Citrus Angel Biscuits

It's July, the middle of summer, and I feel like baking. I've been suppressing the urge to bake for a few weeks because it's been so hot, and I didn't want to have to reve up the air condition just because I've decided to do some baking. Anyway, I couldn't resist any longer, and since this weekend is a little cooler, I baked some angel biscuits. These biscuits are a little sweet and tangy because I slather some zesty citrus glaze on them before baking. The glaze also gives them some wonderful, summer colour: yellow, orange, and green. Can you guess what citrus zests I used?

The Recipe:
Dry ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1 1/2 tsp dry instant yeast

Wet ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/3 cup plain cream cheese
• water

Glaze:

• 1 orange
• 1 lemon
• 2 limes
• 3 tbsp sugar

Stir dry ingredients together. Cut butter and cream cheese into little chunks and rub into the flour mixture until the largest piece of butter of cream cheese is about the size of a split pea or lentil, and evenly distributed. Add water until a soft dough forms. Gather dough into a dough ball, wrap loosely with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for a few hours to let the dough soften and rise. 

To make the glaze, wash the orange, lemon, and limes, and grate the zest into a bowl. Add sugar and mix to evenly distribute the zest. To make it spreadable, squeeze either the juice of the lemon, or the two limes over the sugar. 

Roll out dough to 1/4 inch (or ~3/4 cm) thickness, fold the dough in half so that there are two layers. Cut out into squares or circles or whatever shape you want your biscuits to be, brush citrus glaze over biscuits, and slide into a hot oven to bake. Bake at 425 F (~220 C) for 10 to 12 minutes. Let biscuits cool on a rack and enjoy!

Rested and risen dough with a particularly large chunk of butter

Ready to be baked

Cooling and waiting to be devoured

Coconut Angel Cake

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Are you just about to begin the annual marathon of rich, decadent holiday feasts? Or perhaps you've already begun, like I have? Here, I have a recipe for a light interlude to keep our spirits (and perhaps body) light: a coconut angel food cake. Let's not wait for the summer to enjoy coconut and angel food cake. A dash of cinnamon gives this cake a welcoming warmth.

The Recipe:
Sift together dry ingredients:

• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 2 tbsp defatted soy flour
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed (optional, stir after sifting others if adding)

Wet ingredients:

• 6 egg whites (separated from fresh raw eggs, best if left at room temperature)
• 4 tbsp white sugar
• 2 tbsp brown sugar (for flavour and moisture)
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (stabilizes egg white structure)

Measure out white sugar and stir in cream of tartar so that it is evenly distributed. In a large, clean bowl, beat egg whites until it comes to a soft peak. Add white sugar, a tablespoon at a time, while beating. Continue to add brown sugar, again, a tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until you get a medium peak. Carefully fold in sifted dry ingredients with a large spatula, stopping when you don't see clumps of flour anymore. You can fold it all in at once or separate into two batches. Scoop into an un-greased, 8 by 4 inch (or 20 cm by 10 cm) loaf tin, even out the top, and bake at a 325 °F (~165 °C) oven for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Flip loaf tin upside down to cool for 15-20 minutes before removing from pan and slicing. If your tin does not have "feet", you can let it rest in a round bowl that's slightly wider than 8 inch diameter so that the cake surface is not touching anything but air can circulate. Slice and enjoy when cooled. 

Measured out dry ingredients before sifting

Egg whites beat to medium peak with sugars and cream of tartar

Cooled loaf cake

Here's how the structure and texture looks inside 

It's not exactly fat free because there is some fat in the coconut flour and soy flour (and in the flaxseed if you are using it), but it's much lower than that in pound cakes but no less flavourful. You can add a sugar glaze or sprinkle with icing sugar if you like. Happy holidays!