Chocolate Shot Cookies

It's been ages since I've posted a recipe!  I meant to post this one back in June, but life as a pregnant mother of four kind of took over.  Now I'm a not pregnant (thank goodness) mother of five!  But the last nine months of physical misery was worth it because now we have this beautiful bundle, Mikkelsen (Mikkie) Faith, in our lives.

She is already a month old!  And while life hasn't slowed down, I really wanted to get back to blogging a bit.  So today is the big day and I'm sharing this scrumptious recipe for my hubby's favorite Christmas cookie, Chocolate Shots.  These cookies are simple to make and so light, crispy and yummy.  They will disappear quickly, guaranteed!  Here's the DL...
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powder sugar
1 cup oatmeal
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
Red and green granulated sugar
Directions
In mixer cream butter.  Add powder sugar.  Gradually add the oatmeal.  Mix in vanilla, baking soda, and flour.  Divide dough into two equal parts and form into rolls about 2 inches in diameter.  Coat one roll of dough in red sugar and the other in green sugar. (I do this by pouring the color sugar out on a piece of wax paper and gently rolling the dough through it until the outside is coated.)
Wrap rolls of dough in wax paper and chill for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Slice chilled dough about 1/2 inch thick and bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Let cool and enjoy!

*I asked my mother in law why these cookies are called Chocolate Shots when there is no chocolate in them.  She said the original recipe called for coating the dough in chocolate sprinkles instead of sugar.  I've tried it both ways and I prefer the sugar coating.

One Hour Rolls

These are my favorite dinner rolls to make.  They are so easy and they taste amazing.  Way better than the frozen dough kind you buy at the grocery store.  I love rolls fresh out of the oven, but I'm not a huge bread making fan.  However, you can't mess these puppies up too easily.  They are a cinch to make and you don't have to do any kneading.

These rolls come out so soft and flavorful, you'll be hooked.  Make a batch with soup, or your upcoming Thanksgiving dinner.  Here's the DL...
Ingredients
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons butter
3 teaspoons salt
6 3/4 teaspoons dry active yeast (or 3 packages)
1 1/2 cups water
5 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
In microwave safe bowl or glass measuring cup stir together milk and sugar.  Add the butter and microwave until butter is melted (usually about 45 seconds-1 minute).  Set aside and cool to lukewarm.
Using a mixer bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water (warm, not hot).  Add the milk mixture to it (make sure milk mixture is not too hot, or it will kill your yeast).  Mix in the salt.
Using the dough hook on low speed, add in the flour one cup at a time.  Mix for about 3 minutes, until dough is forming into a ball and is cleaning the sides of the bowl off.  Dough will still be a little sticky.
Put some oil on your hands and form the dough into a ball.  Put dough back into the bowl and cover with a clean dry dish towel.  Let rise in a warm, draft free spot for 20-25 minutes.
Lightly grease a baking dish.  Roll balls of dough about 2 inches in diameter.  Place the dough balls in the baking dish about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Cover the rolls with a clean dish towel and let it rise in a warm place for 15-20 minutes, or until dough has doubled in size.
Bake rolls in 425 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.  I like to brush the tops with melted butter for the last 1 minute of baking.  Remove from oven and let sit for 3-5 minutes before serving.  Enjoy with butter and homemade jam!  [makes about 24 rolls]

Soft Pretzel Bites

Pretzel bites have been a favorite snack in our family for the past couples years.  I would just buy the frozen  ones and nuke them in the microwave when needed.  But the frozen ones are expensive and  who really knows what they put in them.  I had avoided making homemade pretzel bites because quite frankly, raised bread dough scares me.  I've often struggled with it and the only two things I make bread-wise are pizza dough and 1 hour dinner rolls.  The other day I really wanted some pretzel bites but we were out of them, & so was the grocery money for the month.  So I finally buckled down and tried making these babies for myself.

I gotta tell ya, I don't know what I was so scared of!  They were super easy, the dough was very forgiving, and one batch made around 85 pretzel bites (way cheaper than the frozen ones).  These were gobbled up so fast and I froze a big bag of them to warm up as needed.  There's nothing like warm soft pretzels.  I don't usually do step by step pictures, but because the idea of making these scared me I thought the pictures would put any other timid bakers at ease.  You've got to give these a try,  they really are amazing.  They would make a great snack for you kiddo's class too.  Here's the skinny...
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups warm (not hot) water
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/4 (or 1 package) active dry yeast
4 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 1/2 cups flour
vegetable or canola oil
2 quarts water
1/2 cup baking soda
egg beaten or melted butter for brushing tops
coarse sea salt
Directions

Combine water, sugar, yeast, and butter in mixer bowl.  Let sit 10 minutes.
Using the dough hook, mix in the salt and flour on low speed just until combined.  Increase speed to medium and continue mixing until dough is smooth and starts forming into a ball.  Remove dough from bowl and shape into a ball using your hands.  Coat a large bowl with canola/vegetable oil.  Set dough in oiled bowl, roll dough around so it is coated with oil.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Bring water to a boil in large pot.

Meanwhile divide dough into 4 equal parts.  Roll each section out into long rope about an inch in diameter.

Cut dough into 1 inch pieces.

You should have a bunch of these babies waiting and rearing to go.

Add the baking soda to the boiling water.

Boil a few dough  pieces at a time for 30 seconds.  You don't want the dough pieces to touch while they're boiling so don't put too many in there at once.  Remove pieces with a slotted spoon or spider.

Transfer boiled pieces on to greased baking sheet with about 1/2 inch in between each piece.  Brush the tops with beaten egg or melted butter, sprinkle each one with coarse sea salt.

Bake for 15 minutes or until tops are dark brown.  Remove and let cool a few minutes before serving with Cheese Sauce (I suggest American or cheddar cheese sauce).  Enjoy!

Amazing Zucchini Brownies

Well, it's that time of year again where I start figuring out new and exciting ways to use the abundance of zucchini have.  I love zucchini, so this is always a fun process for me.  I've never made zucchini brownies before, but always thought they seemed like a good idea.  So I gave them a whirl.  It took some experimenting, but I came up with a recipe that is so amazing.  These brownies are so rich and chewy that you'll forget they're packed with zucchini.  My family scarfed these up even though they knew there were veggies in there.  Here's the skinny...
Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups finely shredded zucchini (the finer the better)
3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x9 inch baking dish.
Mix together oil, sugar, vanilla and egg.
In separate bowl mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.  A little at a time add the flour mixture to the oil and sugar mixture until incorporated.  (The dough will seem dry, no worries, the zucchini will moisten things up while they bake.)
Using a spoon stir in the zucchini & chocolate chips.
Pour and press evenly into prepared baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes (cook a little longer if you like them more cake like).  Remove from oven and let cool.  Spread chocolate frosting on top if desired.  Enjoy!

Espresso Chocolate Chip Shortbread

You simply just have to make this.  It is so good and so easy.  A perfect little treat to have with coffee or to give as a gift.  Here's the skinny...
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon espresso shot or extra dark coffee, room temperature
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon espresso grounds (or dark coffee grounds)
2 cups flour
1/2 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
Directions
Cream butter and confectioners sugar for a few minutes until smooth.  Beat in vanilla, espresso shot, and espresso grounds.  On low speed beat in flour just until it is incorporated.  Using a spoon, fold in the chocolate chips.  Transfer dough to a gallon size Zip-loc bag.  Roll dough out inside of bag until dough is flat (about 1/4 inch) and fills up the entire bag.  Make sure to fix the plastic as you roll so there are no crease marks in your dough.  Zip the bag up and place on cookie sheet.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Remove dough from fridge & using scissors cut off the plastic bag (be careful not to make marks in your dough).  Using a pizza cutter or knife cut dough into 1 1/2 inch squares.  Place squared onto ungreased cooking sheet.  Bake for 18-20 minutes.  Cool and enjoy!  (makes about 36 short breads)

Chocolate Marbled Banana Bread

It's no secret that I love banana bread.  But sometimes I end up with so many bananas that need using up that after a week of eating plain banana bread I'm ready for a change.  I'm not one to waste, so throwing away brown bananas because I don't feel like regular banana bread isn't really an option.  I was thrilled when I found this recipe for chocolate marbled banana bread.  

How can you make banana bread better?  Add chocolate of course, this pretty much works for most things in life.  What's great about this recipe is that it really doesn't take that much more time to make that a normal batch of banana bread.  Eat hot out of the oven with a big ol' slab of butter and you will be happy.  Here's the DL...
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (wait till those naners are soft & really brown)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan and set aside.
In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and set aside.
In medium bowl combine vanilla, eggs, mashed bananas, sugar, melted butter.  Gently fold into flour mixture just until moistened, batter will be lumpy.  Transfer about a third of the batter to a smaller bowl.
Using double boiler method or the microwave melt the chocolate chips.  Add melted chocolate the the third of batter you set aside and mix well.

Place alternating sections of plain batter and chocolate batter into the prepared loaf pan.  

Use a butter knife to  cut through the batter and marble it.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes and then serve with butter.  Enjoy!

Rhubarb Cobbler

I love rhubarb.  And I love that we have an abundance of it out on the ranch, hence making rhubarb free for me.  So when I had a big bunch of it the other week I started thinking of different ways to use it, other than the standby strawberry rhubarb pie.  This cobbler was the answer.  I made one for us and one for another family.  Everyone, even the kids, loved it.  I used lemon in the cobbler, which I didn't care for, but everyone else loved.  So you'll have to use your own discretion on that ingredient.  So go out that rhubarb plant & whack off a few stocks and get to work making this easy and scrumptious dessert.  Here's the skinny...
Ingredient
4 cups chopped rhubarb (about 1/2 inch pieces)
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract or 2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter, cubed and chilled
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1-2 tablespoons sugar in the raw

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In large bowl mix rhubarb, 1 3/4 cups sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, lemon extract/juice, and vanilla.
In separate bowl, combine flour, remaining sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and baking powder.  With a pastry cutter, cut in shortening and butter until cornmeal like texture forms.  Whisk together egg and milk, and pour into flour mixture.  Mix with a fork until just combined.
Pour rhubarb mixture into greased 2 quart baking dish.  Drop dough on top using your hands, don't press it down.  It should cover most of the top.  Sprinkle the sugar in the raw (or plain sugar works too) on the top of the dough.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until topping is golden brown.  Serve warm.  Enjoy!

Mother's Day Brunch

Here are some good ideas for whipping up your mom a fabulous brunch on her special day.  {click on the title to get the recipe}

Banana Blueberry Muffins

Pull-Apart Sticky Buns

Sour Cream Pancakes

Popeyes with Cheese Sauce

Baked French Toast with Praline Topping

Dill Red Potatoes Hash Browns

Dutch Baby

Iced Coffee

Black & Blue Crumb Bars

Banana Bread French Toast

Cookie Creator Giveaway

It's that time again.  Time to make Christmas cookies.  This is one of my most favorite activities.  I love making Christmas cookies for two reasons.  1)I only make certain cookies this time of year that are sooooo good!  I don't know why I don't make these certain varieties year around... maybe that's why they are so good.  2)Decorating.  I so enjoy decorating cookies.  It's fun to make the different shapes & adorn them with sprinkles, colored sugar, icing, & powdered sugar.  Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without cookies

As we gear up for this cookie season I thought I'd do a giveaway to prepare one of you with some fabulous cookie making tools.  The giveaway includes a melamine (that means no breaking :) 4 quart batter bowl, melamine mixing bowl, two silicone spatulas, and five Christmas cookie cutters.

To enter the giveaway just answer the following question in the comments section below:
What is your favorite Christmas treat?


Winner will be drawn at random & announced Tuesday (December 13th).  One entry per person.  U.S.A. residents only.

I'll be posting more Christmas cookie recipes this month, but here's one past post to get you started.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

Happy baking!

Flaky Pie Crust

I love making pies.  For years I thought I had a pretty good crust going.  But then my mom showed me this recipe & it is by far the best I've ever had, or made.  There are a couple of tricks here:
1) Chilling the dough thoroughly before rolling it out
2) Keeping the butter cold
3) Not working the butter in too much
4) And VODKA
That's right my friends, in today's crust you will be throwing in a quarter cup of vodka.  Now you don't just do this because using vodka is somehow cosmopolitan.  No, no, there is a science behind it.  Alcohol cooks out (so no worries about intoxicating anyone.)  Therefore the vodka has the moisture required to bind your dough together, but when it is baked all that moisture is cooked out (unlike water).  In turn you get the flakiest pie crust ever.  And vodka is mild enough that you don't even taste it.  Here's the skinny...
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons cold butter cubed (I usually cube the butter & then stick it back in the fridge until I need it)
1/2 cup cold shortening cubed
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup cold vodka

Directions
Mix 1 1/2 cups of the flour, salt & sugar until combined.  Add butter & shortening  cut in until crumbly mixture forms.  Scrape bowl & add remaining flour & cut in until mixture is uniform.  Sprinkle vodka & water over mixture & with a rubber spatula use a folding motion to mix the dough until it sticks together.  Divide into 2 even balls & flatten into 2 inch thick discs.  Wrap in plastic wrap & refrigerate for at least 45 minutes (or up to 2 days).  Makes two 9 inch pie crusts.  Fill with your favorite pie filling & cook as directed for the pie you're making.  Enjoy!

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm a big fan of good ol' chocolate chip cookies.  There's nothing better than chocolate chip cookie dough- proven fact.  Follow that up with a warm fresh from the oven gooey chocolate chip cookie & you're pretty much in heaven.  I've made chocolate chip cookies since I can remember.  My Grandma was the one who originally got me hooked on them... & the dough.  After years of experimentation & trying various recipes, I've landed on a recipe that I use now consistently.  I'm a soft in the middle cookie kind of girl when it comes to chocolate chip cookie & this recipe does just that.  Here's the scoop...
Ingredients
3/4 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 large egg
1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Using electric mixer beat well shortening & brown sugar.  Beat in egg & vanilla until fluffy.  Mix in flour, salt & baking soda until well combined.  By hand stir in chocolate chips.  Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 8 minutes or until edges are brown & center is still gooey.  Let cool for a minute & then transfer to cooling rack.  Enjoy!

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

I adore chocolate chip cookies, especially the dough phase of the cookie making process.  Whipping up the dough is no problem for me.  Mostly because I eat spoonfuls of it as I go.  But when it  comes to dropping those cookies on the baking sheet & popping them in the oven over & over I'm not as enthusiastic.  Often to avoid this process I make cookie bars instead.  But they are a little more cake like & sometimes ya just want that good old crispy, gooey cookie instead.

Enter the skillet cookie, which I have renamed the Lazy Woman's Cookie.  I love this dessert.  It still taste like the chocolate chip cookie you love, gooey center & crisp edges, but you only have to make one.  Almost too easy.  The presentation of the cookie is scrumptious & home-down looking which everyone loves.  Whenever I make this my guests ooh & ahh at it & think I've slaved over a hot stove.  I love food like that, easy to make but looks like it took hours.  Cut it up like a pie while it's still warm & serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.  I promise this cookie will not disappoint!
Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks softened butter
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 10 inch cast iron skillet with non-stick spray or vegetable oil.
Stir together flour, baking soda, & salt & set aside.  In mixing bowl using electric mixer beat butter, brown sugar, & sugar together until creamy.  Add egg & vanilla & beat until fluffy.  Add in flour mixture a bit at a time & mix well.  Mixing by hand stir in chocolate chips.  Put dough in prepared skillet & spread out evenly to edges using a silicone spatula.  Bake for 20-30 minutes or until top is light brown.  Remove & let sit for 3 minutes.  Cut in pie shape slices & serve warm.

Blondies

I think as a child I brushed off the notion of Blondies being good.  I liked cookies better & when my Mom made Blondies instead I didn't think they were as good.  The other week while visiting a friend I was reintroduced to these tasty treats.  She made hot out of the oven Blondies for us & I think I ate about half the pan.  I'm officially an addict & have made them three times since then.  As a child disregarded these scrumptious bars, but as an adult I appreciate how much time they save compared to making chocolate chip cookies.  They are great for large groups &, as I've discovered, wonderful for breakfast with a good cup of coffee... told you I was an addict.  Here's what I know:
Ingredients
1 cup butter softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 cup mini chocolate chips (you can use the regular size, but I like the minis for this recipe)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cream butter & both sugars.  Add eggs & vanilla & mix until fluffy.  Mix together flour, salt, & baking soda.  Slowly add to dough until all is mixed in.  Get yourself a good pinch of yummy cookie dough & continue.  Mix in oatmeal & chocolate chips.  Grease a 9 by 13 inch baking sheet.  Spread dough as evenly as you can on baking sheet, I generally end up using my fingers.  Bake for 25 minutes or until tops are golden.  Let cool slightly & cut into individual size bars.  Enjoy!

So what's your current food obsession?  Come on, fess up.  I know you have one.  Have you been mowing down BBQ potato chips?  Or is a certain kind of fruit tingling your taste buds each day?  Or have you been making trips to the mall to slurp down an Orange Julius?  Divulge your current food craving... I want to know... mostly because I don't want to be alone in this!

Homemade Pizza

Pizza is a big deal in our family.  We eat pizza once a week.  It's my hubby's & son's favorite food.  When we lived in town we would just order pizza or grab a take-and-bake.  But living in the country has changed this habit & I have had to learn how to make tasty pizza from scratch.  I have been searching & altering pizza dough & sauce recipes for a couple of years now.  I finally have a recipe that I love & don't alter any more.  Here's the scoop:

Pizza Dough
A great pizza crust is most of the battle when making homemade pizza.  If you don't have a good crust folks just plain won't like it.  Here is my most favorite crust.  It bakes up light & fluffy with a crusty outer layer.  It is flavorful & the perfect foundation for a yummy pizza.  Plus, it's easy to make & requires no kneading
 Ingredients
(makes 2 large pizzas)

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon sugar

4 cups flour

1/3 cup olive oil

Directions

Pour yeast into the warm water (make sure it's warm & not hot, hot water will kill the yeast) & stir once, set aside.  In a bowl combine flour, salt, garlic powder, sugar (sugar is "food" for the yeast, so make sure to stick it in there).  Drizzle in olive oil & mix until just combined.  Slowly pour in the water yest mixture & stir until dough forms into a ball.  In a seperate bowl pour in a little olive oil & spread around with your hand until entire bowl is coated.  Place the pizza dough ball into the oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap & set in a warm place for 1-2 hours to rise.

This is how the dough compares from when you make it until it has fully risen.

Once dough has risen preheat the oven to 550 degrees.  On a large baking sheet drizzle a little olive oil & then spread around with your hands to coat the entire surface.  Do not wash your hands & pick up half of the pizza dough and set in the middle of the baking sheet.  Using your hands gently spread the dough around until it is at your desired shape & size.  If you like thick crust spread it around accordingly, if you like thin crust do likewise.  The crust will not look like it came from Pizza Hut, which is perfect.  You want it to look authentic & homemade.  As you spread the dough around you may want to add a little more olive oil to the top to help it from not sticking to your hands.

Now spread a little (not too much, nobody likes soggy pizza) pizza sauce on the top to within 3/4 inch of the edge.  Then cover with your favorite toppings.  Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes & enjoy immediately!

Homemade pizza is  quick & easy dinner.  You could even make the dough in the morning & set it in the fridge to rise all day so that when it's dinner time all you have to do is assemble.  It's also fun to make individual pizzas & experiment with toppings.  Or try using pesto as the sauce... the possibilities are endless.

Pizza Sauce

This is so easy you'll cry.  The best part about making your own sauce is switching up the flavor to meet your preferences.

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves minced

1 can tomato sauce (15oz)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon Brown Sugar

Italian Seasoning to taste

Directions

In a saucepan over medium heat mix olive oil & garlic.  Cook a few minutes until garlic starts to sizzle.  Turn heat down to medium-low.  Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar, & Italian seasoning to your liking.  Cook on low for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.  You can now either use the sauce immediately or stick it in the fridge to use later. This will make enough sauce for about 3-4 pizzas.  Freeze left overs for later use.

Wheat Crust

Omit 1 cup of white flour & in it's place add 3/4 cup wheat flour.  This still keeps your crust light & fluffy but adds the whole grains we all need.  If you like a denser crust you could experiment with adding more wheat flour.

Tomato, Basil, & Goat Cheese Pizza

My new favorite creation is my Tomato, Basil, & Goat Cheese Pizza.  I make it on wheat crust (instructions below) & it is actually really healthy.  Coarsely chop the basil & goat cheese so there are large chunks.  Thinly slice the tomato into large circles.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese all over the top so there is a nice layer but not a huge amount of cheese.  Arrange tomatoes and goat cheese on top of the mozzarella.  Bake in the oven as directed above.  About 1 minute from being done sprinkle on the basil & top with just a small amount more of mozzarella to hold everything together.  Enjoy at once.  The lightness of the tomatoes & basil mixed with the richness & creaminess of the goat cheese is like heaven.

Get Ya'll Some Biscuits

One thing I'm passionate about in cooking is flaky pie crust & flaky biscuits.  I have tried many recipes & methods and have watch a lot of Food Network show on the matter.  After meshing a few ideas & recipes together I have come up with a method to make flaky, buttery biscuits that work every time.  Here goes...

Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tbls baking powder
1 tsp salt
8 tbls cold butter cubed
4 tbls butter
3/4 cup milk or butter milk

First things first, make sure your butter is cold.  Cold butter is the key to being flaky (in biscuits, not life).  I cube my butter & then stick it back in the fridge.  Preset your oven to 425 degrees.

Mix all the dry ingredients together.  Then cut in your COLD butter.  It should get kind of corn mealy (is that a word?), but you don't need to get the butter mixed in too well.  Some bigger chunks of butter should be visible- makes it flaky.

Next pour in the milk.

Stir lightly.  You don't want to over do it her or else you'll get tough biscuits.  Just stir until milk is incorporated.

Now using your hands make the dough into a ball, but don't over work it!  You don't want to warm up that butter, so make this a quick process.  Then pop it in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to cool the butter down
again.

Stick your cast iron skillet or baking sheet in the oven with the 4 tbls butter on it.  Let the butter melt & then swirl the pan to coat.

On floured surface make the dough into a thick disc (like so).  Then roll it out to about 1/2 inch thickness.  Make sure to keep things lightly floured so they don't stick.  But don't over do on the flour- you still want flaky, non flour tasting biscuits.

Using a biscuit cutter of your choice (I like to use a small one for everyone else & a big one for me) cut you some biscuits.

Stick them into your buttered skillet/baking sheet & pop in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the tops are a light brown.  (look at that cute little "left over dough" biscuit, the baby will get that one)

When they come out they should look like this.  Almost like little layers.  Flaky, buttery, & yummy.  Enjoy!