Blasphemy Biscuits

A modification of Deirdre Mullally’s recipe

These biscuits are full of oats, high in protein and fibre, and are delicious!

Baking has been at the top of our list of #stayhome activities. Stephen (my husband) was eager to make a batch of his favourite childhood biscuits, which his mother would regularly make with him. They are full of oats and are the perfect combination of crunchy and soft.

I couldn’t resist the challenge to modify the recipe to make them gluten-free and sugar-free. When I told Stephen that I intended on changing his mother’s recipe, with a look of horror he replied, “ altering my mother’s recipe is blasphemy!”

Hence, I present to you, the Blasphemy Biscuits.

I substituted almond, coconut and rice flour for wheat flour; I added almond butter while reducing the butter; and I used maple syrup (a Canadian twist) and honey as a substitute for sugar. The original recipe called for Golden Syrup, which is not something we have in Canada. I find that the combination of honey and maple syrup has been a good substitution. It took me four renditions to perfect this recipe (we have been eating a lot of biscuits), but I finally feel like I’ve created a biscuit that closely resembles the consistency, texture and taste of the original recipe. While Stephen may be reluctant to give me his seal of approval, I have been noticing that the biscuits are quickly disappearing from our cookie jar.

To make my almond flour, I blend almonds in a high-powered blender (Blendtec). This is a great way to save money when using almond flour. However, if you do not have a high-powered blender, you can purchase almond flour from most health food stores. By using predominantly almond flour, coconut flour, almond butter and rolled oats, these biscuits are high in protein and fibre. They are delicious and healthy.

I particularly enjoy having one of these biscuits in the morning, alongside my coffee. It’s been sunny here in Victoria, and we’re spending more time on our balcony, enjoying slower mornings and time outside.

May the blasphemy biscuits bring a little joy to your morning, as we continue to stay home and stay safe. Thank you to Deirdre, my mother-in-law, for providing the original recipe!

— Sarah

Makes 15 – 20 biscuits

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Melt the butter over low heat in a saucepan. When the butter has melted, add in the maple syrup, honey and almond butter. Stir until well mixed.
3. Mix the oats, almond, coconut and rice flour by hand or in a mixer. Add in the baking soda, and mix well.
4. Pour the butter, maple syrup, honey and almond butter mixture over the dry ingredients. Mix well.
5. Place a piece of parchment paper over a baking sheet. Dump the mixture on the baking sheet, and using your hands, flatten the mixture down evenly.
6. Bake the biscuits for 10 –12 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown. Make sure to set a timer – these biscuits can burn easily!
7. Allow the biscuits to completely cool. When cooled, cut them into squares or rectangles.

Further ideas and modifications

• You can get creative and add different seeds to the recipe (i.e. pumpkin seeds or flax seeds). This will make it taste more like a granola bar.
• I am told that drizzling dark chocolate on top is a great addition!

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