Gluten-free Parmesan Biscuits

I made a batch of my gluten-free Parmesan Biscuits for a friend’s birthday recently & they went down a storm! I flavoured half the biscuits with fresh rosemary & the other half with chilli flakes for that little bit of heat.

These are the perfect nibbles to enjoy with a cheeky bevoir & some cheeses.

After experimenting, I made my biscuits with both rice flour & polenta, adding a tiny amount of xanthan gum too (which is essential to bind the mixture). I have never uses xanthan gum before, but after a bit of research & trial & error making gluten-free biscuits without it, the biscuit mixture is just too crumbly to handle without it, so it is essential to use. You can of course use gluten-free plain flour that already contains xanthan gum in it to make these biscuits instead. But I love the texture of both rice flour & polenta - & the polenta adds that additional crunch to these cheesy biscuits.

In terms of rolling out the pastry I found it just as manageable as handling normal pastry (just don’t be heavy handed with the rolling pin!) These biscuits are gluten-free but, to make them dairy free as well, just replace the cheese & butter for the equivalent.

Everyone can enjoy these delicious savoury biscuits but they are perfect for anyone on a gluten-free diet.

Mangia, mangia! 👩🏻‍🍳

Gluten-free Parmesan Biscuits recipe:

50g rice flour
50g polenta
50g cold salted butter - cut into small pieces
50g parmesan/pecorino - grated ( plus extra for sprinkling)
1 tsp ice cold water
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes

Makes about 25 or more biscuits (depending on the size of your cutter)

1. Line 2 large trays with parchment/greaseproof paper & set aside.

2. Put the rice flour, polenta & butter into a large bowl very gently rub together with your fingertips. Add the xanthan gum, grated parmesan & 1 tsp of cold water and gently bring the mixture together with your hands into a ball ( do not knead).

3. Divide the mixture in half & incorporate the rosemary in one half & the chilli flakes in the other. Wrap in cling film & leave to chill in the fridge for at least 20-30 mintutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 180C fan or equivalent. Lightly flour your work surface with rice flour & roll out the pastry with a rolling pin & using a cutter of any size you want ( I used one with a 6cm diameter) cut out the biscuits & place on the baking sheet leaving a little room between each.

5. Brush the surface of each biscuit with a little milk & sprinkle over some grated parmesan. You may need to bake the biscuits in 2 batches. Place in the oven for about 10 minutes, until they are a golden brown colour.

6. Let the biscuits cool on a cooling rack (they will crisp up a bit more as they cool). The biscuits will keep in a tin for a few days.