Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits

I had a big carton of buttermilk left over in my refrigerator from a recipe I tried recently- what it was, I don't even remember now... but with the little chill in the air, thought I'd whip up a hot batch of biscuits. My go-to recipe has always been Fannie Farmer's baking soda biscuits- sometimes with buttermilk, sometimes just with regular milk. They're good, as homemade biscuits are, but I wanted something that brought out the buttermilk flavor even more. I found it in this recipe for Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits from Pinch My Salt. If you've never made homemade biscuits, there's a really good photo tutorial- and it's really easier than it seems (put down the canned biscuits...) Using cake flour, if White Lily is not available, is the key- I could tell just by mixing them that they'd be much more tender. And using butter, instead of the shortening called for in my old recipe, gave these the most wonderful flavor. I also use a pastry blender instead of my fingers- keeps the butter colder. These biscuits are incredible- I've made a big batch a couple of times this week already. Go make some RIGHT NOW!

First Fall Apple Pie

I've had a pie crust sitting in my refrigerator, waiting to be used. It's been a long while since I've made an apple pie, but it is AudioDad's favorite dessert- I almost made him one for his birthday instead of the chocolate buttermilk sheet cake. I found a recipe online for a streusel topped pie (also known as a French apple pie)- thought that would be a nice change (and I only had a single crust- too lazy to make another one!) It was definitely delicious!
apples in the crust
topped with streusel

Streusel Apple Pie
1 pie crust
3 lbs. (about 7-8) peeled Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbs. Minute tapioca

Topping
2/3 c. flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
5 Tbs. cold butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pie crust and use it to line a 9" deep dish pie pan. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together apples, sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and tapioca. Pour apple mixture into the unbaked pie crust, mounding in the center and pouring any juices over apples. In a medium bowl, prepare the streusel by mixing together the flour, brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Using a pastry blender or a knife, cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle/pat this mixture over the apples in the crust. Bake pie for 12 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes, or until apples are tender and pie is golden brown. Let cool a few hours before slicing and serving.

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Cinnamon Rolls

Yes, I said cinnamon rolls. Warm, homemade ones. I know I've been bad and haven't posted in a long while (sorry! I went back to work last week), so I thought sharing this lovely recipe would make up for it. These are not your traditional, Cinnabon-style, achingly-sweet type of cinnamon roll. But they're delicious just the same- and we like them even better.
I came across the recipe during my recent recipe organization project. From Cook's Illustrated, they start with a cream biscuit base which you roll out and spread with cinnamon sugar. I love that I don't need to wait for them to rise- no yeast! And I've always got these ingredients on hand, so I can whip them up at any time. Munch and I had a great time making them- there was a lot I could let her do. She got to dump the ingredients in, do some of the mixing, helped with the rolling, brushed the butter onto the dough, sprinkled on the filling, and put the rolls in the pan. If the 3-year old can do it, so can you!

Dough:
2 c. flour
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. heavy cream, plus a couple tablespoons more as needed

Filling:
1 tbsp. butter, melted
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Icing:
1 1/2 tbsp. egg white
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray an 8-inch round baking pan with nonstick spray. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the 1 1/4 c. cream and stir until dough starts to form. Add additional cream, a tablespoon at a time, until no dry bits remain. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead by hand until smooth, about a dozen turns. Roll out dough into a rectangle, approximately 9x12 inches.
Brush melted butter onto the surface of the dough rectangle. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly onto dough. Roll up dough, starting at long edge, then cut into 8 rounds. Arrange rolls in the prepared baking pan and bake about 25 minutes until golden.
While the rolls bake, prepare the icing by whisking together the egg white, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle icing over rolls once they come out of the oven. I know I don't have to tell you to enjoy these right away!


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Too Many Recipes!

I have a problem. I cannot help myself when it comes to collecting recipes. I clip them from magazines or newspapers, get them from friends and coworkers, and print so many off the web. They are tucked away into piles and binders and envelopes all over the house. And I haven't yet mentioned the many back issues of Martha, Bon Appetit, Cook's Illustrated, and so on- I CAN'T just toss them- what if there's a recipe I might want? But finally I had to face it- my "cookbook" had become too unwieldy, too full for any more recipes. I guess I've been tackling this project for a while now. About a year or so ago I cancelled all subscriptions- no more was allowed to come in until I got a handle on what was already here. Then I started working through the little stacks of magazines and clippings that were squirreled away all over the house. This week I looked through my binder and decided I needed to separate the good stuff- my tried and true favorite recipes- from the stuff I hadn't even tried yet. Out of my recipe binder went clippings for everything that I'd never cooked- many actually ended up in the trash since I found I was no longer interested. Everything I still wanted to try got transferred into 2 smaller binders to flip through for when I'm in the mood for something new. The result is this-(I'm thrilled that the covers actually close!!!)
and this-because I told myself if it was going in the "to try" binder, I really had to do it. These cupcakes were inspired by the delicious passionfruit cupcakes I get from Kara's. Gina kindly brought me a couple jars of passionfruit jelly, which I made into a curd-which I used to fill a yellow cake recipe clipped from Martha Stewartand I frosted it with a meringue buttercreamThe verdict? The passionfruit filling turned out perfectly! I now can use the same technique to make fruit curds from jellies if the primary juice isn't readily available. The cake recipe is nice, but not necessarily a keeper- I think I'll keep looking for a basic vanilla cake recipe- I have a few others in my to-try binder. Making a buttercream from sugar syrup was easier than I thought, and it made a nice, not-too-sweet frosting, but it still wasn't better than my white chocolate buttercream. Because ultimately there IS a method to the madness of my recipe clipping- I don't have a wide-ranging repertoire of things I like to cook and bake, but I AM determined to find the best recipe for those few items.

Peanut Butter Cookie Update

Adorable cookie jar, isn't it- birthday gift from AudioDad and I figured it was time to fill it! I started this blog almost a year ago, sharing a recipe for peanut butter cookies. I'm still hunting for that just right cookie recipe- but I think I'm getting closer! After my recent discovery of Annie the Baker's cookies at the St. Helena Farmers Market, I was inspired to try out a few more peanut butter cookie recipes online. Because as much as I will gladly travel for something yummy, I'd rather be able to make it (or something close to it) fresh, in my own kitchen, whenever I want. I came across this one on Baking and Books and decided it was worth a try, with a good couple of handfuls of Trader Joe's mini peanut butter cups thrown in, Annie-style.

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Summer School: Letter O

Today's letter was O. Munch already knows how to make them with wood pieces, so she got started on that while I finished preparing our other activities. I taught her to write the letter and say its sound, as is our usual routine. Today's letter collage had us brainstorming words that begin with O and gluing spots of oatmeal-
Our craft was an adorable paper owl- you can get the template from DLTK's Crafts for kids. (The upper and lowercase letter templates on our letter collage came from there too.) We started by sorting the shapes and counting and comparing quantities before Munch glued the pieces together-

Next up was our cooking project- we made Fannie Farmer's Oatmeal Scotch Chews. Munch got to measure and mix up the ingredients

as well as pat the mixture into the baking pan
While the oatmeal bars baked, Munch got to try out the obstacle course I had created in the living room. We had carpet squares to jump across, a pillow mountain to climb, a ball to roll across the coffee table into a box, little beanie babies to count and toss into a hoop, and a "ladder" taped to the ground to straddle and climb across.
Our oatmeal bars came out of the oven just in time for lunch (they're reminiscent of those yummy Nature's Valley oat granola bars, except chewier and more buttery)-

Oatmeal squares
1 stick butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. oats (not instant)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch square baking pan. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a 2 qt. saucepan. Stir to combine over medium heat until the butter has melted. Remove from heat and add the vanilla, oats, baking powder, and salt. Mix well then pour into prepared baking pan. Pat mixture firmly and evenly across bottom of pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool on a rack before cutting and serving.

Who Will Help Me Eat This Bread?

It's Little Red Hen week in my kindergarten, which means we're making bread- lots of it. Every day, I take a small group and we mix up a batch of Irish Soda bread. It's an easy recipe- doesn't require too many ingredients, isn't off-putting to picky eaters (some soda bread recipes call for raisins and caraway seeds), and the measurements for the various ingredients are simple to divide between several kids. I forget how much I like this recipe (it's so good toasted and slathered with jam) until I start baking a loaf every night for a week. Munch is curious about the dough I keep carting home, so we may be making some this weekend for her to taste!


Irish Soda Bread
4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add the buttermilk and stir until thoroughly incorporated (no dry crumbles remain) and dough begins to form a ball. Turn dough into a greased pan and bake for approximately 40 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a cooling rack.

Ina's Carrot Cake

I adore carrot cake. So does my mom. For years though, we were the only ones who did- that, and pumpkin pie. The rest of my family? They want CHOCOLATE, so that's usually what I made for holidays and birthdays. I got tastes of carrot cake here and there- a teacher at school makes a great one and would bring it for staff parties. Occasionally, a Costco carrot cake might be served at a party- it's surprisingly good, with a delicious apricot mousse sandwiched between its layers. But I never really bothered with making one myself- I hadn't found a really good recipe that was worth dragging out the Cuisinart to shred all those carrots and one cake really is much too much for just one person.
I'm not sure how carrot cake came up- Munch has certainly been on a carrot kick, but I may have just been thinking out loud again as I perused recipes. She got really excited though at the mention of carrot cake. Turns out her daycare lady likes it, too and has made one for the kids (most likely, carrot muffins). So, with the prospect of two carrot cake lovers in the house and specific individuals we could share slices with, I decided to hunt a recipe down. I didn't have to look far to find Ina Garten's recipe for carrot cake with chunks of pineapple (yum!). All her recipes are incredibly delicious and pretty simple, so I figured it was worth a try!
Getting the ingredients together-

This recipe make a humongous cake! I think I'll halve the recipe next time. Also, the frosting was REALLY soft- I don't think I'll let the butter and cream cheese sit out to soften as long AND I'll plan for some time to chill the cake to firm it all up- it slid a lot when I frosted the layers and cut the first pieces.


My happy taste tester! The cake was DELICIOUS!!!

Feed Your Family, Feed Your Soul

For me, nothing is as satisfying as preparing a nice meal for my family. Simple, homey meals are best. And even though I had intended to do some major housework today, spending the afternoon in the kitchen was just too irresistible. So, I started a fire in our wood-burning stove and got cooking!
First up was a loaf of beer batter quick bread-

We hardly drink and always end up with numerous bottles of beer after parties. A neighbor down the street also brewed his own and I used to find AudioDad returning from a run, six-pack in hand. I finally stopped buying it and after it sat for a year or more, didn't dare serve it, but I wasn't one to waste it. Coming across this recipe was the perfect solution. It's delicious and so fast to make, with a buttery crust that I adore (and I'm finally making a dent in the stock of beer in the garage!)

Beer Batter Bread
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a loaf pan. In a bowl, stir together 3 cups of flour, 3 tbs. brown sugar, 1 tbs. baking powder, and 1 tsp. salt. Pour in 1 bottle of beer and stir the batter until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and drizzle 2 tbs. melted butter over the top. Bake the bread for 40 minutes, test it by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf- if it's comes out clean, it's done. Remove from the oven and let the bread cool in the pan for a few minutes before turning it onto a cooling rack. Let the bread cool at least 20 minutes more so it's easier to cut, and generously slather on the butter!

To with the bread, I also made a big batch of soup- during dinner, we were playing around with the Munchkin and decided to call it "Banzo Barley Soup"-


2 pkgs. chicken apple sausage, sliced in half lengthwise, then 1-inch thick
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 c. carrots, peeled and sliced 1-inch thick
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 c. chicken broth
2-15 oz. cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 c. pearl barley
1/2 c. roasted red bell peppers, chopped
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. dried oregano

Heat the olive oil in a 6-qt. stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sausages and cook about 10 minutes until sausages are beginning to brown and onion is soft. Add the carrots and garlic and cook a few minutes more before adding the chicken broth, garbanzo beans, barley, roasted peppers, soy sauce, and oregano. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium/medium-high, cooking at a quick simmer for about 30 minutes. Keep it covered with a lid slightly offset while cooking, and check that the barley is tender before removing from heat and serving.


Finish off the meal with a square of this simple and satisfying lemon cake. I had been looking for a recipe to help me use up some buttermilk and a nice, brightly flavored lemon cake seemed like just the thing on a rainy day. The only thing I'd do differently next time is add a tablespoon or two of lemon juice to the cake batter (I really like a strong, tart lemon cake) and for a real treat, add a dollop of barely sweetened, softly whipped cream!

Coffee Cookies

I just love having a couple of weeks off of work over the holidays! After the chaos during the days leading up to Christmas (I made yet ANOTHER chocolate cream pie- we're up to 5 in the last month now!), it was nice staying home afterwards. AudioDad's been off since Wednesday, Brian came to stay for a few days after. We've been playing with the new Wii (AudioDad's been listening! Or at least reading the blog!) and working through the leftovers. Too bad these cookies were one of the first to go- the recipe came from a teacher at work. I just love how they're not too sweet, and I can't resist anything coffee-flavored!

Coffee Cookies
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tbs. instant coffee, plus extra for dusting
2 tsp. hot water
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Dissolve the tablespoon of instant coffee in the hot water and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar using a mixer at medium speed. Beat in the egg, coffee mixture, and the vanilla. Mix the salt into the flour and then stir it into the butter-sugar mixture. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls (about a tablespoon) and place on a baking sheet. Press with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar or use a decorative cookies tamp. Crush/sprinkle additional instant coffee crystals over the cookies. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges and cookies are set in the centers.