Buttermilk Biscuits

I love biscuits. I love buttermilk biscuits the most and, when I’m somewhere without my White Lily Self Rising Flour, I use the following recipe. It is modified from one that used to be available on the now defunct Chowhound recipe board. The current site has recipes but is lacking the user interface that made the old site so useful for foodies.

Golden and delicious!

2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
8 tablespoons frozen unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 cup cold buttermilk, plus more for the top coat

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a large bowl to combine. Grate the frozen butter into the flour mixture and whisk to coat. Drizzle in the buttermilk and stir just until a moist, shaggy dough forms.

Generously dust a work surface with flour. Scrape the dough out onto the surface. Using floured hands, gently pat the dough into a circle, about 1-inch-thick. Use a biscuit cutter dipped in flour to cut out as many biscuits as possible. Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 1 inch apart. Gather the scraps into a ball, pat it into a 1-inch-thick circle and cut out more biscuits. Repeat as needed. Use a pastry brush to coat the top of each biscuit with buttermilk.

Bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven until the biscuits are golden brown on top, about 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Cranberry Sauce Bran Muffins

Michelle has been a huge help lately, so I wanted to make her something nice. She is a fan of bran muffins so I decided to use some of the cranberry relish leftover from the holidays and some Kellogg’s All Bran Cereal.

The result is moist, flavorful and delicious enough for Dad to eat one and reach for a second. High praise indeed!

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ cups Kellogg’s All-Bran Original cereal
1 cup milk
1 egg
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup cranberry relish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together cereal and milk. Let stand for 5 minutes or until cereal is softened. Mix in egg and oil; beat well. Stir in cranberry relish. Add flour mixture, stirring only until combined.

Spoon batter into muffin tins, that have either been well buttered or lined with muffin papers. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until browned and firm to the touch. Serve warm.

These may be frozen and thawed in the fridge.

Pistachio Bread

I made my Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread the other day and one of my nieces then requested that I make Pistachio Bread next. As I love it, I quickly agreed and doubled the recipe so everyone could get a small loaf.

I use instant pistachio pudding to give it some real pistachio flavor. I also chop some of the pistachios really small, some roughly and then leave some whole to give the bread lovely texture.

Big tip – as soon as the pudding mix hits the wet ingredients, it will begin to set so make sure that you’ve done all the pan prep, have the pistachios chopped, have the cinnamon sugar out (if using) and the oven preheated before that step.

So delicious and it smelled so good! I had to use threats to keep my Dad from eating it right out of the oven. He couldn’t even wait 15 minutes for it to cool.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 small box instant pistachio pudding mix
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup milk
¼ cup chopped pistachios

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease 1 large or two small loaf pans with butter.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in instant pudding mix, breaking up any lumps.

In another bowl or in a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix in vanilla extract, beating well to combine.

With the mixer on low speed, add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Add the milk, mixing to combine. Add remaining flour mixture and chopped pistachios, mixing just until combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan, smoothing out the top.*

Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for five minutes in the pan before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely (or ten more minutes, if you’re my dad).

*Optional – sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar

Olive Loaves

As the weather is turning colder, I wanted some crusty bread. Something good for sandwiches and with soup. I added olives as I’ve been on a salt kick lately and thought the briney olives would be a good combination.

I was right. Such good bread. I had some with olive oil and a dukkah seedy nut mix I had picked up at Trader Joe’s.

These batards were chewy and flavorful with a crispy crust and lots of bites of olive. There is a bit of time involved but it is totally worth it.

2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
1 ½ cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
½ cup kalamata olives, chopped

Mix all ingredients except the olives in a medium sized bowl until well combined. Cover and let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Stretch and fold the dough into itself by taking a pinch of the outside edge and bringing it to the center. Continue around the entire edge. Then let it rest, covered, for another 15 minutes.

Knead and mix in the olives for about 5 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Let the dough proof overnight or as long as 36 hours.

Remove the dough from the fridge about 4 hours ahead of baking. Let come to room temperature for about 90 minutes. Fold the dough onto itself and then let continue to relax for another 90 minutes.

Divide the dough into 3 pieces. Gently shape each piece into an oval. I usually pat it into a rectangle with my hands and then fold it together three times like a business letter. Then, I turn it over on the seam and roll it out to the desired length. Place on a sheet of parchment paper and let them rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat a baking stone or tray in the oven at 450 degrees F.

Carefully transfer the loaves to the preheated baking stone/tray and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Adding steam in the first 8-10 minutes will help to make them more crisp. Finished bread will be 200 degrees F and sound hollow when you thump it.

Let cool at least ten minutes before tearing into them.

Soda Bread Blueberry Muffins

I like the flavor of soda bread but I didn’t want to make a loaf. These muffins still have the flavor profile of soda bread but can be individually frozen. I used the King Arthur Flour recipe as my stepping off point but I didn’t have whole wheat flour, currents or caraway seeds. Michelle loves blueberries, so I converted the recipe to give her a happy treat for the holiday.

It is St. Patrick’s Day, so I topped them with a sprinkle of green sparkling sugar! The added sweet was more of a bonus for me but these are delicious muffins that are super quick to make.

2 ¼ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 cup blueberries
1 large egg
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Lightly butter a muffin pan, or line it with baking cups. This recipe makes at least 12 muffins, more if your blueberries are on the large size.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Add the blueberries and stir to cover them with the flour mixture. This will keep them from sinking in the batter. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, and butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl the with dry ingredients. Gently combine the dry and wet ingredients just until everything is evenly moistened and there is no loose flour. Be careful not to over mix.

Spoon the thick batter into the baking cups. Bake muffins for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then move the muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Chocolate Cherry Scones

I’ve posted my recipe for Chocolate Cherry Sourdough Scones but, as I left my starter at home this trip, I needed to make my original version for breakfast New Year’s Eve.

The recipe makes 8 beautiful, large scones. You could do an egg wash on them but I like the melted butter.

They are moist and well flavored with the bittersweet chocolate and cherries. By roughly chopping the chips and cherries, you make sure there is a bit of each in every bite.

So very delicious!

3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (1½ sticks) chilled butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped
½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips, roughly chopped
1 egg
½ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons melted butter
8 tablespoons sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon for topping

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add cherries and mix well.

Whisk together egg, milk and vanilla. Make a well in center of mixture and pour in milk mixture. Add this to the flour mixture and mix. Add in the chocolate chips and mix until just combined.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. With your hands, shape into a loose ball. Cut the dough ball in half. Flatten each half into a round about 6 to 8 inches and cut into 4 wedges. Place wedges on a baking sheet, being sure to separate each wedge so there is at least an inch between wedges. Generously brush with melted butter and sprinkle each scone with about a teaspoon of the sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and serve warm.

To freeze baked scones, let them cool completely and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Freeze up to 3 months. When ready to eat, let thaw at room temperature or in the fridge overnight. Heat them up in the microwave for about 30 seconds to eat them warm.

Butterscotch Pull Apart Bread

I couldn’t find any of the frozen bread dough that I use to make Overnight Monkey Bread when out grocery shopping last week. Instead, I tried using King’s Hawaiian Sweet bread and box of Jell-O Cook and Serve Butterscotch Pudding (plus butter and brown sugar).

The pudding gives it a rich, caramel flavor and the bread was perfect – sweet, soft interiors and crunchy outsides.

Ooey gooey goodness and perfect for a Christmas morning! The four of us (Mom, Dad, Michelle and I) devoured the whole thing!

12 King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
½ cup melted butter, divided
½ cup brown sugar
1 (3.5 ounce) package Jell-O Cook and Serve Butterscotch Pudding
½ cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a large casserole dish.

Cut each roll into 4 pieces. Place in a large bowl. Pour ¼ cup melted butter over the dough. Toss to coat. Add the chopped nuts and then put the buttered bread into the prepared pan. Sprinkle ½ cup brown sugar evenly over the rolls and butter. Sprinkle the dry pudding mix over the brown sugar. Top with the remaining ¼ cup melted butter.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. If the pudding is still a little dry after 20 minutes, stir and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Let cool five minutes in the pan before running a knife around the edge to loosen. Invert over a bowl and serve.

Olive Bread

I was told by my friend, Jamie, that November 17 is National Homemade Bread Day. Therefore, I made a loaf of olive bread to honor the day. My usual recipe makes two loaves so I cut things down as it is just me at home.

The comforting aroma of fresh bread is enhanced with the rich scent of the olives. The loaf is delicious on its own and makes a great ham sandwich (think mild mannered muffuletta). It goes even better with a bowl of French Onion Soup. I went to la Madeleine for my soup and supplemented their cheese with some gouda.

Soft interior, chewy crust and a deep olive flavor. So good!

2 teaspoons active dry yeast 
1 cup warm water (110°F)
½ cup pitted and chopped Kalamata olives
3-4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

In a bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water; let the mixture stand until bubbly, about 5 minutes. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the olives, 3 cups flour, olive oil, salt and yeast mixture. Knead on medium speed until the dough is soft and smooth, 10 to 12 minutes. Add additional flour if dough is too sticky. Turn the dough out onto to a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Oil a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl, rotating to completely cover in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down and let rise again until doubled, about 1 hour more. 

On a lightly floured surface, flatten the dough out. Stretch the sides of the dough inward to the center, working all the way around the loaf to form a tight, round shape. Pinch the seam and turn over the dough and roll the bottom on the counter between your hands to smooth the seal. Set the dough on a baking stone. Dust the top with flour and cover with the overturned bowl and let rise 30 to 45 minutes. 

Preheat an oven to 400°F. 

Using a serrated knife, cut a large, shallow X on top of the loaf. Place baking stone with dough in the oven. Place a 9×13 roasting pan on the bottom rack and pour 2-3 cups of boiling water in the pan. Bake until the loaf is golden and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 35-40 minutes.

Makes 1 loaf.

Lemon Cream Cheese Sourdough Kolaches

Czech immigrants to Louisiana brought to our shores recipes for filled buns called kolaches. These can be filled with sweet or savory fillings – I’ve had sausage and cheese kolaches in Lafayette and creole cream cheese ones in Metairie. As there are people stoping by on the way to parades on Fat Tuesday, I made mine with a lemon cream cheese filling.

Because I am using my sourdough starter, I started by making the sponge the morning before on Lundi Gras and then let the dough proof overnight before the shaping of the buns and baking in the morning of Mardi Gras.

I divided my cream cheese into two batches, colored them with yellow and blue food coloring and put them in the bun wells in a stripe, symbolizing the Ukrainian national flag. We may be a world apart but I liked the idea of honoring their fight against the Russian invaders. Slava Ukraini! Heroiam slava! (“Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!”)

Tasty with a deliciously tangy bite from the lemon juice. These take a bit of time but were a cool way to use my sourdough starter.

Take 1 cup from your sourdough starter and feed it with 1 cup of flour and ½ cup of warm water. Mix well and set aside on the counter for eight hours.

3 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup milk
2 egg yolks (reserve the whites)
½ cup of the sourdough sponge
1 ½ cups of filling

Whisk together the dry ingredients (sugar, 3 cups of flour and salt) in a large bowl. Mash the softened butter into the dry ingredients with a fork.

Warm the milk in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds. It should be warm, not hot. Whisk the egg yolks into the warm milk along with the sourdough starter. Stir until well combined.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until no dry pockets remain. Allow the mixture to rest for an hour.

Use the final cup of flour to dust the work surface and your hands. Turn out the dough and form into a ball and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes. Butter a bowl and place the dough inside to proof for eight hours.

Divide the dough into quarters and divide each quarter into three pieces. Roll gently between your hands to form balls. Place on a baking sheets and don’t crowd the pan as they will be doubling in size. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To fill the kolaches, take your fingers and press an indentation in the center of each risen ball of dough. You are looking to create a deep hollow surrounded by puffy sides of dough. Place about a tablespoon of filling into each depression.

Beat the egg whites and brush them over the exposed dough. Bake for 20 minutes, until the dough is a light golden brown.

Eat them warm from the oven, or let them cool and store them in an airtight container.

Here is the filling recipe that I used. You can also use jam, if you don’t want to make your own.

Lemon Cream Cheese Filling

8 ounces cream cheese left at room temperature for at least 30 minutes
1 large egg separated (reserve egg white to use as egg wash)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Dash salt

Place the cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and zest and salt in a medium bowl and beat together with an electric mixer until smooth. Cover and place in the fridge. Pull out to soften slightly ahead of the end of the final proof.

Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

Michelle hasn’t been using as many bananas in making smoothies lately so she had a surfeit of ripe bananas in her freezer. I suggested a banana bread recipe I’d seen where the chef chopped a chocolate bar instead of using chocolate chips so there are small bits of shavings and larger, gooey chunks. She agreed and this is the converted recipe she made.

Recipe without nuts

She made one double batch without pecans and one with as some of her holiday visitors have nut allergies. I’m taking one with nuts to my sister and keeping one for myself.

Slice with nuts

This is definitely a recipe you’ll want to double as there is chocolate banana goodness in every bite and it will disappear very fast.

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
4 bananas (ripe and mashed)
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Mix the butter, sugar, banana, eggs, vanilla extract, chocolate chunks and chopped pecans in a separate bowl. Add to the dry ingredients and stir to combine, being careful not to over mix.

Pour the batter into a lightly greased and floured, 8×5 loaf pan and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. The bread is cooked when tested with a toothpick and it comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Makes 8 to 10 slices.