Cinnamon Orange Walnut Pinwheel Biscuits

Like all of my recipes, these are a work in progress. Instead of waiting until I have them perfect (which may never happen) I'm sharing with you now, so you can enjoy them, too. :) I love these little bits of biscuity goodness! With my limited diet, it's especially nice to have a tasty treat now and then.

Cinnamon Orange Walnut Pinwheel Biscuits
Makes about a dozen biscuits ~ number varies, depending on how you assemble and cut them

-ahead of time, set out some butter-alternative to soften for the filling

~Preheat oven to 400 degrees
-line your baking sheet with parchment paper (not essential, but helpful)

Dry ingredients:
1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
~ whisk all dry ingredients until well mixed

Add:
1/2 cup fat of your choice (1 stick, if using "butter-style" margarine)
     I've been using Earth Balance Soy-free sticks, which have worked well. Having recently
     remembered that this has pea protein (which my body does not like), I am pondering what to use
     to replace it. For now, I'm sharing this recipe as-is. Once I have a solution, I'll add updates.
1 Tablespoon Spectrum palm-kernel oil shortening- gives a more "buttery" feel to the biscuits

It's important to have the fat cold, for biscuits. I take the Earth Balance straight from the fridge, cut it into chunks, then work the chunks into the dry ingredients with my hands. A pastry blender also works well. I've been using the Spectrum at room temperature, which has been working fairly well. It gets a little too hard if kept in the fridge.

~Work both fats into the dry ingredients. It's okay if there are still some smallish lumps of fat. It does not have to be a perfectly even texture.

Liquid:
two options:
1 cup plain vegan yogurt (I use SoDelicious coconut yogurt)
-or-
3/4 cup alternative milk (or a little more, if the dough is too dry)
   I used Coconut Dream unsweetened original coconut milk

Whichever you choose, use a fork to stir the liquid into the dry ingredients, just until combined.
Turn the dough out onto a cutting board or counter that has been dusted with more of the millet flour-tapioca starch blend. Knead the dough together lightly and pat it out into a rough rectangle. Roll it gently until it is about 1/4" -3/8" thick, in a rectangle of about 9x12 inches.

Filling:
about 2 Tablespoons butter alternative, soft
     I use Earth Balance soy-free stick margarine
cinnamon (maybe about a teaspoon~ adjust to your personal preference)
zest of 1 small orange
     I use a small microplane grater to zest citrus, and it works very well
1/2 cup chopped or ground walnuts
    I use my Pampered Chef nut grinder, on the coarse setting. You want these to be fairly small
     pieces, as the dough is thin and fairly delicate

Gently spread the softened "butter" over the dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon, orange zest, and walnuts. Of course, a sprinkle of sugar would be delicious, but I am really trying to cut back on sugar. It tasted just fine to me without the added sugar. If you do choose to add sugar, they may burn more quickly on the bottom, so watch carefully as they bake.

Gently roll dough into a "log." Whether you roll lengthwise or crosswise is purely personal preference. If you start with the long side, you'll have smaller pinwheels, but more of them. If you start with the short side, you'll have pinwheels that are larger in diameter and have more spirals, but fewer in number.

Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the dough into slices of about 1/2" to 3/4" thick. Of course, all the variables of dough thickness, generosity of filling, direction of rolling, and thickness of the slices will determine how many you end up with. Carefully transfer slices to the lined baking sheet.
Leave a little space between them on the baking sheet, so they have a better chance of cooking through. I like dough, but doughy middles are a little unappetizing.

Bake:
-at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, for about 20 minutes. I check mine at 15 minutes, just to be on the safe side. If your pinwheels are very petite, you might even check them at 12 minutes. They should be golden brown on the bottom, and cooked through the middle.

Transfer to a cooling rack, so the bottoms don't keep browning.