and january is gone, just like that, sliding into the shortest month of the year.
february, to me, will always be the month-of-the-garden-catalog. arriving in the mailbox, pages a-shimmer with pinks and oranges and yellows and greens; splashes of color to liven the imagination when the world outside reflects only shades of grey. reminding us that despite today’s slush, the season of birth and renewal is right around the corner.
buckwheat buttermilk cinnamon rolls
another week, another gluten-free, rice-free recipe. this one is inspired by the raspberry swirl biscuits from alanna taylor-tobin’s “alternative baker” book–an excellent gluten-free baking book for those in the market. here, the earthiness of buckwheat pairs with the tang of buttermilk and an orange zest-scented swirly layer to make a wonderful winter breakfast. because they’re both gluten-free and a quick bread, they are more crumbly than your traditional yeasted cinnamon roll. but all the flavor is there, down to the cream cheese frosting. a simple powdered sugar drizzle would work just as well, and if you want to amp up the orange flavor, you can add more zest to the icing. i hope you enjoy!
biscuit ingredients:
1 C (100 g) oat flour
3/4 C (111 g) buckwheat flour
1/4 C (50 g) granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder (for high elevation >5000′ use 1/2 Tbsp)
1/2 tsp sea salt
6 Tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, cold & sliced thin
1 large egg
1/2 C buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
filling ingredients:
1/3 C (70 g) light or dark brown sugar
1/4 C (30 g) chopped walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest
1/8 tsp sea salt
cream cheese icing ingredients:
1/4 C (60 g) cream cheese, softened
1/2 C (40 g) powdered sugar
2 Tbsp buttermilk
1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest (opt.)
biscuit & filling preparation:
combine the oat and buckwheat flours, sugar, powder, and salt in a large bowl.
add the butter and crumble into the flour mixture with your fingers until the butter is well-integrated.
whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla, then pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until it comes together.
knead the dough until it holds together into a ball. if it seems too dry, add another Tbsp or so of buttermilk. if it seems too wet, add a little bit more buckwheat flour. the consistency should resemble that of traditional bread dough.
place the dough into some plastic wrap and cover well. chill for 30-60 minutes.
in the meantime, in a small bowl, combine the filling ingredients and mix until well combined.
position a rack in the upper third of your oven and preheat to 350 degrees F (for high elevation, use 365F).
grease an 8″ or 9″ cake pan or pie pan with butter or coconut oil.
remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and place onto a piece of parchment paper generously (very generously!) dusted with oat flour. sprinkle (again generously!) more oat flour on top and cover with another sheet of parchment. roll into a rectangular shape about 8-10 inches by 12-14 inches. peel off the top sheet of parchment.
sprinkle the filling mixture uniformly on top of the dough. roll up the dough, as tightly as you can, long-ways (that is, you want your roll to be 12-14″ long, so start rolling with a long end). you can use the parchment to help coax the dough into a tight roll. if it sticks, use a sharp knife to help peel it away as you roll.
cut the roll into 8 equal-sized biscuits. place them swirl-side up into the cake pan or pie pan.
bake for 40-45 minutes, until the tops are just starting to turn golden brown.
icing preparation:
once you remove the biscuits from the oven, it’s time to make the icing!
smash the cream cheese together with the powdered sugar, then add the buttermilk and (if you’re feeling citrusy) orange zest.
stir until smooth.
ice the biscuits, and enjoy warm!
these do freeze well if you have leftovers; just warm them through in the oven before you partake.
