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Chocolate Biscuits

These are British-style cookies, and are suitable for use in making
homemade ice cream sandwiches.

 3 ounces pure unsweetened baking chocolate
 3/4 cup sugar
 1 Tablespoon dark corn syrup
 1 Tablespoons water
 1-1/2 cups GF flour mix
 1/4 cup corn starch
 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
 1/8 teaspoon salt
 1/3 cup shortening
 2 egg yolks
 1/4 cup water or more
 decorative sugar (optional)

In a saucepan over low heat (or in the microwave), melt chocolate and sugar
with corn syrup and water. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, corn starch, xanthan gum and salt, then
cut in shortening as for pastry, mixing until you have the consistency of
cracker crumbs. Add egg yolk. Mix in chocolate.

Slowly add 1/4 cup water, allowing mixture to absorb and mix in after each
addition. Keep adding water by the Tablespoon until the dough forms a ball,
then add a tiny bit more. The consistency should be a little softer than
(wheat) pasta or pie crust dough; not sticky at all. Refrigerate at least
one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Divide the dough into two equal portions for rolling. On a GF-floured
surface or pastry cloth, roll out to a circle just less than 1/4" thick. If
desired, sprinkle top lightly and evenly with sugar and roll over it
lightly with the rolling pin.

Using the bottom of a glass or jar, or circular cookie or biscuit cutters,
cut out circles and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Prick all over
with a fork. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove to a rack and cool.

TO MAKE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES:

Find some gluten-free ice cream or make your own. (You don't have to have
an ice cream maker to make your own ice cream -- though it helps!  Look for
instructions in any thorough cookbook or ice cream specialty cookbook.)

If you can hard-freeze your ice cream, that's the best method. If your
freezer doesn't freeze ice cream that stiff, you'll have to put a scoop of
ice cream on the flat side of one biscuit and spread it around before
topping it with (flat side down) the other.

If your freezer does hard freeze ice cream, you can use the same cookie
cutter that cut your biscuit dough to cut the ice cream (choose a cookie
cutter that's fairly sharp).  Have everything ready before you start
because you'll want to work quickly! I use: a dinner plate for a cutting
surface; a sharp knife; cellophane to wrap the sandwiches individually; a
stack of cookies; the cookie cutter; and a freezer nearby!

Remove the ice cream from its container by briefly immersing it (not quite
up to the rim and certainly not over the rim!) in hot water.  Turn it over
onto the plate and shake the ice cream loose. Slice off one slab of ice
cream at a time (about 3/4" thickness is my preferred size, but you can do
what looks right to you). If your ice cream container is round, the first
slice should just go back in the container. Lay the slab down and use the
cookie cutter to cut as many circles as you can from it.

Put the cut ice cream between cookies, wrap in cellophane, and set them in
the freezer as you work. Return scraps of ice cream to the container.

Once you've cut as many as you need, you can gather the ones in the freezer
into one container (ziplock bags work fine for me) and repack the remaining
ice cream and put it back in the freezer. Enjoy!

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   This recipe, like all my recipes, is copyright 1995-1997 by
   Linda Blanchard.  I grant anyone anywhere the right to distribute
   this recipe on a one-to-one basis, or in a not-for-profit
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Linda Blanchard
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Midland TX