Bacon Rosemary Einkorn-Cornmeal Biscuits | #EinkornExperiment

The experiment in einkorn continues! I've been in the mood for biscuits lately, so I thought that was the perfect excuse to do further experimenting with the all-purpose einkorn flour that I mentioned last month. I started with a base recipe that I'd saved from the November issue of Cooking Light magazine, when best intentions of adding it to my Thanksgiving menu fell through.

The original recipe used spelt flour, and I thought since spelt and einkorn were so similar (and sometimes used interchangeably), that maybe this recipe would translate well. I did change things up a bit by adding fresh rosemary and that elusive thing known as leftover bacon to the mix.

Buttermilk Biscuits w/ Chocolate Gravy (inspired by Last in a Long Line of Rebels)

I always find it funny that as somebody a little older than the recommended age for a book, I can enjoy it so much. Such is the case with Last in a Long Line of Rebels. Recommended for ages 9 to 12, 5th grade and up, I'm slightly out of that age range...and  yet, I enjoyed every last page. I'd say that's a credit to the well-written story infused with mystery, history, intrigue, and a cast full of fun characters.

This is the story of 12-year old Lou Mayhew and her quest to save her 175-year old family home. With the help of friends, family, and a whole lot of gumption, she dusts off old family secrets and legends in the hunt to find some gold that's been long rumored to be buried on her family's land. It was a quick read from front to back that I thoroughly enjoyed.

25 Bread, Roll, and Biscuit Recipes for your Thanksgiving Table

One of the most important things on our Thanksgiving table is the bread basket. I like to fill it with at least three types of bread, rolls, and/or biscuits so that everybody can find something they like. While the majority of my family prefers soft, fluffy rolls along the lines of buttermilk, buttery pull-aparts, and Hawaiian rolls...or hard white crusty rolls...I think it's fun to include some options with whole grains, nuts, seeds, or vegetable purees in them, as well.

My biggest problem is narrowing it down and deciding which three to make. If my kitchen was bigger (and my oven), I'd probably make enough bread to feed the entire neighborhood! Today I've gathered a variety of options from some of my food blogging friends to help you get ideas for your own bread basket this year.

Angel Biscuits and Tipsy Blackberry Jam inspired by The Godforsaken Daughter

The Godforsaken Daughter is the story of thirty-three year-old Ruby, and how her life is turned upside down and shaken after the death of the father that she was so close to. The story is set in Northern Ireland in the recent past (think IRA and bombings), mainly in a small farming town, with Belfast and the isle of Innisfree playing small roles, as well.

Ruby Clare is a bodacious red-head with a sturdy body and hands from working the fields with her beloved dad. Much reference is made to her size 16 as "fat", which was the one thing in the story that bothered me to no end. You'd think she was Cinderella the way she dealt graciously with a nasty mother and pair of sisters.

Without giving away too much, I'll say that after her father's death, Ruby discovers a mystical box that once belonged to her grandmother (her dad's mammy). Tucked inside was a crystal ball, a deck of tarot cards, a book, and a handful of things that worked with them. With these discoveries came a voice (literally), and a means for Ruby to connect with her spirit.

Cranberry Biscuits inspired by The Moon Sisters - book tour + giveaway

It's easy to spot a foodie by the way they write. Therese Walsh is definitely a foodie. The Moon Sisters is a novel about family bonds and dynamics, dealing with grief, and finding acceptance (within yourself), but it's also laced with two of my favorite things mystical forces and food. Lots and lots of food.

The Moon sisters, Jazz and Olivia, are as different as can be. Jazz is the older and more stoic one of the two, with a penchant for writing stories and poetry (especially haikus - a girl after my own heart). Olivia, the spirited younger sister was born with Synesthesia, which gives her the ability to see sounds, smell sights, and taste words. It's tough enough being the older sister (says the oldest of four siblings), but having to deal with Liv's "eccentricities" and unique way of looking at life has taken its toll on Jazz through the  years.

After the death of their mother, the magnetic force in the family, they are forced together on an unexpected journey. A journey that after many twists, hops, and turns, brings them closer and helps them understand each other, by becoming better acquainted with themselves. A cast of colorful characters (one quite literally) round out their lives and their adventures.

Chicken 'n Biscuits (Chicken Pie)

Let me just get this out there right now - I forgot to add the peas to this dish.  What!?  I don't know, I got all caught up in making dinner and I completely spaced them.  When I was taking the (not-so-fabulous) photos, I kept thinking something was missing...that the dish didn't look quite right.  It was the peas.  Blast it!

Phew.  Glad to have that off my chest.

Believe me, I did NOT let the lack of peas deter me from thoroughly enjoying this big ol' pan of comfort food.  And neither did anyone else.

A second note - these may be some of the finest biscuits that I have ever eaten.  I don't know if they would be as amazing baked separately from the chicken mixture as they were baked right on it, but I'm surely gonna be finding out soon.  They are so tender and melt-in-your-mouth that it's a little insane.

I doubled the original recipe so that my whole family could eat dinner that night.  But next time I make this...and there will be a next time...I will most likely triple the chicken mixture.  I wanted a higher ratio of the creamy, rich chicken mixture against those tender biscuits.

Now. Scoot on back out of here you nasty-hot weather...I want that crispy air that signals Autumn to come woooooshing back in.  So I can enjoy comfort dishes like these on a regular basis.

Chicken 'n Biscuits (Chicken Pie)

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Keywords: bake entree chicken carrots American

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

for the biscuits:

• 3 c. all-purpose flour + more for kneading
• 2 Tbs. + 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 6 oz. (12 Tbs./1½ sticks) cold butter, cubed
• 1 c. milk
• 2 large eggs

for the chicken mixture:

• 4 Tbs. butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• ½ c. all-purpose flour
• 4½ c. milk
• 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1" chunks
• 4 medium carrots, chopped
• salt
• ~1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
• 2 c. frozen peas

Instructions

make the biscuits:

Beat together eggs and milk in a large measuring cup or bowl; set aside. Place flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Scatter butter pieces over the flour mixture and pulse 8 times. Turn on processor and slowly pour in milk-egg mixture until just combined, ~4 seconds. The dough will be extremely sticky.

Dump dough out of food processor onto a heavily floured work surface. Quickly and gently knead about 5 times, using floured hands. Pat dough out to about a ¾" thickness. Use a 2-3" biscuit cutter to cut out ~15 biscuits. Let sit on work surface while you continue on.

make chicken mixture:

Preheat oven to 425° F.

Place butter in a medium-large saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and cook, stirring often, until it begins to turn golden, 6-8 minutes. Add flour and stir thoroughly. Whisk in about half the milk. Mixture will begin to thicken. Add other half of milk, whisking almost constantly until mixture comes to a boil.

Add chicken, carrots, 1-2 teaspoons of salt, the black pepper, and the thyme. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for ~10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Add the peas.

Pour the hot mixture into a baking dish (~9"x13") and smooth out the surface. Lay the cut biscuit dough over the top in a single layer. Set on a baking pan in the oven (to catch any eruptions).

Bake for ~25 minutes or until biscuits are browned. Let sit for ~10 minutes to allow mixture to set up a bit. Serve!

slightly adapted from Rick and Lanie's Excellent Kitchen Adventures

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IHCC theme: Out(side) of Mexico

Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits - 50 Women Game-Changers (in Food): #39 Ina Garten

the "Gourmet" prompt...

39. Ina Garten- The Barefoot Contessa is the only White House nuclear policy analyst with a packaged– cake–mix line. And a lot of cookbooks and TV shows. She’s not a countess. Her (defunct) East Hampton fancy food store was named after the Ava Gardner movie.


Feeling the urge to do something "more creative" while working in the Office of Management and Budget in the White House in 1978, Garten and her husband Jeffrey drove to the Hamptons to checko ut a specialty food store that she saw listed for sale in the New York Times.  The next day her "I'll think about it low offer" was accepted...and the rest, as they say, is history.  Thus began her adventure into food.

In '96, she sold Barefoot Contessa (that specialty store) to two employees, built herself an office over the store, and commenced her cookbook writing ventures.  Seven cookbooks and numerous television episodes later, she found what she loved to do.  She also launched a line of baking mixes called Barefoot Contessa Pantry with her business partner, Frank Newbold.  She still lives in East Hampton with Jeffrey.  For more on Ina, check out the Barefoot Contessa website.

Kids On Food: Cinnamon Crunch Biscuit Bites

How big can one moms smile get?  So big that her cheeks ache and her eyes water and she feels like her heart will burst.  Come on moms...you've all been there numerous times and you know what I'm talking about, right?  Sweet Thang has library day once a week at school and gets to pick two books per week to bring home.  How awesome is it that one of the books he picks (quite often, actually) is a kids cookbook!?  He flips through it and has a few choices picked out by the time he brings it home.  The very first thing that he showed me he wanted to make in his latest selection was (amazingly) something that we had all of the ingredients in the house for already. Yes, I let my kids eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch.  And for some reason, I felt an urge to buy a couple cans of refrigerator biscuits when they were on sale for dirt cheap just a few days before.  Kismet.  They turned out to be a fun snack that scented the house with comfort and anticipation.  Warm and straight from the oven with a cold glass of milk...yum.

Cinnamon Crunch Biscuit Bites

inspired by/adapted from Pillsbury Kids Cookbook

makes 32-48 bites

¼ c. sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tube (16.3 oz.) Large Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits (like Grands, 8 per tube)

 6 Tbs. butter

2-3 c. Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a gallon-size zippered baggy.  Cut each round of biscuit dough into four or six wedges (depending on how big you want the bites).  Drop into the baggy with cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Zip up the bag and shake and toss and turn to coat.  Pour everything into a large, wide bowl or deep dish.

Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stove top.  Pour the cereal into the same baggy that you just emptied out.  Seal it and crush the cereal with a rolling pin.  Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the cinnamon-sugar coated dough wedges.  Toss around so that all of the surfaces are coated.  Now pour the crushed cereal over the top of that and toss them all around until the crushed cereal sticks to the butter coated cinnamon-sugar dough wedges.  Basically, you're breading them.

Spread out evenly on a sheet tray that has been lined with a silpat, parchment paper, or foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Make sure none of the wedges are touching...they need space to brown well.  Slide into the oven and bake for ~11-13 minutes, or until golden.

Eat warm with a big glass of milk to wash them down.  Or pop leftovers in your mouth later.  They're still good.

We decided that next time we were going to try this using our favorite homemade biscuit dough.  We'll simply roll it out and use a biscuit cutter per usual, then cut the biscuits into wedges like we did for the refrigerator dough.  It might take a few moments longer, but I'm guessing they'll be even better this way.  No matter which dough you decide to go with, this is fun business for the whole family to get involved in...the eating and the making.

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Sweet Potato Biscuits

I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing...warm sweet potato biscuits!!

Louise at Months of Edible Celebrations is having an online picnic; "guests" bring pick dishes to bring by the letters of the alphabet...and I got 'W'.

I was prepared to show you some delicious sweet potato biscuits...and since they are even better warm...I turned them into a 'W'! This is another test recipe I received through Cook's Country and another winner. I've often said that the smell of baking bread is one of my favorites...and I love to eat fresh baked breads and pastries and pies. The thing is, I'm not the greatest baker in the world. It's true, I'm a cook not a baker...but I do the best I can. I do fear yeast breads, which makes me sad because I adore them...but luckily there is no yeast in site in these little beauties!

(WARM) Sweet Potato Biscuits 
adapted slightly from Cook's Country
yield: 12-17 biscuits

2 1/2 lb. sweet potatoes
2 Tbs. cider vinegar
3 1/4 c. cake flour
1/3 c. packed dark brown sugar
5 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. allspice
8 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pcs.- chilled
4 Tbs. shortening, cut into 1/2" pcs.
2 Tbs. butter, melted

Prick the sweet potatoes and put into microwave until very soft, 15-20 minutes. Immediately slice in half. When cook, scoop flesh into bowl and mash until smooth...you'll need 2 c. of mashed flesh (if you have extra...eat it!). Stir in vinegar and refrigerate until cool.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line baking sheet w/ parchment paper. Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder & baking soda, salt, chilled butter and shortening in food processor to form coarse crumbs. Add to cooled potatoes and fold in.
Turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth, 8-10 times. Pat into a 9" circle, ~1" thick. Using a 2 1/2" biscuit cutter (I accidentally used a 2" and thought it was perfect) dipped in flour, cut into circles and place on prepared sheet pan.
Brush tops with melted butter and bake until golden, ~18-22 minutes (17-18 was perfect in my oven).
Let cool 15 minutes and serve. But remember...we're serving these WARM...which are awesome slathered with butter and drizzled with honey!!