Buttermilk Biscuits

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I'M BACK!!!  Wow has it really been almost 4 months?  I'm so happy to finally be moved to Utah and moved into our new house.  Buying a house is even more stressful than I imagined!  I am in love with this home and especially my new kitchen.  The home was built in 1964 but the kitchen has been completely remodeled and it is a dream.  Hickory wood floors, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, knotty wood walnut cabinets-FOR REAL!  Sounds like I'm talking about someone else's house.  Anyway, I'm out from under the mountains of boxes and paper and cooking up a storm.  

A few weeks ago Ben and I watched an episode of Bobby's Brunch on the Cooking Channel.  He made homemade buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy that left us drooling.  We used to make that all the time when we were newlyweds and I had totally forgotten about it.  How did I forget about that?!?!  The only thing different about the way I made them 11 years ago was that I always used canned biscuits.  Any kind of homemade bread product like rolls, pie crust, biscuits, etc has always been so intimidating to me.  In fact, I remember trying to make homemade biscuits back then and they were hard as a brick! 

I didn't use Bobby's recipe because I was missing an ingredient but remembered I had this one saved from a blog.  The blog is called http://www.foodpeoplewant.com/ and the writer got this recipe from the New York Times.  Let me tell you that I am a changed woman.  These were so super easy and fun to make!  I had such a feeling of accomplishment and they were delicious!  If I can make these, anyone can so try them soon.  Oh, and just a little tip on the buttermilk.  I know it's not an ingredient that is used often so I buy the biggest container at the store then freeze it in 1 cup portions.  It freezes well and you will always have it on hand.  Don't forget about my Buttermilk Pancakes recipe too!

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
http://www.foodpeoplewant.com/

Makes about 8 biscuits

Making your own baking powder by combining fresh cream of tartar and baking soda will produce biscuits with the most lift. Don’t be afraid of the hot oven temperature either as this will allow the heat to get on the biscuits quickly and sufficiently brown their tops. When forming the dough, mix in the buttermilk until the mixture just holds together. The last thing you want to do in this recipe is overwork the dough and ruin the biscuits flaky, buttery texture.
INGREDIENTS:

1/2 tablespoon cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1/2 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons packed lard or unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces (I used unsalted butter)
1 cups chilled cultured buttermilk, plus more as needed
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

METHOD:
Place a rack in the middle position of the oven and preheat to 500°.

Make your own baking powder by sifting together the cream of tartar and baking soda.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the lard or butter and quickly work the pieces into the flour with a pastry cutter or the tips of your fingers. The pieces should be coarsely blended and resemble large peas.

Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in the buttermilk. Quickly mix the ingredients until the mixture just begins to come together. Add 2-4 more teaspoons of buttermilk if the mixture seems dry.

Immediately turn the dough out onto to a generously floured surface and quickly knead the dough about ten times until a ball forms. Gently flatten the dough and use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough out a thickness of 3/4 inch.

With a fork that has been dipped in flour, pierce the dough at half inch intervals before using a fluted, 2 1/2 or 3 inch biscuit cutter to stamp out the biscuits. When you have run out of room to stamp out more biscuits, carefully reform the dough and press out as many as you can.

Arrange the biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet (or spray pan with cooking spray) and bake until golden, about 10-12 minutes.

Remove from the oven and brush the tops with the melted butter.

I'll Be Back Soon!

Pin It The movers will be here to start packing us in 5 days so I have to get to work.  There's so much to do!  We are temporarily moving in with my husband's sister while house hunting so it may be a few months before I'm back to blogging.  In the meantime, enjoy all the recipes here and tell me how you like them! 

Oreo-Crusted White Chocolate Mousse Torte

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Will you forgive me if I post two chocolate recipes in a row?  I just had to get this one in before we move in a couple of weeks and things get crazy around here.  We had some dinner guests recently and my wonderful husband was the one making the main dish.  He lived in the Dominican Republic and makes the most amazing Domincan meal.  Since he was doing all the work for that I was able to focus all of my attention on dessert.  I've had my eye on this for a while and it turned out to be a "wow" dessert.  My kids absolutely loved it and they are hard to please with new desserts.  If you love Oreos you can't help but love this too!  It's also no-bake which is definitely a plus!  

* Linked to Sweets for Saturday

OREO-CRUSTED WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE TORTE
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/

Makes one 9-inch cake; 12 servings

For the crust and garnish:

Butter for preparing the pan
24 Oreo cookies, roughly broken in thirds
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup (4 ounces) heavy cream
For the filling:

10 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups (16 ounces) heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

Coat the interior of a 9-inch springform pan with butter. Place a circle of parchment in the bottom and butter it as well (I omitted this step and it didn’t stick).

Place the bowl of an electric mixer and wire whip attachment or the beaters in the freezer to chill.

To make the crust, place the broken cookies in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse until medium-size crumbs are formed. They won’t be uniform but don’t process long enough to make mush- just to grind the cookies into uneven crumbs. Leave the crumbs in the food processor. Place the semisweet chocolate in a medium metal bowl. Pour the 1/2 cup heavy cream into a small saucepan; set over medium heat and bring the cream to a very gentle simmer. Pour it over the chocolate and stir until the mixture is smooth. Add two-thirds of the cookie crumbs; reserve the remaining crumbs. Stir the crumbs to coat them with the chocolate. Spoon and scrape the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Press the chocolate-coated crumbs evenly over the bottom all the way to the edge of the pan, but not up the sides. Set aside.

To prepare the filling, place the white chocolate and 2/3 cup of the heavy cream in a metal bowl placed over, but not touching, a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally as the chocolate melts. When the mixture is smooth, remove it from over the water and set aside to cool.

In a chilled bowl using the chilled beaters, whip the remaining 1 1/3 cups of heavy cream and the vanilla until soft peaks form.

Pour 3 tablespoons of water into a small saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over it. When the gelatin has softened, place the saucepan over very low heat and stir the mixture just until the gelatin has dissolved and liquefied. Immediately scrape the gelatin mixture into the white chocolate mixture, and fold gently until well combined. Fold the white chocolate-gelatin mixture into the whipped cream until the mixture is uniform. Scrape the filling into the prepared crust.

Refrigerate the torte until the gelatin has set, at least 4 hours or overnight (I refrigerated mine overnight). To serve, loosen the edges of the torte from the sides of the pan with a small knife. Remove the sides of the pan and run a wide metal spatula between the bottom of the torte and the parchment liner, then lift the torte onto a flat serving plate. Just before serving, sprinkle the torte with the reserved cookie crumbs.

This torte can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 4 days.

Chocolate Banana Bread

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I love banana bread and when I saw this recipe in Tyler's Ultimate cookbook I knew I had to try it.  I love Tyler Florence!  He is my favorite Food Network chef because his recipes are so great.  No other reasons, though, and especially not because he's cute ;)  This was so good fresh from the oven with butter and is also good toasted.  Don't expect it to be overly sweet because it's more just a cocoa flavor to enhance the banana bread.  Does that make sense?  Save your bananas and try this soon! 

CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD

Tyler's Ultimate Cookbook

Makes 1 loaf

1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan

2 C all-purpose flour

3/4 C sugar

1/4 C cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted

2 large eggs

3 very ripe bananas

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.  Mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.  In another bowl, cream the butter until lightened, then beat in the chocolate, eggs, bananas, and vanilla.  Stir in the dry ingredients just until combined; do not overbeat.

Pour batter into the loaf pan and bake until a toothpick stuck into the center of the bread comes out almost clean, 50-60 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for at least 15 minutes before unmolding.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.  It looks pretty that way! 

Thai Turkey Tacos

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Happy New Year!  I can't believe another year has come and gone.  I don't know about any of you but I just feel icky after all the sweets and rich foods I've been eating the last few weeks.  I am going to start posting healthier recipes (not all of them of course!) for you all to enjoy. 

Ok, so raise your hand if you're scared of ground turkey?  I know lots of people who are but I'm here to tell you that it is so good.  I used to be skeptical and the kids hated it at first but now I substitute it for any recipe that calls for ground beef.  Most of the time the kids can't tell a difference!  This recipe has to be my favorite way to have ground turkey.  It's so flavorful, low fat and low carb!  

THAI TURKEY TACOS



1 pound lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons grated ginger or 1/2 tsp dry ginger
1-3 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cups coleslaw mix with carrots
½ C lightly salted peanuts, roughly chopped
Cilantro for garnish
Lettuce (iceberg and romaine work well)

Thai Cooking Sauce

Combine:
4 tsp sesame oil
8 Tablespoons of soy sauce (I use low sodium)
4 Tablespoons of lime juice
4 Tablespoon of honey
1 tsp of crushed red pepper (I use a little less for the kids’ sake)

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add turkey; cook, crumble and stir until meat is no longer pink. Add ginger, garlic, onion, pepper, and slaw mix; stir-fry with meat for 2-3 minutes until vegetables are wilted. Add ½ of the Thai cooking sauce, stirring constantly to blend all ingredients, about one minute. Wrap in lettuce leaves and garnish with peanuts and cilantro. Use extra sauce for dipping.

Milk Chocolate Gingersnaps

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Excuse the "brown on brown" picture here but this was taken right before my desserts class started and I was in a hurry.  I am so excited, though, because I have asked for a really cool light for Christmas to help with my food photography.  Can't wait to take some much better pictures! 

I have to tell you a funny story about these cookies.  These have become a must when baking for friends and family during the holidays.  They are fantastic!  Last weekend I was a baking fool and spent all of Saturday and Sunday within the confines of my kitchen.  My plan was to double this recipe which would make about 60 cookies.  So I whipped them up and when I went to scoop and roll them in the sugar I could tell the consistency was not right.  I double checked the recipe and I had QUADRUPLED the BUTTER.  What?!?!  By the time I started on these Sunday afternoon I think I had lost my mind a little reading "a cup of this, a teaspoon of that, etc" all weekend!  So I got out my gigantic plastic pop-up Pampered Chef bowl that Ben said I'd never need and put all the dough in that :) Then just doubled everything but the butter and added that to the bowl.  There was so much that I just had to use my hands to mix it all up.  So instead of 60 cookies I made 120!  It turned out to be a good thing, though, because I just put them in the freezer and have been adding them to plates for friends AND the kids and Ben have been able to eat them without me slapping their hands and saying "These are for our friends and family not us!"  :) 

Check out the site http://www.recipegirl.com/ because it is really great.  She has so many holiday cookie recipes that I want to try!

MILK CHOCOLATE GINGERSNAPS

http://www.reipegirl.com/

2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1½ tsp ground ginger
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
¼ cup molasses
1½ cups (about 9 ounces) milk chocolate chips
¼ cup granulated sugar

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl and using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until smoothly blended, about 1 minute. Add egg and molasses and mix until blended. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate. Mix in the chocolate chips.

3. Spread granulated sugar on a large piece of wax or parchment paper. Roll a rounded Tablespoon of dough between the palms of your hands into a 1¼-inch ball. Roll ball in sugar. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Bake cookies one sheet at a time until they feel firm on top but soft in the center and have several cracks, about 14 minutes.

4. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Use a wide metal spatula to transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: About 30 cookies

Cooking Tips
*Cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
**Finished cookies may also be frozen until ready to place on cookie platters.

Italian Mac-N-Cheese

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Are you ready for some major comfort food?  Pasta is definitely a comfort food to me and this dish is up there in my top favorite pastas.  I started making this years ago when Rachel Ray was just getting popular and everyone was in love with her.  I must say that I've tried many many of her recipes and pretty much hated most of them but this one was exceptional.  This is one of her "30 Minute Meals" too which makes it even better!  Honestly, though, it only takes 30 minutes IF you have everything chopped and prepped before you start.  So misleading!  Italian sausage, mushrooms, creamy sauce, tomatoes, cheese...mmmm!!!  I love how the parmesan gets crispy on the top.  Ben and I fight over the crunchiest pieces!  I looked up this recipe on the net just for ease of putting it on the blog but it's been changed a little.  I wouldn't change a thing so I am giving you the original version.  This is the perfect meal for a cold winter night! 

ITALIAN MAC-N-CHEESE

Source: Rachel Ray

1 lb Penne pasta

1 lb bulk Italian sausage (not the sweet kind!)

2 TB Extra virgin olive oil

1 TB butter

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

12 fresh button or baby portabello mushrooms

Salt and Pepper

2 TB all purpose flour

1 C chicken stock or broth

1 C heavy cream

8 oz shredded Italian 4 Cheese Blend cheese

1 can (15 oz) plain diced tomatoes, drained

3/4 C parmesan cheese

Cook pasta 9 minutes or until it is al dente (not quite done).  Brown and crumble sausage, drain, set aside.  Add EVOO to the same pan over medium heat and add butter, garlic, and mushrooms.  Season with S&P liberally.  Saute 3-5 minutes until mushrooms are golden brown.  Add a little more olive oil if the mixture gets too dry while browning.  Preheat broiler to high.  Add flour and stir to make a roux.  Whisk in chicken stock and heavy cream.  Bring to a bubble then stir in half of the cheese blend.  When cheese melts, add tomatoes.  When sauce boils add pasta and sausage then transfer to a baking dish.  (9x13) Add remaining cheese and grated parmesan to the top.  Cook until browned.  This will only take about 5-10 min on top rack under broiler so keep an eye on it.  Serves 6-8