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Old-Fashioned Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

May 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Old Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuit from Spicedblog.com #biscuitAs many of you know, I live in upstate New York.  (And yes, the temperature here dropped to below freezing last night.  In May.)  Prior to moving here a couple years ago, I had lived my entire life in the South.  In fact, I lived all over the Southeast.  I was born in Texas, but I grew up in the Carolinas, and I also spent time in Louisiana and Georgia.  People often ask me what I miss the most about the South, and I must admit that biscuits are at the top of the list.  No matter whether you’re in North Carolina, Georgia, or Louisiana, Southern chefs and bakers are rated on their biscuit-making ability.  Every family has a secret biscuit recipe that is passed down through the generations.  While the North certainly has a number of redeeming culinary qualities (ahem, the farm-to-table way of life in Vermont), it’s still pretty darn hard to find a good biscuit up here!
Old Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuit from Spicedblog.com #biscuitAs a young boy, I remember spending the summers with my grandparents in a small town in upstate South Carolina.  Every weekend, the entire family would gather for Sunday dinner, which typically consisted of fried fish (caught fresh the day before), fresh greens and beans from the garden, homemade ambrosia…and of course biscuits!  This simple recipe produces biscuits that remind me of those Sunday family dinners in Belton, South Carolina.  I often make a batch of these on a weekend morning and serve them with jam or honey for breakfast.  Then I just lightly toast any leftover biscuits for lunch or dinner depending on the occasion.  I hope these biscuits help create many wonderful memories for you just as they did for me when I was much younger!
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Old-Fashioned Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Yield: 12 biscuits

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cold
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • Butter, melted (for finishing)

Instructions

  1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well combined.
  2. Cut the butter into small pieces (~1/2" cubes) and add to the bowl of dry ingredients.
  3. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until butter pieces are pea-sized.
  4. Add the buttermilk and stir until absorbed. (This dough will be somewhat sticky, but if it seems overly sticky, then just add more flour one tablespoon at a time until it becomes less sticky.)
  5. Turn the dough out onto a generously floured countertop and shape into a rough square. (You will likely need additional flour here to keep your hands from becoming too sticky from the dough.)
  6. Cut the dough into 12 evenly sized pieces.
  7. Using your hands, shape each piece of dough into a rough circle about 1/2" thick. Place biscuits on a lined sheet-pan. (If you desire crispier edges to your biscuits, then space them further apart on the pan. If you desire softer edges, then place them closer together.)
  8. Bake at 425 degrees for 17-20 minutes, or until tops are golden in color.
http://spicedblog.com/old-fashioned-southern-buttermilk-biscuits.html

Honey Ice Cream with Fresh Strawberries + Cookbook Giveaway!

May 9, 2013 by 19 Comments

MUST. MAKE. THIS. Honey Ice Cream from spicedblog.com #summer #icecream #honeyAs I mentioned earlier this week, I recently had the opportunity to travel to southern Vermont and spend a couple of days at King Arthur Flour’s headquarters.  Not only was King Arthur Flour amazing, but I also got to experience Vermont…which is now one of my favorite states!  I was due to arrive on early Sunday afternoon, so I spent Sunday morning driving across this beautiful state.  The views were amazing, and I totally get why Vermont is nicknamed “The Green Mountain State.”  As I drove in and out of picturesque small towns and villages, I was struck by the number of local farms and farmer’s markets.  It is clear that the folks in Vermont believe in the importance of locally-sourced food.  The farm-to-table movement in Vermont is more than a fad…its a way of life!

MUST. MAKE. THIS. Honey Ice Cream from spicedblog.com #summer #icecream #honeyDuring my trip, I got a copy of Tracey Medeiros’ new book, “The Vermont Farm Table Cookbook.”  And let me tell you, this book is far more than just a cookbook.  Tracey somehow took the entire state of Vermont, complete with its farm-centered way of life, and shrunk it into a single book.  In addition to the 150 Vermont-inspired recipes, Tracey includes personal stories and descriptions of dozens of the farms that dot the Vermont landscape.  So whether you live near Vermont or on the other side of the world, this book will definitely make you feel like you are driving through the green mountains and valleys, stopping at the numerous roadside markets, and enjoying the best of the local food movement.

MUST. MAKE. THIS. Honey Ice Cream from spicedblog.com #summer #icecream #honeyI got in the kitchen earlier this week and made the Honey Ice Cream with Fresh Strawberries recipe that Tracey shares in the Desserts section of her book.  I was intrigued by combining the sweetness of the honey with the brightness of the strawberries…and so I decided I needed some of this delicious-sounding frozen treat.  And it didn’t disappoint!  This recipe was well-written and quite easy to make, and I am certain that it will become a summer staple in my household!

VTFarmTable_cvr smI am excited to announce that I will be giving away a copy of Tracey’s book to one lucky Spiced reader!  Fill out the entry form below and good luck!  Even if you don’t win, I highly encourage you to pick up a copy of this book.  Whether it’s for yourself or a gift for a fellow foodie, this book will not disappoint!

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Honey Ice Cream with Fresh Strawberries

Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1/2-3/4 cup Vermont honey
  • 3 cups heavy cream
  • 2 cups sliced strawberries

Instructions

  1. Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until it just starts to simmer.
  2. While the milk is heating, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Gradually add the hot milk to the egg yolks and whisk to combine. Gently stir in the honey.
  3. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats a wooden spoon.
  4. Add the heavy cream and stir to combine. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean container. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic directly onto the surface of the mixture, and refrigerate overnight.
  5. Pour the ice cream mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Scoop the ice cream into bowls and top each serving with 1/3 cup sliced strawberries.
http://spicedblog.com/honey-ice-cream-with-fresh-strawberries-cookbook-giveaway.html

Disclosure: A copy of this book was provided to me at no charge, but all opinions are entirely my own.  (Seriously, this book is awesome!)

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Homemade White Sandwich Bread and a Visit to King Arthur Flour

May 6, 2013 by 8 Comments
How to make Homemade White Sandwich Bread

photo courtesy of www.the-baker-chick.com

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I absolutely love to bake.  I mean I have three different types of flour in glass jars on my countertop at all times!  I grew up in a Southern kitchen and baked goods were certainly the norm around my house.  Not surprisingly, I have carried that love of baking into my own home and the smells of freshly baked breads and pastries are often coming from my kitchen.  (And my dogs love the smell of freshly baked bread…who would’ve guessed!)  So you can only imagine my excitement when I was offered the opportunity to visit to King Arthur Flour’s headquarters in Norwich, VT a couple of weeks ago.  In short, it was absolutely amazing.  If you love to bake, then you absolutely need to make the pilgrimage to King Arthur Flour.  Seriously, their main location in Norwich, Vermont is nicknamed “Camelot.”

Hogwash Farm and Killdeer Farm (Norwich, VT)I was invited to attend Blog & Bake™, an event where King Arthur Flour brings together a group of bloggers for several days with the primary goal of learning about baking, flour, and Vermont in general.  Over the course of the trip, we not only took several classes at the King Arthur Baking Education Center, but we also visited a couple of local farms, tasted a variety of Cabot cheeses, and experienced glass-blowing first hand at Simon Pearce.  In all honesty, this was an amazing trip!  Not only is Vermont a beautiful state, it is also quite serene.  And what’s more, everyone seemed to have an incredible commitment to locally sourced food.  The farm-to-table movement is more than just a trendy phrase in Vermont.  It’s a way of life.  So if you are looking for a summer or fall trip this year, definitely consider Vermont.  But enough of my ramblings, let’s get back to baking!

Hogwash Farm and Killdeer Farm (Norwich, VT)One of the techniques we learned while at King Arthur was how to make a basic Homemade White Sandwich Bread.  From start to finish, this is a really simple recipe.  The mixing and kneading stage takes maybe 15 minutes, and then it’s time to just let the yeast do all of the work.  In fact, if you woke up one morning and wanted to have fresh sandwich bread for lunch, then you could easily pull it off using this recipe!  And if you are wondering why you’d ever want to make your own white bread when you can buy its so cheap at the store, then you absolutely need to make this bread first.  It tastes so much better than the store-bought stuff!  Maybe it’s the quality of King Arthur’s flour. Or it could be the lack of all of those other ingredients that you can’t pronounce.  Or maybe its because the baking experts at the Baking Education Center have created an amazing recipe.  No matter the reason, this bread will absolutely become a staple in your house!

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Homemade White Sandwich Bread

Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 to 3 cups (10 to 12 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 tablespoons instant nonfat dry milk (see note)
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) warm water

Instructions

  1. Measure 1 1/2 cups of the flour into a medium bowl and add the milk powder, sugar, yeast, and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and stir into the dry ingredients.
  2. Pour the warm water into the mixture and beat to blend well.
  3. Stir in the remaining flour gradually until the dough forms a shaggy mass.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface to knead it. Fold the far edge of the dough back over on itself toward you. Press into the dough with the heels of you hands and push away. After each push, rotate the dough 90º. Repeat this process in a rocking motion for about 8 to 10 minutes. If the dough sticks, sprinkle it lightly with flour. The dough should become soft and elastic.
  5. Allow the dough to rise in a lightly greased bowl, covered with plastic wrap until it has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
  6. After the dough has risen, degas it gently. Form the loaf into the desired shape.
  7. Cover the loaf with plastic wrap and allow to rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
  8. Just before baking, slash the top of the loaf if desired. Bake at 375°F for 25 to 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Notes

If you don't have dry milk in the pantry, then you can substitute warm milk for the warm water and omit the dry milk.

Recipe courtesy of King Arthur Flour.

http://spicedblog.com/homemade-white-sandwich-bread-and-a-visit-to-king-arthur-flour.html

I also encourage you to visit the sites of the other bloggers who attended Blog & Bake™ this year.  If you aren’t already following them, you will absolutely want to start!

I attended Blog & Bake at no charge, but the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

Guacamole Potato Skins

May 3, 2013 by 5 Comments

Guacamole Potato Skins--perfect appetizer for Cinco de Mayo! #appetizer #guacamole #cincodemayoHoly guacamole, Batman!  I love this time of the year.  All of the markets in the area are competing for Cinco de Mayo sales, which means I can find cheap avocados everywhere.  I live in upstate New York, which means avocados are normally pretty expensive…after all, it’s been a while since I’ve seen an avocado tree in the area.  Since we’re not as lucky as folks in California who can pick avocados in their backyards, we have to rely on the markets for these delicious fruits.

Since avocados are plentiful right now thanks to Cinco de Mayo, I have been making tons of guacamole.  (You may have seen my post earlier this week on Grilled Guacamole Flatbread with Cilantro-Lime Shrimp.)  So I decided another fun way to use guacamole would be make Guacamole Potato Skins.  I recently made some twice baked potatoes, so I had some leftover skins that I didn’t know what to do with.  So I stuck them in the freezer until earlier this week, when I decided to see if potato skins and guacamole go well together.  Well, they do.  In fact, they were delicious!  The extra sturdiness of the potato skins meant that I could really load up the guac.  My potato skins were already cold from the freezer, but if you are making these fresh, I would let the skins cool completely before filling and serving.  These Guacamole Potato Skins would make a perfect appetizer to your Cinco de Mayo parties this weekend…and best of all, they can be made entirely in advance and stored in the fridge until party time!  Enjoy!

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Guacamole Potato Skins

Ingredients

    For the Potato Skins
  • 6-8 small Russet potatoes
  • 1-2 Tbsp cooking oil (vegetable or canola)
    • For the Guacamole Filling
  • 2 avocados
  • 4 tsp fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup onion, diced finely
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced finely
  • 1 medium tomato, diced finely
  • 2 tbsp cilantro, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced finely
  • 3/4-1 cup sour cream

Instructions

    For the Potato Skins
  1. Using a fork or sharp knife, pierce each potato about 8-10 times at regular intervals.
  2. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, or until done.
  3. Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice each in half lengthwise with a sharp knife.
  4. Using a large spoon, carefully scrape out most of the potato into a large bowl. (Leave a little bit of potato near the skin just to provide structure and keep the skin from ripping.) Set skins aside. (And save scraped-out potato for mashed potatoes!)
  5. Rub a small amount of cooking oil on the skin side of each of the potato skins and arrange skins on a baking sheet. Bake at 450 for approximately 20 minutes, or until skins begin to get crispy.
  6. Set skins aside to cool.
    7. For the Guacamole Filling
  7. Using a large spoon, scoop out the avocados and mash in a small bowl with the lime juice. Once the avocado mixture is smooth, mix in remaining ingredients (salt, onion, jalapeno, tomato, cilantro, garlic, and sour cream). Stir until well mixed.
  8. Once skins are cool, fill each with a generous amount of Guacamole Filling. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Notes

If you can't find small potatoes, then just use medium or large ones and cut the skins in half on a diagonal once they are filled with guacamole.

Guacamole often turns brownish in color once it is exposed to air. The high amount of citrus juice in this recipe will preserve the green color for a lot longer, but if you need to save these Guacamole Potato Skins, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

http://spicedblog.com/guacamole-potato-skins.html