shmaleo biscuits

     Because my family is so fond of the homemade sausage gravy and biscuits I've been making (with regular unbleached AP flour) I have been hesitant to change it up, letting that be our once a week detour from a paleo diet (still, even so, we're not legalistic).  The past two weekends, however, I got permission to experiment with it a little.  I have a great book on my Kindle, called Paleo Comfort Foods, which I highly recommend, so I came up with a biscuit hybrid, and as of this morning, a gravy hybrid.  When I think of hybrid I think of saving money, and since cooking with almond flour is more costly than with regular flour, sometimes I find a way to use a little of both (adding the health benefit of using less grain flour, while still being easy on the wallet...also, this eases my family into the transition to the completely paleo biscuits and gravy, which is my secret goal, mwahahahaha!).  So, what I did was the following recipe:

The biscuits:

• 1 cup blanched almond flour
• 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tbsp butter (chilled)
• 1 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, with the rack in the middle.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Mix the above dry ingredients with a whisk. Add the coconut oil and butter, mixing in with fingertips until you've worked it in and the flour mixture is meal-like.  I usually grab small handfuls and rub it between my hands at the fingertips to break it up.  Then, make a well in your dry ingredients and add the buttermilk.  Stir until mixed well, then put about 1/3 cup size blobs onto your baking sheet and sort of shape them into biscuit-looking shapes, just not real flat (I'd say mine are about 1- 1 1/2 inches high).  They're basically drop biscuits that I give a little shape to.  I usually fit about 8 on my sheet, they will spread out a little.  Pop them into the oven for about 13-15 minutes, until they're slightly browned on the edges.

The gravy:

• 1 pound extra sage (or whatever) pork sausage (in our neck of the woods we use Neese's)
• 1 tbsp almond flour
• 1 tbsp unbleached AP flour
• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups milk, or coconut milk

Completely brown the sausage, getting it good and crumbly.  Add the three dry ingredients and stir until dissolved, then slowly add the milk.  I'd say start with the lesser amount and add more to get the gravy the consistency you prefer.  You may want to sprinkle a little salt over it, as well, depending on preference, I usually do a little.  Stir constantly, then remove from the heat.  

Cut the biscuits in half (you're actually just cutting the top off), and put a big spoonful of the sausage and gravy on each half.  Or, do like I do and put gravy on one half and some homemade preserves on the other, to get both sweet and salty!

Once I get my coconut flour I'm going to make these paleo all the way, so I'll report back on how that goes later.  Happy Leap Year, everyone! (Is that a thing?)