Raspberry Biscuits with Avocado
Move over avocado toast, there’s a new avocado treat in town, and it’s perfect for summer!
Avocados have exploded onto the food scene recently and I say, thank God! I’m not sure how many of you remember when avocados were maligned and avoided due to their high fat content? Those were bleak years indeed! What’s not to love about an avocado, the lovely green flesh, smooth and creamy texture, delicate flavor that doesn’t need more than a light sprinkling of sea salt to be enjoyed.
In this recipe I wanted to sandwich mashed avocado between two halves of pretty in pink raspberry biscuits. We enjoy the combination of berries and avocados in salad, why not combine them in a baked good? These biscuits are substantial, with ricotta and chives making them savory rather than sweet. I’m a biscuit purest who insists on eating warm biscuits hot from the oven, but this recipe is best if the biscuits are made ahead and served room temperature which makes them perfect for entertaining.
Recipe
Raspberry Buiscuts
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 C whole wheat pastry flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground pepper
1 T fresh chopped chives
2 oz. cold butter cut into small pieces
1/2 C ricotta cheese
1 C raspberries (fresh not frozen)
about 1 C milk (maybe less)
Mashed Avocado
3 ripe avocados, mashed
1 T lemon juice
1/2 t sea salt
2 t chopped chives
1 T olive oil (smoked olive oil if you have it)
Instructions
For the Biscuits:
Heat oven to 375, line a baking sheet with parchment.
In a medium bowl combine flour, whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and chives. Mix well.
Add the butter and mix into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal.
Add the ricotta and toss to combine.
Add the raspberries and gently toss to coat the raspberries with the flour mixture.
Add the milk a little at a time, mixing gently. Stop when the dough just holds together. This will be tricky because as the raspberries get crushed they will make the dough wetter. If you’re an experienced biscuit/scone maker, you will know how to handle a wet dough on a lightly floured surface with a pastry scraper. But if not, I suggest making drop biscuits and scooping the dough with a 2oz. scoop onto the lined baking sheet and lightly flattening them with your hand.
If you are comfortable rolling and cutting them, on a well floured board, pat the dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle and cut with 1 1/2′ cookie cutters. Press the scraps together, flatten them into a 1-inch thick piece of dough and continue to cut until all the dough has been shaped into biscuits.
Place on the parchment lined baking sheet and bake 16-18 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow to cool completely before filling with mashed avocados.
For the Avocado Filling:
Combine avocado, lemon, salt, and olive oil in a small bowl and mash with a fork until the mixture is just combined, it’s ok for it to be chunky.
To Assemble:
Cut the biscuits in half widthwise. Using a 1 oz. scoop, scoop avocado on one half of each biscuit and top with the other half and serve. Since avocados turn brown quickly serve the biscuits shortly after sandwiching them with the avocado filling.
Makes 12
