Sky High Spelt Breakfast Biscuits

Often with children in the house, someone can feel left out.

It’s not always the same person feeling left out either. Mum is cooking or tidying while the kids are wrestling with Dad, big sister is busy doing homework while little brother is colouring or Dad is at work while Mum takes the kids on an outing. Do you sometimes feel like the one missing out on the fun?

In our family, the girls certainly influence a lot of what we eat, the music we listen to, the movies we watch and the books we read (not to mention the tidyness of our home!). Without a doubt, as parents we ensure what they eat, read and watch is appropriate, but the influence of the kids on all of those things is undeniable.

Not only does G miss out on influencing our weeknight meals, he arrives home after the girls have finished eating which means a dinner of leftovers for him. To make matters slightly worse, the girls love having pancakes on the weekends – one of his least favourite foods. I think it’s safe to say when it comes to our meals, often G’s the one missing out.

So really, these biscuits are for him. They are an offering to make up for the leftover dinners, for the boxes, bags, ice cream cones and bowls of desserts and for the stacks of fluffy, maple syrup-covered pancakes that you never really wanted.

These simple fluffy biscuits are perfect straight out of the oven – with a pat of butter or spoonful of jam or as a part of a mouth-watering breakfast sandwich with poached eggs and bacon. The layers beg to be pulled off one by one, letting the steam escape while you nibble on each one. And, although these wouldn’t normally be the first pick of the girls for breakfast, when these arrive on the table, there’s sure to be a tussle for the person who reaches for the last one.

Sky High Spelt Breakfast Biscuits

adapted from Williams-Sonoma’s Breakfast Comforts
(makes 9 biscuits)

3/4 cup skim milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup less 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup less 2 tablespoons spelt flour
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground coarse salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2″ pieces

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 425F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and vinegar. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, cornstarch, baking powder, brown sugar and salt until there are no lumps and everything is completely and thoroughly combined.

Add the cold butter to the flour mixture and using a pastry cutter, two knives or your hands, rub the butter into the flour until there are no lumps bigger than a pea.

Pour the soured milk into the flour mixture and using a fork, mix it all together. Once a sticky mass has formed, pour it onto a lightly floured surface or on to the prepared baking sheet and knead the dough 6-10 times until it is smooth. Gather up any stray bits of flour as you knead the dough. Pat the dough into a flattened rectangle about 1″ thick. Fold one-third of the rectangle towards the centre of the rest of the rectangle. Then fold the other third into the centre of the rectangle as well. Flatten the entire rectangle down to about 1″ tall.

Using a long, sharp knife or if you prefer cookie cutter, cut the large rectangle into 9 smaller pieces. Press the knife down as you would a cookie cutter rather than using a sawing motion. Space the cut biscuits evenly across the baking sheet so none are touching.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the biscuits are golden on the edges and tops. Let rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes and serve warm with butter or jam or as a part of a spectacular breakfast sandwich.

Tips and Suggestions:

These biscuits aren’t just for breakfast. They’re great alongside soup or as a little sandwich for lunch too.
The flours whisked together with the cornstarch makes a rendition of cake and pastry flour. It’s this mixture that helps make these biscuits so incredibly light. So although you can make these with all-purpose flour, it’s worth the extra whisking effort.