Quick Drop Biscuits

Dec 202010
 
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Biscuits always have a place at the table. Everyone loves them, but people hardly ever have them. I wholeheartedly believe if people knew how fast and easy it was to make a drop biscuit, no one would ever buy that stuff in a can. The canned biscuit has this  metallic aftertaste to it that I can not bear as well.

They go with a variety of different food. I will serve biscuits for breakfast with sausage and gravy or eggs. I will serve biscuits at lunch with a brothy soup. I have served biscuits for afternoon tea with homemade preserves. I serve biscuits for dinner with any homey meat dish or summer salad.

Every time I place the biscuits on the table, I get the same reaction.” Ohhhh, homemade biscuits.” It sets the tone for the rest of the meal.  With my son’s allergy to dairy and eggs, I have switched it up a bit with vegan shortening and rice milk and no one is the wiser.  I will also make them with whole wheat pastry flour.

Gabriel loves them so much that one time when they were being passed around the table, he took three on his plate. We all laughed as I told him he had to put two of them back. He said, “But they will eat them all.”


Quick Drop Biscuits (Variation from Joy of Cooking)

Makes about 12

Preheat  oven 450F

1 3/4 cup sifted all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 t. salt
1 T. double acting baking powder
6 T. chilled butter or shortening
1 cup milk / rice or soy milk

1. Sift flour, salt and baking powder together in a large bowl.
2. Cut butter or shortening into dry ingredients until the consistency of cornmeal.
3. Add milk and stir in gently. Only about 10 turns.
4. Drop biscuits on ungreased baking sheet.
5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Variety in biscuits:  I have added roasted garlic and chives to the flour mixture before the milk is added. I have also added blue and cheddar cheese. Both are delicious.

Vegan shortening: I prefer Earth Balance sticks. It is a cholesterol-free shortening that works well in baking. I have used in pie dough as well.

Pull up a chair, Elizabeth

Ham and Sweet Potato Sandwich

Jun 082010
 

I can get somewhat emotional about sandwiches. I love them. I am always dreaming up my next favorite sandwich and this one has been on the top of the list for quite a while. The saltiness of the meat with the sour dough bread, then throw in the sweet potatoes and the peppery crisp of arugula… OMG, then the creaminess of the brie cheese. This is heaven.

I like it either warmed up like a panini or just assembled cold. It depends how hunger I am, if I can wait to heat it up, I eat it ASAP with some dijon mustard.

For the perfect sandwich:

2 slices of sour dough bread
2 slices of ham, crisped up slightly in some butter
2 slices of brie cheese
handful of arugula
sweet potato fries, see note
dijon mustard

Note: Cut sweet potato in french frie style. Skins and all. Lightly toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Put on a baking sheet and stick into a preheated oven of 400F, tossing a few times, until crisp. Approximently 30 minutes. I alway make extra fries, so I can make this sandwich the next day.

Pull up a chair, Elizabeth

Fun with Bread Machines.

Sep 062009
 
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I can not tell you what made me first buy a bread machine, but I had my doubts. I knew that I did not want to spend a lot of money. I heard a lot of people say that they used it for a little while, then never used it again. So I went to Craig’s list and found a brand new one for $20. Yes, you heard me right, $20. I looked everyday for a week and a bride that had gotten a bread machine for a wedding present was willing to barter. She had never even opened the box. That was three years ago.

The fanciest thing that I make in the machine is the sticky cinnamon apple buns that are above. I make whole wheat bread, pumpernickel bread, oatmeal bread. The key is to use the book that comes with the machine. It will guide you through it all. They also sell cookbooks for breadmachines.
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I make hot dog and hamburger buns and save so much money. I went through a couple of 5 lbs. bags of bread flour for five dollars and decided to go for the fifty pound bag at Costco that sells for $15. I just put it in a new tall plastic garbage can that fits perfectly in my pantry. I also bought a huge bag of yeast for $3 at costco instead of the packets for approximently the same price from the grocery store. This brought my cost down per loaf of bread to about .25. Now I usually pay $2 to $4 per loaf in the grocery store. I love saving that kind of money, especially on a better fresher product.

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This grilled flat bread is pizza dough that has been brushed with chimichurri sauce before I put it on a hot grill pan. I make pizza all the time for my son and his friends. I let them make their own individual pizzas and it has proven to be a big hit. I love that it does not cost me a lot.

I just think that having homemade bread for your family and quests is something unexpected and special. The house fills with the wonderful smell of fresh baking bread and you feel cared for immediately. Consider pulling your machine out or buying one and you will not regret it. You will save money, have a better piece of bread, and it will not have to make that last minute run to the store for bread.

Note: On bread storage… fresh bread gets hard in a day. Whatever I do not use, I put in the freezer the day I bake it. It should not go in the fridge! If you want day old bread for certain dishes or to dry it out for bread crumbs, it should be done at room tempurature.

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