Recipes: Light and Fluffy Biscuits, Herbed Biscuits, Gingered Wheat Biscuits

Light and Fluffy Biscuits

Makes 10.

A favorite recipe for reduced-fat biscuits comes from the "The Eating Well Recipe Rescue Cookbook" (Eating Well Books, 1994).

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. sifted cake flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3 tbsp. reduced-fat cream cheese

2 tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 c. buttermilk

1 tbsp. skim milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In mixing bowl, stir together flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using pastry blender or 2 table knives, cut in cream cheese and butter until pea-sized lumps form. Stir in buttermilk with fork.

Place biscuits on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories125

Carbohydrates19 g

Protein3 g

including sat. fat2 g

Cholesterol9 mg

Sodium325 mg

Calcium115 mg

Dietary fiber0 g

Herbed Biscuits

Makes 10.

Here's a more fragrant variation, using fresh herbs from the summer garden.

2 c. flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp. chopped fresh basil

1 tsp. chopped fresh chives

3 tbsp. reduced-fat cream cheese

3/4 c. buttermilk

1 tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in parsley, basil and chives. Using pastry blender or 2 table knives, cut in cream cheese and butter until pea-sized lumps form. Stir in buttermilk with fork.

Gather dough into ball and knead it several times in bowl until smooth. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Pat into smooth 1/2-inch-thick disk. With 3-inch cutter, cut out rounds. Repeat with dough scraps until you have 10 biscuits. Brush tops with oil.

Place biscuits on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.

Calories140

Carbohydrates20 g

Protein4 g

Fat5 g

including sat. fat2 g

Sodium380 mg

Calcium110 mg

Dietary fiber1 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 1/2 bread/ starch exch. and 1 fat exch.

Gingered Wheat Biscuits

My favorite biscuit recipe was inspired by Teaism, a restaurant in Washington, D.C.

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3 tbsp. reduced-fat cream cheese

2 tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 c. buttermilk

2 tbsp. minced candied ginger

Oil

Gather dough into ball and knead it several times in bowl until smooth. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Pat into smooth 1/2-inch-thick disk. With 3-inch cutter, cut out rounds. Repeat with dough scraps until you have 10 biscuits. Brush tops with oil.

Place biscuits on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories140

Carbohydrates22 g

Fat5 g

including sat. fat2 g

Cholesterol9 mg

Sodium390 mg

Calcium120 mg