Fluffy Biscuits

Tender and flaky.  Easy to make, hard to resist!  Freezer friendly so make extra for quick breakfasts!

Fluffy Biscuits                                                                                     Printable Recipe

2 cups flour

1/2 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/3 cup shortening

1 cup milk

In a medium bowl mix together the dry ingredients. 

 Cut shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. 

 Stir in milk be only just enough until the flour just mixes in. (I did not use quite all of my milk the first time before it had enough to turn out.)

Dump out onto a floured surface.  Sprinkle a little flour on top. Gently pat dough out to 1 inch thick.

Cut biscuits with a 2-1/2 - 3 inch cutter. When I was growing up my mom used a plastic glass dipped in flour as her cutter. You can put the scraps together for another biscuit but it won't look the same.  The more you play with the dough the more dense and funny looking your biscuits will be. 

Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.

Slice and serve with butter and honey.  Would be great smothered with sausage gravy or use with vegetable beef and biscuit casserole. 

If you'd like to use your biscuits as a morning breakfast or other sandwich press your dough into 1/2" thickness.  Cut, then lightly dampen one biscuit top and lay the other top of it. Bake as usual.  It is much easier to separate for sandwiches.

Washington County Reserve Champion in Breads/No Yeast

2014

Rosso Verde Pizza

Pistachios on pizza?!  No way!  I thought the same thing when my husband brought it home from the pizza place.  But between it, the sweet red peppers, and the pesto, it works.  You must try it!  This is my version. We came up with a fun name, it means Red Green Pizza in Italian.

Rosso Verde Pizza

grilled pizza dough or quick pizza dough

pesto

shredded mozzarella (or a blend of your favorite pizza cheeses)

sauteed diced red peppers

pistachios 

For this recipe I used pre-grilled pizza dough and cooked it in the oven.  For fresh grilled pizza follow instructions on the grilled pizza dough page.  You can also use the quick pizza dough recipe and top it.  

Preheat oven and stone to 450 degrees.  Place frozen pizza dough or rolled our fresh dough on a pizza paddle or flat cookie sheet. Frozen pizza doesn't need cornmeal, it won't stick but the fresh DOES.  Spread on the pesto. Use as much or as little as you like. 

Sprinkled on your grated cheese.

Add the red peppers.

Now, on to adding the pistachios.  We left ours whole but you could chop them up a little bit if you want but don't obliterate them.  You want the crunch.

Slide it onto the pizza stone. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.  Careful to watch your crust.  Brown is nice but at the end can quickly be too brown.

Slice and enjoy! 

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Cinnamon Swirl Bread (makes 2 regular loaves or 3 medium)

2 cups warm water (110 degrees)

3 teaspoons dry active yeast

6 Tablespoons honey

2 cups whole wheat flour ( I use half fine grind and half coarse grind)

1 teaspoon salt

5 -1/2  Tablespoons olive oil

5 cups bread flour

cinnamon

cornstarch

pure maple syrup

raisins (optional)

Dissolve yeast in warm water in mixing bowl. I use my KitchenAid mixer so I can use my dough hook for kneading. Add honey. Turn on mixer.  Add whole wheat flour, salt, olive oil.  Let mix some then add in bread flour a little at a time. It should come together. If not add flour if too sticky or a water (1/2 T at a time). The dough in the picture is a little dry so I added water.

Use on STIR or setting 2 on your mixer for 3-4 minutes.   (Add your raisins here if you want them.)

Roll dough into ball and place in oiled bowl. Place damp cloth or paper towel on top.  (Mine fell into bowl in this picture.  You'll do better I am sure.) Let rise in warm place for about 45 minutes.  

Pretty, now punch it!!

Divide dough into 2 or 3 pieces depending on if you are doing regular size loaves (2) or medium size loves (3.) Roll out into a rectangle a little wider than the length of your pan and about 1/2" thick.  

  Mix a little cornstarch and cinnamon in some pure maple syrup. Spread it on the dough but not quite to the edges.  Don't make it soupy or it will all squeeze out the other end!

 Mix it up.  No one wants to bite into a bunch of cornstarch.

Roll up from the short side, bringing edges in like a burrito to keep in the liquid. Pinch to seal and bake. The cornstarch will keep the liquid from escaping.

 Let rise for another 45 minutes.  Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes for regular Or 20 to 25 for medium. 

Use a serrated knife to cut this oh so moist bread.  I dare you to wait until its cool to dig in!

This bread stays moist for days and  I have even experimented with 5 cups of a 1/2 fine 1/2 coarse wheat mix and 1 to 1-1/2 cups of white.  Still moist days later!

You can freeze this bread whole or sliced.  Thawed, tastes just as good as fresh.
OR
Make it into French Toast!!

Squash Pancakes

My friend Rachel gave me this recipe.  What a great way to get your kids to eat veggies! We eat these as a side with supper.

Squash Pancakes

4 cups shredded squash (zucchini and/or yellow squash are best)

1 cup shredded cheese (pick your favorite)

1/2 teaspoon salt

few dashes of pepper

2 eggs

1-1/2 cups Bisquick (GF also works!)

Stir all the ingredients together. (I pulled my veggies out of the freezer but fresh can certainly be used.)

I used Mexi-blend here.

Drop by scoopfuls onto hot griddle.

Cook until golden brown on the outsides and done on the inside.

French Toast

French Toast

cinnamon swirl bread slices
For each slice use one egg and a dab of milk. 
Vanilla Extract (optional)

I use a large container and make 8-10 at a time.  Beat eggs and milk, dunk bread.  I let it soak up as much as it can.  Cook until completely done.  Place on cooling rack.  

Add eggs to pan and cook in one piece.  Cut into amount of servings of bread you have.  IE, 8 slices of bread 8 pieces of scrambled egg flats.  

Also place on cooling rack.  FREEZE all!  When frozen place in freezer zip bag.  Take out a piece of French toast and a piece of egg scramble and place in toaster.  Pop down.  Egg usually takes just one turn and bread two. Easy easy!!  YES, I put eggs in my toaster!  It does require adult help to get the egg out with tongs. 

Cut into slices and the kids can dunk them in their syrup.  I prefer my French toast with butter spread on and cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on it, not that yucky syrup!  ;)

Buttermilk Skillet Cornbread

Buttermilk Skillet Cornbread

1 1/4 cups coarsely ground cornmeal

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup milk

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

8 tablespoons butter, melted --divided

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place a 9 or 10 inch cast iron skillet inside.  Allow it to heat while you make the batter.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar,  baking powder, and baking soda.

In another bowl whisk the milk, buttermilk, eggs and almost all of the melted butter.  Keep back about 1 Tablespoon for the skillet.

Pour into dry 

and mix. 

Remove the hot skillet from the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Dump the other tablespoon of butter into bottom of hot skillet. Use a pastry brush to brush it up on sides.  Pour the batter into the skillet and place in the oven.

Bake until the center is firm and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 25 minutes.  I found that 15 minutes was plenty for my 10" pan but each oven and pan can differ.

It is a really moist cornbread but not a very sweet cornbread so we drizzled honey on it.  YUM!!

Homemade Croutons

 Homemade Croutons

4 cups cubed bread, preferably starting to stale (I use my honey wheat bread)
2 Tablespoons (approximate) olive oil
salt or other seasoning of choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put cubed bread in medium bowl, drizzle some of the olive oil, toss, drizzle rest on. If it is not coated as you like you can put a little more oil on but don't drench it.  If you want a little salt or other seasoning such as garlic or ranch then put it on here while the bread is wet.  Be sure to add a little, toss, then add more so your top pieces aren't what gets all the seasoning.

Dump onto cookie sheet and make sure they are in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes, toss/turn.  Go an additional 5, toss/turn.  Taste one of the croutons if they are not nearly crunchy and aren't too brown you can throw them in for another 5 minutes.  You don't want burns croutons but you do want the moisture out so they last. They will completely firm up when they cool.

 Put into a plastic container with an airtight lid or a zip shut bag.

 You can us them on salads or soups.