Small batch spelt biscuits

Like all of you, I crave all kinds of foods.  It isn't always the gooiest chocolate cake or the creamiest pasta (though those are obvious, and good, choices).  Sometimes, I see something like whole-grain biscuits that call out to me.

That's what happened here.  I saw this recipe in my recent copy of Cooking Light and jumped at another use for spelt flour, which I really like for its slight sweetest and mild texture in the world of whole grain flours.  These biscuits are 100% whole grain, made entirely with spelt.  The recipe makes four biscuit and the small batch makes the batter easy to pull together, shape, and cut out.  It's truly quick and easy.

So in between eating chocolates during this sweet month of February, let's have some whole grain biscuits, too.

But that's not to say I was totally virtuous.  You see...I paired my spelt biscuits with chicken fried steak.  It's not something I make often but once in a while, I get the urge to make some classic American comfort foods.  It's all about balance, right?  So when you're having a hearty meal like that, making some lighter whole grain biscuits rather than more traditional ones, is a nice way to continue the comfort food theme in a somewhat more nutritious way. These biscuits are just the thing to have to soak up the extra milk gravy (which I make with low-fat milk...not that I'm being defensive about it or anything).

And more on the biscuits themselves...I love the texture.  The edges are flaky and crisp; I love the slight graininess of them.  They are not the rich, buttery biscuits that will leave their mark on your fingertips (like the ones we expect with our bucket of fried chicken) but they're hearty and have a staid character all on their own.  Topped with a bit of extra moisture from a gravy (whether you make milk gravy with chicken fried steak like I did or pair them with sausage gravy and eggs for breakfast like the original recipe concept), it makes for a nice balance.

These are simple, rustic, and satisfying.

I really have a 'thing' for small-batch recipes.  It's more manageable for me and my family of three.  It lets me cook more often and allows us to eat fresh so this recipe is right up my alley.  

I was happy that this biscuit dough turns out just moist enough to pull together. Shaping is just a matter of patting the dough together into a 1-inch thick square and cutting out 4 squares from it.  I'm sure you can make your square more precise than I did (my brain is trained on making a circle, I think!) but I figured the less I handled the dough, the better to retain the biscuits' flakiness. 

I kind of like that they're rustic and knobbly looking...though that could just be me rationalizing my lack of biscuit-shaping skills.  I do love the word "biscuits" - it's got comfort food and the promise of a hearty meal all wrapped around it.  And while you sometimes feel the urge for rich, buttery options, there are times (maybe more frequently) where you reach for a more balanced choice.  I think these are a wise choice.


Recipe:

Small-Batch Whole-Grain (Spelt) Biscuits
From the Jan./Feb. 2015 issue of Cooking Light

- Makes 4 square biscuits - 

4.5 ounces spelt flour (about 1 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup buttermilk (I used low-fat but you can use fat-free if available)
1 tablespoon canola oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly spray with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the spelt flour, baking powder, and salt.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add buttermilk and oil.  Stir until just moistened.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Pat into a 1-inch thick square.  Cut into 4 square biscuits.  Place biscuits onto baking sheet, spaced about 3 inches apart. Bake for about 12 minutes, until biscuits are browned around the edges.  Let cool to room temperature and serve.