Herb Quinoa Biscuits

 Quinoa biscuits?! A baked doughy companion made with my favorite healthy "grain"?! I didn't even know the made quinoa flour!

 Until this week...when I plotted to find a way to use it in a baking to replace regular flour and then proceeded to add a bag of it into my shopping cart. 

 I didn't look up any recipes that use quinoa flour prior to creating these biscuits so I wasn't really sure what to expect. I kept the process pretty simple and was intrigued by how my bowl of dry ingredients smelled like vegetables and quinoa. It had good health written all over it!

 These biscuits are surprisingly savory, dense, and flavorful-- a good partner to a bowl of soup or other warm meals. I was pleased to discover that their crumb was similar to that of regular biscuits, just a little less doughy. These guys taste great warm out of the oven and stayed pretty crisp the same day. However, if you're looking for a biscuit that will keep for the next day to enjoy with leftovers, be sure to pop them back in the oven for some re-toasting. 

Herb Quinoa Biscuits

makes eight approx. 3" biscuits

2 cups quinoa flour

1/4 cup flax meal

1 tbsp herbs de provence

3/4 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp pepper

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

4 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cubed

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus more for brushing)

1 cup fat free milk (or skim, low-fat buttermilk)

1. In a large bowl, throughly whisk together the quinoa flour, flax meal, herbs, salt, pepper, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the cubed butter and use your fingers to cut it into the dry ingredients-- move quickly because you don't want the butter to melt (the mixture should appear like coarse sand). Make a well in the middle and add the olive oil and milk. Use a fork to mix everything together-- the batter will be sticky.

2. Transfer the dough onto a well floured surface (since quinoa flour is pretty pricey, I used whole wheat flour-- it doesn't really matter). Use your hands to gently knead and fold the dough over a few times. Pat it down with your hands, or a small rolling pin, until the dough is about one inch in thickness. Dip an approximate 3" circle cookie/biscuit butter (or a cup/any cutter you want to use) into the flour and cut out biscuits to place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a non-stick sheet. Brush the tops of each biscuit with olive oil.

3. Bake the biscuits in  a 450 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the biscuits are browned and golden.