Gluten Free Cinnamon Sugar Drop Biscuits
Ingredients
For the biscuits
7/8 cup (123 g) all purpose gluten free flour (I used Better Batter)
Scant 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
2 tablespoons (18 g) cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons (40 g) granulated sugar
4 tablespoons (56 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into a 1/4-inch dice or grated and chilled
1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) buttermilk, chilled
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter, melted
Cinnamon-sugar mixture for sprinkling (see Recipe Notes)
For the glaze (optional)
1/2 cup (57 g) confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon lukewarm water, plus more as necessary
Notes
For the cinnamon-sugar mixture
I use 1 full teaspoon ground cinnamon for each 3/4 cup of granulated sugar. That’s a pretty spicy ratio. You should add cinnamon slowly, to taste.
Make ahead instructions
Biscuits of all kinds are easy to make in stages. Simply make the biscuit dough through scooping the raw dough and before brushing the tops with melted butter.
Place the shaped raw biscuits on a baking sheet and freeze them in a single layer. Pile them into a sealed freezer-safe container or bag until you’re ready to bake them.
You can bake them right from frozen. Brush them with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and bake at 350°F for 5 minutes and then increase the oven temperature to 375°F. You’ll probably need to bake them for another few minutes total.
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well. Add the chopped and chilled butter, and toss to coat. Working quickly so as not to melt the butter, flatten the pieces between your thumb and forefinger. If you’ve used shredded butter, just toss to separate as many of the pieces as possible. Transfer about 1/4 of the butter and flour mixture to a separate, medium-size bowl, and set it aside.
To the large bowl with the remaining 3/4 of the mixture, add about 3/4 of the buttermilk (3 fluid ounces), and mix to combine. Add more buttermilk by the drop as necessary to bring the whole mixture together without any dry patches. To the medium-size bowl, add the ground cinnamon, and whisk or mix to combine. Add the remaining buttermilk to the cinnamon mixture, and mix until fully combined, creating clumps of dough. Add the cinnamon mixture to the large bowl with the remaining mixture, and mix gently until the cinnamon clumps are evenly distributed throughout the plain mixture.
Using a spring-loaded ice cream scoop or two spoons, scoop the dough into 6 equal portions, each about 2 1/2 tablespoons, and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops of the mounds of raw biscuit dough lightly with the melted butter, and sprinkle generously with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 5 minutes (or the refrigerator for longer) to chill until the raw biscuits are very cold to the touch. Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the biscuits are firm to the touch and golden brown on the edges and underside. Remove from the oven and allow the biscuits to set for about 5 minutes before serving.
If serving with the glaze, wait for the biscuits to be completely cool first. To make the glaze, in a small bowl, place the confectioners’ sugar and 1 teaspoon of water. Mix well, until a very thick paste forms. Add more water by the drop, mixing to combine well, until the glaze is thickly pourable and drizzle over the cooled biscuits. Allow the glaze to set at room temperature before serving.