Easy Back to School Breakfast "Berry Apple Swiss Oatmeal"

As I am writing this post, I am eating a jar of the Back to School Berry Apple Swiss Oatmeal my eighteen year old step daughter made for her dad and I.  She absolutely loves these jars for breakfast, lunch and dinner , LOL!  I thought it would be a good idea for her to do a run through on the recipe to see how it tasted if someone else made it.  Just as delicious. 

If you're not a breakfast person like me, this is a great alternative.  The flavors are crisp and creamy  from the apples and yogurt and with a hearty flavor from the oatmeal and nuts.  It will keep you full til lunch so you're not snacking. If you are always in a rush in the morning (like me)  packing lunches and get myself out the door, this is a great shortcut. I make them on Sunday night and we are ready to go on Monday morning, just grab a jar and a topping bag and I'm out the door.  Trust me when I say, I make this weekly... my family absolutely loves these jars.  I cannot believe I waited so long to start making them.   But here they are now. So I hope you give this recipe a try...

Happy Cooking everyone!

Easy Back to School Breakfast "Berry Apple Swiss Oatmeal"
Makes 8 jars

Ingredients:
3 cups Old Fashioned Oats
3 cups Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt (not Greek)
2 cups  Low Fat Milk (or you can use Vanilla Almond Milk)
4 Tablespoon Honey
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
pinch of salt
3 Granny Smith Apples, cored and sliced into cubes
1 cup sliced Strawberries or 1 cup Blueberries
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup of toasted almond slices
3 tablespoons light brown sugar or 2 tablespoons of white sugar

Need:
8-16 oz Mason Jars  (Target is a great source for these)
Cooking Spray
Large bowl


Directions:
1. In a Large bowl add 3 cups of old fashioned oats

2. Add 3 cups vanilla yogurt

3. Add 2 cups of milk, 3 tablespoons of honey and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix everything together

4. Core and Cut up three large Granny Smith apples into 1" cubes.


















5. Add chopped apples into the large bowls

6. Add a cup of cut strawberries or cup of blueberries and 1/3 cup of dried cranberries in the large bowl

7. Fold in the cut up fruit into the yogurt/oat mixture

8. Add 2-3 1/4 cups measurements of mixture into each of the mason jars. Tighten lids and put in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.

9. Turn on oven to 350 degrees.   Add 1 cup a sliced almonds to cookie sheet.  Spray with coconut oil or  vegetable oil.  Sprinkle with sugar.  Bake for 5 minutes, till nuts are golden.   Remove from oven and cool.   Put 2-3 tablespoons of nut mixture in 8 plastic snack bags and serve with Berry Apple Swiss Oatmeal.

10. Oats are good in the refrigerator for 3-4 for days for freshness.

Whole Wheat Strawberry Banana Muffins

I'm normally not a whole wheat flour kind of girl, but lately I have been loving baking with King Arthur white whole wheat flour. I've found that baked goods made with whole wheat flour can have an overwhelming "wheat" taste and sometimes the texture is off (ie dry). I didn't have that same issue using the white whole wheat flour. You can still taste the flavor of the wheat, but it's not as dominant and is actually pretty complimentary in this recipe.

 

 

The key to this recipe ? Make sure your bananas are overly ripe. They should look black and feel mushy, that's when you know they're perfect for baking.

 

I also recommend placing the chopped strawberries on a paper towel to take away a bit of the moisture. Sometimes baking with strawberries can weigh the batter down due to the moisture.

If you'd like to learn more about baking with white whole wheat flour, King Arthur Flour has a great article here

 

Whole Wheat Strawberry Banana Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 overly ripe bananas (they should look black and be very mushy)
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 large egg, room temp
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups of strawberries, chopped (place on a paper towel after chopping to remove some of the moisture)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

Place the bananas in a large bowl and mash them with a fork. Add the melted coconut oil, egg, light brown sugar, vanilla extract and yogurt. Whisk to combine.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir/fold lightly with a rubber spatula just until the dry ingredients are just about incorporated into the wet ingredients (a few remaining streaks of flour is ok).

Add the chopped strawberries and fold gently with a rubber spatula.

Fill the muffin cups with batter and bake for about 20-22 minutes or until muffins spring back when lightly touched on top and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Place the pan on a wire cooling rack and cool the muffins in the pan for about 2 minutes. Remove from pan and place directly on wire cooling rack.

These muffins are best eaten fresh. Store leftovers in an air tight container at room temp for up to one day.

Super Easy Pumpkin Filled Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls in 30 minutes? Yep, it's totally possible thanks to this convenient short cut - Pillsbury Crescent Roll Dough Sheets!

While I'm a firm believer in baking from scratch, there are times when you just don't have the time or energy. It's times like that when it's totally fine to take a short-cut now and then.

 

These crescent sheets are perfect for making regular cinnamon rolls, but this weekend, I decided to give them a Fall flavor makeover by adding pumpkin puree to the filling! This simple addition gave the cinnamon rolls a subtle pumpkin flavor without being too overwhelming.

Super Easy Pumpkin Filled Cinnamon Rolls w/Maple Cinnamon Glaze
Serves 3-4
Makes 8 small size rolls
Recipe adapted from Diethood

Roll Ingredients:
1 tube of Pillsbury Crescent Dough Sheets
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tablespoon milk
2 1/2 tablespoons golden or light brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
dash of ground nutmeg

Glaze Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
dash of vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 tablespoon real maple syrup
a few tablespoons of milk or half & half


Preheat oven to 375f

Line an 8" baking pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray

Combine the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl

Unroll the crescent sheets onto a cutting board.

Spread the softened butter into an even layer leaving a small 1/2" border on the long/wide end that is farthest from you. Spread the pumpkin mixture over the butter in an even layer leaving the same 1/2" border.

Starting with the long end that is closest to you, roll the dough towards the other end rolling as tight as possible without causing the filling to ooze out of the ends.

Using your hands, shape the log so that it is smooth and evenly shaped, gently pressing in the ends if needed.

Cut into 8 rolls. Note: you'll have a blank spot in your baking pan which is totally fine.

Place the rolls in the baking pan (I had 2 rows of 3 and 1 row of 2) and bake at 375f for approximately 18 minutes or until lightly golden brown and done.

Remove from oven and place the pan on a wire cooling rack to cool for a few minutes.

While the rolls are cooling, make the glaze - place the powdered sugar in a med size bowl, add the cinnamon, vanilla, salt and maple syrup. Stir to combine. Add a tablespoon of the milk/half & half and stir well to combine. Add additional milk a little at a time, stirring after each addition, until you reach your desired consistency. The glaze should be thick but should be able to drizzle with a fork or spoon.

Drizzle over the slightly warm rolls. Note: you want the rolls to be warm when you apply the glaze but not too hot or your glaze will melt into the rolls

Serve warm or room temp & enjoy!

Store leftovers - what leftovers? I guarantee there won't be any! But if there are, store at room temp in an air tight container for one day.

Blueberry Peach Cobbler Donuts/Fritters

Who doesn't want donuts for breakfast? But, I have to admit, sometimes you just don't want to make the effort to get dressed and drive to the donut shop. Well, the good news is you don't have too! You can make amazing donuts at home in your pj's!

 

I've already posted the recipe for these amazing baked donuts made with homemade blueberry jam swirled in (click here). Soooo good! But the recipe I am sharing today is for fried donuts. Yum...fried.

 

A little more work, but definitely worth the effort.

Blueberry Peach Cobbler Donuts/Fritters
Makes about 9-10 donuts or 12-14 small fritters
Adapted from How Sweet Eats

Donut Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup whole milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, washed and dried
1/2 cup diced peaches (small dice), placed on a paper towel lined plate to remove excess moisture

Glaze Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
splash of vanilla extract

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk  to combine.

In a small bowl, combine the egg, milk and vanilla extract. Set aside.

Add the melted butter to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. The mixture should look like small crumbs.

Add the egg/milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir lightly just until almost combined. Add the blueberries and peaches and fold with a rubber spatula to combine.

Place the mixture on a floured surface and roll/pat the dough until about 1/2" thick. Cut into donut shapes using a biscuit or donut cutter. If using a biscuit cutter, cut holes in the center of each donut with a knife or a frosting piping tip like I did. An alternative option is to make fritters by just scooping the dough using a small scoop instead of rolling it out.

Heat oil in a large pot or deep fryer. I used my heavy Dutch oven with about 5" of oil. Oil temp should be about 375f.

Fry donuts 2 at a time until golden brown and cooked though, approx. 1 1/2 minutes each side, flipping when the first side is done. If making fritters, fry 3-4 fritters at a time.

Cooking time will vary. Checking for doneness after the first donut/fritter will give you a better gauge of the cooking time needed. Be sure to maintain 375f frying temp to prevent overbrowning and/or undercooking the donuts.

Drain donuts/fritters on a paper towel lined wire cooling rack.

Dust with powdered sugar or make the glaze and drizzle over the donuts/fritters when donuts are only slightly warm. If your donuts are too hot, the glaze will melt off. 

To make the glaze: Combine the glaze ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Adjust to desired consistency. The glaze should be thick but able to be drizzled with a fork or spoon. Add a little more liquid, a little at a time, if needed being careful not to add too much.

Enjoy!

These donuts are best enjoyed immediately after they are made.

4th of July Blueberry and Raspberry Pop Tarts for The Leftover's Club

Who doesn't want to eat pie for breakfast, right? And these homemade pop tarts (aka hand pies) are a good excuse!

 

 

 

This month's Leftovers Club swap was a 4th of July theme so I knew I wanted to make something with berries since we're at the height of berry season. For the "blue" in my Red, White & Blue treat, Blueberries was pretty much a no brainer, but for the "red" I decided to go with raspberries for a more tart option.

 

The dough is a little unique in that it is made using sour cream which gives the flavor a slight tang.

 

To further embrace the patriotic theme, I tried to cut cute little stars into the top by hand, but I will be the first to admit that I am not the most artistic person in the world, so my stars came out a bit distorted and I quit after 3 tries. Sorry for the deformed stars, Hetal!

 

 

I opted to leave the glaze off of the tarts since I was shipping them in the mail and didn't want them to get soggy. I highly recommend that you make a simple powdered sugar glaze and drizzle it over the top for a little added sweetness. After all, what's a pop tart without the glaze?

 

So let me tell you a little bit about my partner for this month's swap. Her name is Hetal, and her blog Pretty Polymath, has a lot of amazing recipes (including these cute little meringue cookies she sent to me). Plus she is a contestant on this season of Master Chef! How exciting is that? Go Hetal! I'm rooting for you, girl! I have always wanted to compete on Master Chef so you're my inspiration...

 

I hope Hetal enjoys my 4th of July inspired Pop Tarts as much as I enjoyed making them for her!

 

If you'd like to join in the of the fun of The Leftovers Club, sign up here! New members are always welcome!!

 

 

Blueberry and Raspberry Hand Pies
Makes 8 pies

Note:
If you decide to make both fillings, you will have some leftover. Either make more crust or just make one of the fillings.

Plan ahead, the dough should be refrigerated overnight if possible or at least for a few hours so it is well chilled.


Ingredients

Crust Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup of very cold unsalted butter cut into tablespoon size pieces
1/2 cup very cold sour cream

Filling Ingredients

Blueberry Filling
1 cup fresh blueberries
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 tsp fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

Raspberry Filling
6 oz fresh raspberries
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:

Make the pie crust

Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.

Add the butter and cut into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter until most of the butter is the size of peas. Stir in the sour cream with a rubber spatula just until combined. There may be some residual flour left at the bottom but that will get mixed in when you form the ball of dough.

Using your hands, quickly form the dough into a ball then turn out onto a lightly floured surface, then roll into an 8"x10" rectangle. Fold the long ends over like a letter, then repeat the rolling and folding process one more time. During this process you make need to use a bench scraper to scrape the dough from the surface and add more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Once you have done the folding and rolling process twice. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Overnight preferred.

Make the fillings

Place all of the Blueberry Filling ingredients in a medium sized sauce pan and cook over medium low heat until thickened. This happens pretty quickly, but be sure to allow some time for some of the blueberries to break down. Your filling should be pretty thick (like the consistency of thick jam). If it seems too thick before the berries start to break down, add a little more water and cook just a little longer. Place the mixture in a bowl and allow to cool.

Clean out the sauce pan and make the raspberry filling. Combine the water and cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Place the raspberries and sugar in the saucepan, then add the cornstarch water mixture and cook over low heat until the mixture comes to a boil, stir a few times then remove from heat and place the mixture in a bowl to cool.

After the dough has chilled several hours (or overnight) and your fillings have cooled, assemble the hand pies.

Preheat oven to 425F

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 14"x14" square. Cut into 16 squares. Place on a baking sheet and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. This will allow the dough to relax and get chilled again.

After 20 minutes, remove from fridge and brush the edges of 8 of the squares with egg wash, then place a tablespoon or more of filling in the center of 8 of the squares. Top with the remaining 8 squares of dough then crimp the edges with a fork. Brush with egg wash then sprinkle with turbinado sugar and cut a few small slits into the top. If you are using a small cookie cutter to cut a design in the tops, do this before you place the dough on top and do not cut any vent holes.

Place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, cool on baking sheet for about a minute then remove to a cooling rack.

Drizzle with powdered sugar glaze before serving if desired.

Enjoy!

Adapted from King Arthur Flour and My San Francisco Kitchen

An InLinkz Link-up

Apple Pie Scones with Vanilla Glaze

Have you ever tasted something so delicious it makes you do a happy dance? Well, I had this very reaction to these Apple Pie Scones with Vanilla Glaze. I guess you can say I wasn't expecting them to be THAT good....but they are.

 

This recipe requires a few more steps than your average scone recipe (ie making the filling), but remember these are not your average scones. They're "happy dance" scones!

 

Try them & let me see you do your happy dance...

Apple Pie Scones with Vanilla Glaze
Makes 12 Scones

Filling Ingredients:
1 1/2 large Granny Smith Apples (or 2 small), peeled and diced into bite size pieces
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Scone Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup cold, unsalted butter cut into cubes
3/4 cup buttermilk (+ additional if needed)
1 large egg, cold
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping to sprinkle on top of the scones:
1 tablespoon granulated sugar +  1/8 tsp cinnamon combined in a small ramekin

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 - 1/2 tablespoons water


Directions:

Make the filling -

In a small saucepan, combine the chopped apples, sugar and cinnamon. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has melted and apples start to tenderize (approx. 3-4 minutes). Remove from heat, then place on a plate in a single layer to cool completely (approx. 15 minutes).

After apples have cooled, make the scones -

Line a large baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper

In a measuring cup, combine the 3/4 cup buttermilk, egg and vanilla. Whisk to combine then return to refrigerator to keep cold.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Add the cold, cubed butter and toss in the flour to help separate the cubes of butter. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until there are only a few pieces of butter that are the size of peas and the remaining mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Drizzle the buttermilk-egg mixture over the flour and fold with a rubber spatula to combine. The dough should not be completely incorporated and will look shaggy. If there is too much "dry flour" remaining, drizzle over another tablespoon - 2 tablespoon of buttermilk over the dry spots and combine again with a rubber spatula.

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured cutting board, then pat into a rectangle about 1/2" thick. At this point, the dough should be holding together.

Spoon the cooled apple mixture over one half of the dough in an even layer leaving a border around the edges. Then fold the other half of the dough over the apple mixture, pressing the edges to help seal in the apples.

Cut into 12 equal pieces with a sharp knife and carefully transfer to the prepared baking sheet placing them about 2" apart since the scones will rise and spread a little. If the baking sheet seems too crowded, divide onto 2 baking sheets.

Refrigerate for 15 minutes to help chill the dough. Don't skip this part. This ensures that the butter is cold when you bake the scones.

While the scones are chilling, preheat your oven to 400f.

After 15 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the fridge and brush the scones lightly with buttermilk, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake approx. 20 minutes or until light golden brown.

Cool scones on the baking sheet for approx. 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool.

While the scones are cooling, make the glaze: Combine the powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla in a small bowl. Mix well to combine. Add water a little at a time, stirring well after each addition, until you reach your desired consistency. The glaze should still be slightly thick but should drizzle easily.

When scones have cooled, drizzle with the glaze and serve immediately or within a few hours.

If you need to make the scones more than a few hours ahead of time, apply the glaze before serving.

Store leftovers loosely covered at room temp for up to 1 day.

Spinach, Feta and Turkey Sausage Breakfast Wraps for Freezer Meal Swap

So, I'm sure Yvonne and I have mentioned that we participate in a monthly Freezer Meal Swap with a few of our close friends. These girls are ride-or-die, ready to swap any time, anywhere. We've even had swaps go down in the middle of parking lots...

 

 

If you're not familiar with the concept of a Freezer Meal Swap, you basically exchange meals based on your pre-determined family size. These swaps are such a great idea because 1. It gives us a good reason to get together once a month to enjoy some great food and catch up on the latest (as if we need an excuse for that!) and 2. We get to swap delicious food to store in the freezer and reheat whenever we're short of time or just feeling lazy! Perfect for the busy work week or hectic weekends with the kids...

 

 

For this month's Freezer Meal Swap, I made these yummy Breakfast Wraps filled with scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, spinach, feta cheese and grape tomatoes. The combination is delicious and sort of healthy with the veggies thrown in. It's definitely a great way to start your day!

 

The best part is you have a healthy, delicious breakfast in just a matter of minutes and you can just grab & go, just pop one in the microwave for a few minutes and you're done!

 

Customize this recipe to suit your lifestyle & personal preferences. Omit the meat if you're vegetarian, add different veggies and cheeses. Make a kid-friendly version using your kid's favorite ingredients. That's the beauty of cooking, it's all up to you!

 

I hope you give these delicious breakfast wraps a try!

 

 

Spinach, Feta, Turkey Sausage Breakfast Wraps
Makes 18 large wraps

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey sausage (I used Jennie-O)
20 large eggs
1/2 fresh parsley
1/2 cup milk
Salt & Pepper
9 oz Tomato & Basil Feta (I used Athenos)
10 oz fresh Baby Spinach
36 Cherry or Grape Tomatoes (I used Grape), cut in half
18 large tortillas (I used Mission because they're a little thicker & can withstand the microwave better)

Directions:

1. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until the sausage is thoroughly cooked through breaking the chunks apart as it cooks. Remove  the sausage from pan and place in a single layer on a large baking sheet to cool.

2. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel, then, in the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil over medium heat. Add the spinach and a few pinches of salt. Use tongs to gently toss the spinach as it cooks. Cook just until the spinach is wilted down. Do not over cook. Remove from the pan and place in a single layer on a baking sheet to cool.

3. Crack the eggs into a large bowl. Add the chopped parsley and milk and whisk well to combine. Melt a few tablespoons of butter in a large non-stick skillet over med-low heat. Once the butter has melted and starts to sizzle, add the whisked eggs and scramble stirring often with a rubber spatula. When you near the end of the cooking time (the eggs should still look soft and under done), sprinkle salt & pepper to taste and mix to combine. Remove the eggs from the pan while the eggs are still slightly under cooked and place in a single layer on a large baking sheet to cool.

When the eggs, sausage and spinach have cooled, assemble the wraps.

1. Prepare your assembly area by placing all of the ingredients on your counter.

2. Place 6 tortillas in the microwave and heat for 30 seconds to make them pliable.

3. Place the tortillas in a stack on your work surface and layer the following ingredients at one edge of the tortilla allowing room to fold over the end:
~ Approx 1/2 cup of the scrambled eggs
~ Approx 2 tablespoons of the cooked turkey sausage
~ Approx 2 tablespoons of cooked spinach
~ 4 tomato halves
~ Approx 1 teaspoon of crumbled feta cheese
** These amounts are just estimates so use your best judgement according to the amount that fits into your tortillas. After you've rolled on, you will have an idea of how much to put in each wrap.

4. Fold the bottom edge of the tortilla over the ingredients, then fold the left and right edges over and roll tightly, like a burrito or egg roll.

5.  Repeat the process until all of the wraps have been rolled. Wrap each one individually in plastic wrap then again in aluminum foil. Put as many of the individually wrapped wraps as you like inside of freezer bags and place in the bags in the freezer.

6. Store in the freezer for up to 30 days.

7. To reheat, remove all of the wrapping, wrap loosely in a paper towel and place on a microwavable plate. Heat in the microwave for 2 - 2 1/2 minutes. Allow to cool for about 1 minute then enjoy!

6 Secrets to Baking Tall, Flaky, Delicious Biscuits

Growing up with a Father who comes from the South often means you have biscuits every Sunday for breakfast. It was no different in our household. While my Mom was known for cooking from scratch, she liked to use Bisquick Baking Mix to make her biscuits. It's a short cut I often used as well when I first started cooking for my family, until I got turned on to homemade biscuits. From that point on, there was no turning back. Sorry Bisquick fans, homemade biscuits are beyond comparison to anything that comes from a box.

 

For years I struggled to make the perfect from-scratch biscuit. I tried recipe after recipe...some using buttermilk, some using regular milk, some with lots of  baking powder others with less, some using all purpose flour others using self-rising....but I was never satisfied. How could I get the tall, flaky, delicious looking biscuits that I've always seen in photos? How could I become a biscuit baking master instead of a biscuit making disaster?

 

Well, I always thought the secret was in the recipe, when actually the secret is in the technique! That's when I unlocked the secrets to making the ultimate homemade biscuits.

 

And voila!! Tall, flaky, beautiful....

1. Always, always, always use cold ingredients. Your butter and milk must be cold. Keep them in the fridge until ready to use.

2. Use a Food Processor. Yep, you heard me. I know a lot of people swear that making them by hand is best, but I've had the best results using a Food Processor.

3. Use the fold technique. That means folding your dough over on each other a few times kind of like a letter. This creates the layers!! But be careful not to overwork or you will heat up the butter in the dough. If, at any point you feel like you've overworked your dough, put it in the fridge for a little while.

4. Use a sharp biscuit cutter! This is an absolute must. A dull biscuit cutter will seal the edges of the dough and prevent rising. For a long time I cut my biscuits using a glass that had a wide rim which I later realized was a no-no.

5. Don't twist when cutting your biscuits! Just press down and lift straight up. If you twist, you're basically sealing the edges which will prevent your biscuits from rising.

6. Don't place your biscuits touching each other. Again, placing the biscuits touching each other may look nice, but you are preventing the biscuits from rising as high as possible.

And there you have it, the secrets I've learned through lots of trial and error. Now go out there and bake some amazing biscuits!! If I can do it, you can too!

 

 

Here's the biscuit recipe I use. It makes 5-6 large biscuits.

 

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup whole milk or buttermilk (buttermilk will add a tangy flavor to your biscuits) *you might not use all of the milk

6 tablespoons very cold, unsalted butter cut into tablespoon size pieces

Extra butter & jam or honey for serving with the warm biscuits

 

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 450

 

Cut the butter into tablespoon size pieces and place back in the fridge

 

Measure the milk or buttermilk and place back in the fridge

 

Place the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in the bowl of your food processor and pulse to combine.

 

Sprinkle the butter over the flour and pulse a few times until you have a course meal.

 

Place the flour mixture in a bowl. Pour about 3/4 cup of the milk over the flour and use a rubber spatula to gently combine. A soft dough should form. If the mixture is too dry, add a little more milk around the edges and fold again to combine.

 

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently flatten into a small rectangle then starting at the small end, fold one end over onto the other end and gently flatten.  Repeat this process 3 more times. Be careful not to overwork the dough.

 

After folding, gently flatten the dough to about 1 1/2" thick and cut with a sharp biscuit or cookie cutter. Gently reshape the dough and cut again until you have about 5-6 biscuits.

** the biscuits that are made with the reshaped dough won't be as pretty, but they'll taste just as good

 

Place biscuits about 1" apart into a buttered skillet or onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

 

Bake until golden brown. Remove from the oven and top with butter. Serve immediately with extra butter, honey and/or jam if desired.

\

Enjoy!!