 to 17 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 30 minutes on the baking sheets.

Enjoy!