Posts Tagged biscuit

Sweet Cream Biscuits with Roasted Plums and Chai Infused Whipped Cream

When it comes to making biscuits, there are two ways to go about it. There’s the classic Buttermilk Biscuit, and there’s the Sweet Cream Biscuit. Buttermilk biscuits are typically made with buttermilk, and lots (and lots) of butter. Sweet cream biscuits, on the other hand, opt for heavy cream instead of buttermilk and butter. Buttermilk biscuits tend to be a bit lighter and flakier, while sweet cream biscuits are slightly more scone-like. The real selling point of sweet cream biscuits is that they come together in minutes, and are incredibly easy to make. Each biscuit has their merits, and people tend to have very strong opinions when it comes to their preferred type of biscuit.

As for me, I’ve always favored the buttermilk biscuit. They’re buttery, pillowy, flaky, and perfect. To be fair, however, I’d never really given the sweet cream biscuit a chance. I’ve always defaulted to making biscuits with butter, and I’d never even attempted to make sweet cream biscuits.

Until now, that is.

A few weeks ago, I bought a whole bunch of Italian Prune Plums at the farmer’s market. (If you’ve not tried Italian Prune Plums, they are so incredibly delicious. And they are currently in season! Go get em!) Anyway, I got home with my giant bag of plums and realized I didn’t exactly know what to do with all my plums. So, I starting perusing the interwebs for ideas, and I stumbled upon my friend Michelle’s recipe for Sweet Cream Biscuits with Earl Grey Whipped Cream and Plum Jam. I was intrigued and delighted by the recipe, and knew I needed to make my own version.

So, I started by baking a batch of sweet cream biscuits. (I had to know what all the fuss was about, after all. Turns out, they’re totally awesome.) Since I was working with fresh plums (as opposed to plum jam), I had the idea to roast the plums with a bit of brown sugar and olive oil. Lastly, I didn’t have any Earl Grey tea, but I did have a tin of loose leaf Masala Chai Tea. Bingo. And that’s how this dessert was born.

Please note, this dessert is best eaten fresh! Biscuits are a type of quick bread, and they generally don’t keep well. Biscuits really are best the day they are baked, but they’re ok the next day if warmed or toasted. In general, however, I recommend you make this recipe the day you plan on eating it. (The plums and whipped cream, however, keep nicely in the fridge and are delicious for breakfast the next day…)

Sweet Cream Biscuits with Roasted Plums and Chai Infused Whipped Cream

Serving Size: Makes 8-10 biscuits

Ingredients

For the Sweet Cream Biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream, chilled
For the Chai Spiced Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons loose-leaf Chai tea
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
For the Roasted Plums:
Several ripe Italian prune plums (8-10)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon light brown sugar

Instructions

To make the Chai whipped cream: In a small bowl or jar, combine 1 cup of whipping cream with the loose leaf Chai tea. Gently stir together and cover the container, and allow to steep in the fridge for 1 hour or more.
After the whipped cream has steeped for an hour, strain out the tea leaves (using a mesh sieve or cheesecloth). Pour the cream into a medium sized bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) and add the powdered sugar. Using an electric mixer (or stand mixer), beat the cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
To roast the plums: Preheat oven to 400 F. Wash and halve the plums, removing the pits. Toss plum halves with olive oil and brown sugar. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until plums are browning and releasing their juices. Remove from oven and set aside until use.
To make the Sweet Cream Biscuits: Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt until well combined. Pour one cup of the cream over the dry ingredients, using a fork (or your hands) to gently mix the ingredients together. If the mixture is too dry, add more cream, one spoonful at a time, until the dough is soft and moist. Using your hands, gently knead the dough until it just comes together. (Be careful not to overknead!)
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly pat the dough into a disc with your hands, until it is 1/2″ thick. (Once again, be sure not overwork the dough!)
Using a biscuit cutter (or juice glass!), cut out the biscuit circles. Be sure to cut the biscuits close together, and get as many as you can from this round. Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking sheet. Gather the remaining scraps together and gently pat into another 1/2″ disc and cut out another batch of biscuits. (Note: only repeat this process once. Toss any remaining scraps, as dough will be too overworked at this point.)
Once you’ve cut out all your biscuits and placed them on baking sheets, brush the tops of the biscuits with cream. (Optional: you can also sprinkle a bit of sugar atop each biscuit, which I think looks rather pretty.) Bake at 425 for 15-18 minutes, or until the biscuits are fluffy and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Notes

Adapted from Hummingbird High

http://rosemarried.co/2014/10/07/sweet-cream-biscuits-roasted-plums-chai-infused-whipped-cream/

Black Pepper Biscuit Sandwiches with Spicy Tomato Jam

There are three things I want you to know about this recipe. (Maybe four.)

1. I made tomato jam for the express purpose of slathering it on a biscuit sandwich. A few months ago I had brunch with my friend Kelly at a little spot in Portland called Bakery Bar. I don’t recall all of the specifics of the biscuit sandwich we ate, but I do remember that it was ridiculously tasty. I do know that there was tomato jam on the biscuit sandwich and it was magical. I’ve been wanting to recreate it ever since. So that’s exactly what I did.

2. I went on a canning frenzy in the past couple of weeks. Summer is ending, and thus I’ve felt the urge to preserve and can. It’s my way of making the season last. (If you’re curious, I canned tomato sauce, tomato jam, bourbon peach butter, bourbon pickled peaches, and my “famous” 24 hour dill pickles.)

3. I adapted this black pepper biscuit recipe from Bobby Flay, which makes me feel like an ass. I’m not one to call names, but I loathe Bobby Flay. I don’t like his restaurants and I don’t like his “southwest” brand of cooking, and I certainly can’t stand that he tries to put jalapeno peppers in everything. I’m just not a fan of him. However, his recipe for black pepper biscuits happens to be great. I may not like the guy, but I’ll give credit where credit is due.

4. Biscuit sandwiches are practically impossible to photograph. I’m a big fan of runny yolks, and I am totally unwilling to cook my eggs “over hard” just for the sake of a pretty photo. So, I attempted to photograph this biscuit sandwich and it quickly dissolved into a yolky mess. A delicious, wonderful, yolky mess. So I snapped one photo (which turned out okay) and then gave up on trying to take photos and ate the sandwich instead.

In any case, the following is a recipe for black pepper biscuits, tomato jam, and brief instructions on how to assemble these tasty breakfast sandwiches. Enjoy!

BLACK PEPPER BISCUITS
(Slightly adapted from Bobby Flay)
Makes 8 biscuits

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, plus a little more for the tops of the biscuits

Method:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, pepper, and salt. Pulse a couple of times to ensure the ingredients are combined. Sprinkle the butter pieces over the flour mixture, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Slowly pour in the buttermilk and pulse until the dough just barely comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough into a circle, until it is 3/4 of an inch thick. Using a 3″ biscuit cutter (or juice glass!), cut out the biscuits and place them on a lined baking sheet. Combine the remaining scraps of biscuit dough into a 3/4 thickness and repeat the process until all the dough is used. Brush the tops of the raw biscuits with cream, and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown and fluffy. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

SPICY (HEIRLOOM) TOMATO JAM
(Adapted from Sassy Radish)
Makes 4+ pints

Ingredients:
5 pounds heirloom tomatoes*, roughly chopped
2 small yellow onions, diced
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
1 green apple, finely diced
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

*Note: I used a mix of heirloom tomatoes from my garden (including cherry tomatoes). Really, any tomato will do!

Method:
Place all ingredients in a large pot or Dutch oven and stir to combine. Over medium heart, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and allow mixture to simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 hours, or until the jam is dark and thick. Stir occasionally.

Transfer jam to clean, sterilized jars. If canning, boil jars in a hot-water bath for 20 minutes. If storing in the refrigerator, the jam will keep for 2 weeks (or more).

TO ASSEMBLE THE BISCUIT SANDWICHES:

Ingredients:
2 black pepper biscuits
Sharp cheddar cheese
Tomato jam
4 slices of bacon
2 eggs

Cook the eggs and bacon to your liking. I prefer a sunny side up egg and crispy (almost burnt!) bacon. But, really, this is your biscuit sandwich and you get to make it the way you want.

Split the biscuits in half, and slather a good amount of tomato jam on one half of the biscuit. On the other half, place a hearty slice of sharp cheddar cheese. If you want your cheese extra melty, place under the broiler for a few minutes.

Place a fried egg atop each biscuit, and adorn with bacon slices. Add a bit more tomato jam if you desire. Serve immediately and enjoy immensely!

Recipe Swap: Pork & Apple Pot Pie with Rosemary Gruyere Biscuits

It’s recipe swap time again!

For those of you who are unfamiliar, I am part of a group of bloggers that reinterprets recipes from an old cookbook called “All Day Singin’ and Dinner on the Ground”. CM at Burwell General Store started the recipe swap this past December, and for the very first swap it was just Christianna and I, making our best persimmon creations. And here we are, just a few swaps later (this is our 4th recipe swap), the group has grown to 13 members! If you’d like to see a full story of how the swap began, a full list of recipe swap participants, as well each participant’s recipe swap creation please visit CM’s dedicated Recipe Swap Page (It’ll be worth it, I promise. SO MANY AMAZING BLOGS!).

For this particular recipe swap, Christianna asked us to recreated “Grandma’s Chicken Pie with Drop Biscuits“. I was really excited when I heard that she had picked this recipe, as the last couple of recipes we’ve reinterpreted were originally sweet dishes. I was ready to take on a savory challenge. I’m a sucker for a good pot pie, and with all the wretched weather we’ve had lately, this dish sounded like the answer to all of my winter woes.

I’ve made a few different pot pies over the years, and they never fail me. Pot pie is always delicious. Always! So with my reinterpretation of “Grandma’s pot pie”, I wanted to stay true to the spirit of the original recipe. I wanted the flavors to be simple and classic. I wanted the dish to be warm, hearty, and comforting. After gazing at various recipes online and searching my own brain for inspiration I finally settled on this: Pork and Apple Mini Pot Pies with Rosemary Gruyere Biscuits.

Here’s the thing with this dish: it sounds fancy and complicated, but it really isn’t. The ingredient list is simple and made up of mostly pantry staples. The flavors are classic and familiar (Nich actually said that it “tasted like Thanksgiving”). Quite frankly, the only thing you need for this recipe is a bit of time and planning. This is the perfect lazy Sunday dish, as you can pop it in the oven and let the pork slowly braise while you accomplish other things (or laze on the couch and watch a No Reservations marathon. It happens.)

As always, I had a great time participating in the recipe swap. Yet again, I was forced to be creative and think outside of the box…and I loved the results! I loved the biscuit topping so much, that I’ve already made the biscuits again on their own (they can be slightly modified with more flour to be rolled out and cut into traditional biscuits). I’m quite sure this pot pie will find a place in our winter meal rotation.

Please do scroll down to see my recipe and tips on making this delicious dish. And check out the gorgeous dishes my fellow swappers created!

The recipe swap currently includes: CM @ Burwell General Store, Boulder Locavore, The Tomato Tart, Chef Dennis @ More than a Mountful, Spicy Living, The Unexpected Harvest, The Adventuresome Kitchen, The Cake Dutchess, Good Food Week, Fat and Happy, The Herbed Kitchen, and Cindy @ Tyro Tidbits

Mini Pork & Apple Pot Pies with Rosemary Gruyere Biscuit Topping
(Pork filling adapted from Bitchin Camero)

For the pork & apple filling
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 lbs of pork shoulder, divided into 6 equal pieces
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. freshly ground pepper
2 yellow onions, diced
2 cups chicken stock
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp. fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
Dash of cayenne pepper

For biscuit topping
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 stick (8 tablespoons) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup finely grated gruyere cheese
2 teaspoons of finely chopped rosemary
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk

Method:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

First, trim any excess fat from the pork shoulder pieces. Sprinkle all sides of the pork with salt and pepper.

Using a dutch oven (or other oven-proof pot), heat olive oil over medium heat (on the stovetop). Once the oil is hot, add in the pork (if the pan is too crowded you may have to cook in batches). Brown the pork shoulder pieces until nicely browned on each side (a few minutes per side). Remove the pork to a plate.

Add the diced onions to the pot and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add in rosemary and thyme, stir, and cook for one minute more. Place the pork shoulder pieces back in the pot and add the stock, bay leaf, and a dash of cayenne pepper. Once the stock comes to a rapid simmer, transfer pot to preheated oven. Cook for 1 – 2 hours, turning pieces occasionally, or until the pork is fork-tender. (My pork took 2+ hours to reach desired tenderness)

Once the pork is fork-tender, remove from pot and transfer to a plate. Using 2 forks, pull the meat apart into large chunks. Once the pork is “pulled” to your liking, add the apples and a bit more fresh thyme to the pot and cook on the stovetop over medium high heat. (Meanwhile: turn your oven heat up to 350) Allow this mixture to simmer until most of the cooking liquid has reduced (about 10 minutes). Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. *Note: be careful not to overcook the apples, as you will bake these mini pot pies in the oven and the apples will continue to soften. For now, just cook until the apples are starting to become tender.

Scoop the contents of pot into individual ramekins (I had enough for 4 sizeable ramekins with a little meat leftover for snacking).

Now, to make the biscuit topping.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Blend in the chilled butter cubes with a pastry cutter, 2 knives, or your fingertips until the mixture resembles a coarse meal (I always find that using my fingers works best). Add in cheese and rosemary, mix to combine. Then, add in the buttermilk and stir until just combined.

Drop a large dollop of the biscuit mixture on top of each ramekin, and spread to make sure the pork mixture is covered by the biscuit dough. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown. When the biscuits are done, remove from oven and allow pot pies to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Warning: they will be VERY hot!

sweet potato biscuits.

In honor of Valentines day and all things “sweet” I feel it would be appropriate to share my recipe for Sweet Potato biscuits. This is one of my new favorite recipes – its easy, quick, delicious, and a nice twist on classic biscuits. Have I mentioned that biscuits are one of my favorite foods of all time? My grandpa used to make the best buttermilk biscuits growing up, and ever since then I’ve been hooked. There is nothing to dislike about buttery, flakey, carby biscuit goodness (I think I just made up a word and I like it: Carby). So if you take normal biscuits and add in the texture, color, and sweetness of sweet potatoes…I’m sold.

I wish I could tell you that I was whipping up some fabulous dinner for Nich in honor of valentines day, but alas we are going to pay someone to do that for us. I love cooking, but sometimes its nice to celebrate without having to clean up afterwards. :) We are staying at the Ace Hotel in downtown Portland tonight, and will be dining at Clyde Commons. I am so excited.

Anyway, if you are so prompted, you could make some sweet potato biscuits for your sweetheart. Or you could be like Liz Lemon and celebrate Anna Howard Shaw Day and make a batch and eat them all by yourself. Happy Valentimes, everyone. Lets eat some biscuits.

Sweet Potato Biscuits
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces (plus a little more for brushing on top of the biscuits)
3/4 cup Sweet-Potato Puree, chilled (To make the puree: Boil the sweet potatoes in water until tender. Blend, food process or mash until they are a puree. Season with nutmeg, brown sugar, and cinnamon.)
1/3 cup buttermilk

Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. With a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingers – cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with some pea-sized lumps of butter remaining. In a small bowl, whisk together sweet potato purée and buttermilk; stir quickly into flour mixture until combined (do not overmix).

Shape the biscuits: Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead very gently until dough comes together but is still slightly lumpy. (If dough is too sticky, work in up to 1/4 cup additional flour.) Shape into a disk, and pat to an even 1-inch thickness. With a floured 2-inch biscuit cutter (or a juice glass! This is what I use), cut out biscuits as close together as possible. Gather together scraps, and repeat to cut out more biscuits (do not reuse scraps more than twice).

Bake the biscuits: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. with rack on lower shelf. Butter an 8-inch cake pan. Arrange biscuits snugly in pan (to help them stay upright). Brush with melted butter. Bake until golden, 20 to 24 minutes.