No-Knead Bread

Ingredients

6 cups bread flour (recommended) or all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 t. instant or active-dry yeast
2 1/2 t. salt
2 2/3 c. cool water

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the water and stir until all the ingredients are well incorporated; the dough should be wet and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest 12-18 hours on the counter at room temperature. When surface of the risen dough has darkened slightly, smells yeasty, and is dotted with bubbles, it is ready.
2. Lightly flour your hands and a work surface. Place dough on work surface and sprinkle with more flour. Fold the dough over on itself once or twice and, using floured fingers, tuck the dough underneath to form a rough ball.
3. Place a full sheet/large rectangle of parchment paper on a cotton towel and dust it with enough flour, cornmeal, or wheat bran to prevent the dough from sticking to the parchment paper as it rises; place dough seam side down on the parchment paper and dust with more flour, cornmeal, or wheat bran. Pull the corners of parchment paper around the loaf, wrapping it completely. Do the same with the towel. Let rise for about 2 hours, until it has doubled in size.
4. After about 1 1/2 hours, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a 6-8 quart heavy covered pot, such as a cast-iron Dutch oven, in the oven as it heats. When the dough has fully risen, carefully remove pot from oven. Unwrap the towel and parchment paper from around the dough and slide your hand under the bottom of the dough ball; flip the dough over into pot, seam side up. Pull the parchment paper off, scraping any stuck dough into the pan. Shake pan once or twice if dough looks unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.
5. Cover and bake for 50 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 10-15 more minutes, until the crust is a deep chestnut brown. The internal temperature of the bread should be around 200 degrees. You can check this with a meat thermometer, if desired.
6. Remove the bread from the pot and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Cornbread

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a small bowl, combine cornmeal and milk; let stand for 10 minutes. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix in the cornmeal mixture, eggs and oil and whisk for 5 min. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean.

Gingerbread Waffles

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 to 5 large Belgian waffles

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/3 cups milk, warmed to room temperature
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 3/4 cups (290g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• Melted butter or cooking spray for coating the waffle iron.
• Powdered sugar for serving (optional)

Special Equipment:

• Waffle iron

METHOD

1 Make the waffle batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, molasses, brown sugar, and egg until everything is well incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder and salt together.

Gradually mix the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. (I usually pour half of the flour into the wet ingredients and stir until the flour is absorbed before adding the rest of the flour.) Mix until you no longer see streaks of flour. Small lumps are okay.

2 Let the batter rest as you preheat your Belgian waffle iron to medium-high. Warm the waffle iron for at least 5 minutes, or until a drop of water sizzles on contact with the griddle.

3 Make the waffles: Brush melted butter onto the waffle iron or coat with cooking spray. Scoop 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the batter into the waffle iron and use the bottom of the cup to spread the batter around into the edges. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or according to your waffle maker's instructions, until the waffles are golden brown on the outside. Remove the waffle from the iron with tongs or a fork and place on a cooling rack.

Cook the remaining waffles and serve immediately. Sprinkle waffles with powdered sugar, if you like, or serve with whipped cream and maple syrup.

Yankee Cornbread Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• Butter (for the pan)
• Flour (for the pan)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup canola oil
• 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups yellow cornmeal, preferably stoneground
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Special equipment:

• 9x13-inch baking pan

METHOD

1 Heat the oven to 375F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the paper. Dust the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.

2 Prepare the batter: In a bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients, stir together the eggs, canola oil, and yogurt until smooth. Stir in the sugar followed by the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Keep stirring until no pockets of dry ingredients show.

3 Bake the cornbread: Pour the batter into the pan and use an offset spatula or regular spatula to smooth the top. Bake the cornbread for 35 minutes, or until it is uniformly golden brown on top and firm in the middle. Set on a rack to cool for 10 minutes.

4 Slice the cornbread: Make 2 vertical slices and 5 horizontal slices to form 18 squares. Lift them from the pan and serve with butter.

Braided Cinnamon Wreath

Dough

•   2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup lukewarm milk
• 6 Oz fresh yeast or 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 1/8 cup melted butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp sugar

Filling:

•  1/4 cup softened butter
• 4-5 tbsp sugar
• 3 tsp cinnamon

Method:

1. Mix the yeast and sugar with the lukewarm milk and let it sit a few minutes while the yeast bubbles and foams up.
2. Add the egg yolk, the melted butter, the flour and the salt, then knead the dough and shape into a ball.
3. Place the dough in a large, greased bowl, then cover and place in a warm space and let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
4. Preheat oven to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Dust your work surface with flour, and roll the dough out to a thickness of 1cm.
5. Spread the melted butter across all of the dough, then sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
6. Roll up the dough, and using a knife, cut the log in half length-wise.
7. Twist the two halves together, keeping the open layers exposed as described in the photo tutorial. Give a round shape, then transfer to a baking tray (buttered or covered with cookie sheet).
8. Top the remaining butter and sprinkle some sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
9. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit after 5-10 minutes to stop it burning. Top with icing sugar mixed with water if you want, just sprinkle some sugar, or eat it like this.

http://totallyloveit.com/braided-cinnamon-rolls/

Crème Brûlée French Toasts

From Smitten Kitchen

Makes 6 servings

Toasts
1 loaf unsliced white bread, brioche or rich bread of your choice
1 1/3 cups whole milk
2/3 cup heavy cream
4 large eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
1 teaspoon Grand Marnier or another orange liqueur or 1/4 teaspoon orange zest
1 vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping
2/3 cup granulated sugar

Cut bread into 1 1/2-inch thick, generous slices; a 9-inch loaf should yield 6 slices. Whisk together milk, cream, eggs, sugar, salt, liqueur, and vanilla extract, if using. If using a vanilla bean, halve it lengthwise and scrape the pulp into a small dish. Whisk vanilla bean with one tablespoon of custard, then whisk in another and a third tablespoon, then pour the vanilla bean-custard mixture back into the main batter. This avoids having vanilla bean clumps that don’t disperse in your batter. Don’t you hate that?

Preheat oven to 325. Arrange bread slices on the smallest rimmed tray that will fit them in one layer (encourages maximum absorption) pour custard over slices. Allow them to absorb the custard for 30 minutes, turning the slices over at one point to ensure they’re soaking it up evenly. [Do ahead: You can also soak them overnight in the fridge. No need to flip them if so.]

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer custard-soaked slices to prepared sheet, arranging them with a smidge of space between each to avoid making one French mega-toast. Flipping them halfway through if you wish, bake French toast slices for 30 to 35 minutes, until a slim knife inserted into the center of a slice and twisted ever-so-slightly does not release any wet custard. Keep warm until ready to serve.

To caramelize the tops: Either leave toasts on their baking sheet, or transfer to a serving platter. Have ready a small offset spatula and a potholder or trivet to rest your caramel pot on.

Melt remaining 2/3 cup sugar in a small, heavy, completely dry saucepan over moderate heat, stirring with a small spoon or fork until fully melted and the color of honey. Move it over to the potholder or trivet you’d set up and working quickly, spoon one generous tablespoon caramel over your first slice of toast, spread it thinly and evenly with your offset spatula and repeat with the remaining toasts. Because your caramel will continue to deepen slightly in color (veering towards almost-too-toasty) as you work, it’s best to work quickly but carefully. Let no fingers or forearms be harmed in the melted sugar’s path and should a single drop land on the counter or on your towel or on the rim of the plate, do not swipe it. Just leave it until it cools.

[Hot water will melt all hardened caramel and make your clean up job easy. Simply soak your pot/spoon/spatula and all will melt off.]

Serve with fresh berries and if you’re feeling extra fancy, loosely whipped cream. We don’t find that it needs any maple syrup.

Alternative top-caramelizing method: A really obvious question here would be “But would the broiler work?” The method would be to sprinkle each toast with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and let the broiler do the torching for you.

Tomato, Parmesan, and Prosciutto Bruschetta

Makes 20-25 servings

2 large beefsteak tomatoes, diced into small cubes
2-3 cloves garlic, minced in a press
1 tsp dried oregano
1 TBSP dijon mustard
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
2 TBSP, plus additional for croutons, extra-virgin olive oil
1 baguette, cut into 1/2" slices
4 slices prosciutto, pan seared until crispy, then crumble into large pieces
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved or grated
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium sized bowl, mix the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, mustard, balsamic vinegar, and the 2 TBSP of olive oil. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and let sit in the fridge for at least 25 minutes. The longer it sits, the better the flavor.

Pre-heat broiler to high and position the rack to be in the top third of the oven. On a baking sheet, arrange the slices of baguette in one layer. Brush each slice with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. Toast in oven until the edges are golden brown.

Top each slice with the marinated tomatoes, Parmesan, and a piece of prosciutto. Sprinkle with a bit more freshly ground pepper. Serve and devour.

Blueberry-pecan baked french toast

Ingredients:

1-2 baguettes (depending on size) - I used whole grain baguettes
6 large eggs
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup pecans
1/2 stick butter (plus 1 teaspoon butter)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups blueberries

Directions

1. Butter a 9×13 baking dish. Cut 1 1/2 inch slices from the baguette and arrange in one layer in the dish (about 6-8 slices). Whisk together eggs, milk, nutmeg, vanilla, and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a large bowl and pour evenly over the bread. Refrigerate mixture, covered, until all liquid is absorbed by the bread, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
2. When you are ready to bake and serve, preheat oven to 350 F. Spread pecans evenly in a shallow baking pan and toast in middle of oven until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Toss pecans with 1 teaspoon butter. Alternately (and this is what I did), toast the pecans in a skillet in one layer over medium heat, stirring often. Toss with 1 teaspoon butter. (I did this the night before to save time the morning of.)
3. Sprinkle pecans and blueberries evenly over bread mixture. Cut remaining 1/2 stick butter into pieces and heat with remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar in a small saucepan, stirring, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Drizzle butter mixture over bread and bake mixture 30 – 40 minutes or until any liquid from blueberries is bubbling.

Caramel French Toast

from Bon Appetit

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
6 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 1-inch-thick slices French bread
Powdered sugar
Fresh blueberries and raspberries
Your choice of syrup

Mix butter and brown sugar in small bowl to blend.
Whisk milk, eggs, vanilla, and spices in large bowl to blend, and soak the bread slices in the milk mixture until they are good and soaked, at least 5 minutes. 10 is even better.

Melt 4 tablespoons brown sugar-butter mixture in large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. (If you can't fit them all in one skillet then only use 2 tablespoons butter mixture and save some of the next batch.) Spread remaining butter mixture over bread. Add bread slices to each skillet, butter side UP. Cook until bottoms are deep brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn slices over. Cook until bottoms are deep brown, 3 to 4 minutes.

Divide French toast among 4 plates. Sift powdered sugar over. Top with blueberries and raspberries; drizzle with syrup.

Simple One Hour Homemade Bread

From http://www.lafujimama.com/2009/09/simple-one-hour-homemade-bread.html

Makes 2 loaves

5 1/4 cups white bread flour
2 - 4 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. (rounded) saf-instant yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp. oil
2 cups hot water

1. Mix dry ingredients. Add oil and water. Mix for 1 minute and then check the consistency of the dough. The dough should be very sticky. If it is too dry, add more water.

2. Mix for 5 minutes. (Do not add any more flour after the dough has finished mixing.)

3. Spray kneading surface with cooking spray and turn dough out onto surface. Knead dough briefly until it has a smooth even consistency (this will only take several turns of the dough to accomplish).

4. Divide dough into 2 pieces (or more if you wish to have smaller loaves) and shape loaves into desired shapes and place on greased baking sheets. Cover with a large dish towel and let rise for 25 minutes.

5. While loaves are rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. When loaves are ready to go into the oven, use a sharp knife (you can lightly spray your knife with cooking spray to prevent dragging) to make several slashes in the top. Make each cut about 1/4-inch deep at a 30 degree angle. Bake loaves for 25 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Very Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Makes 4 mini-sized loaves plus several muffins.

2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups grated zucchini
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup coarsely broken walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease four mini loaf pans or muffin cups, if preferred.

In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate until melted. Stir occasionally until chocolate is smooth.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine eggs, sugar, oil, grated zucchini, vanilla and chocolate; beat well. Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and cocoa powder. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts . Pour batter into prepared loaf pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean (trying not to hit a melted chocolate chip for a false reading). Muffins will be done in about 20 minutes.

Biscuits with salmon and cream cheese

Ingredients:

For the biscuits:
250 gr strong white flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
115 gr cold butter grated
3 tbs chopped dill
245 gr buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk mix 2/3 yogurt with 1/3 milk and you’ll get a good replacement)
2 tbs butter melted

For the filling:
100 gr smoked salmon
1 box Philadelphia cream chesse with chives
juice from 1/2 lemon
some capers around 15 I think I used
1 tbs chopped dill
salt and pepper to taste
rocket salad

Method:

For the biscuits:
Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Add the grated butter and mix until coated in flour.
Add the dill and the butemilk until you get a sticky dough. Line a baking sheet with baking paper and preheat your oven to 200 grades C.
Form your biscuits in medium sized spheres and brush them with the melted butter.
Bake them for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

For the filling:
Mix the cream cheese with the lemon juice, capers and dill, add salt and pepper to taste.
If you find the filling to be too thick add some sour cream in it. I didn’t because we like it as it is.
Cut your biscuits in 2 put some of the cream cheese on each side of the biscuit (on the inside of course), put some salmon on top of the cream cheese on the bottom half of the biscuit, add some rocket salad and then put the top of the biscuit over it.

Faux Red Lobster Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 cups Bisquick
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Lawry’s garlic salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 cup grated cheese
2/3 cup (butter) milk
3 tbsp butter
2 tsp oregano

Optional: 4 sun-dried tomatoes (on oil)

Directions:
I started by grating about 1 1/2 cup of cheese. The original recipe calls for sharp cheddar, but well, that would make it pretty expensive biscuits for me so I opted for sharp Gouda in stead. Go with your cheese of choice.

Next, dump 2 cups of Bisquick into a big bowl, add 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 a tsp onion powder and the grated cheese and stir to combine.

(Tip: No Bisquick? Simply cut 1/3 cup Crisco (or 1/2 a cup butter) in with 2 cups of flour and add 1tsp baking powder, 1 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp salt.)

Here’s my own addition. The biscuits are great with just cheese, but oh boy, this raises them to a whole new level. I’ve finely chopped 4 sun-dried tomatoes and added them to the mix.

Pour in 2/3 cup of butter milk or regular milk; I prefer butter milk. Mix until you end up with a firm dough, but don’t over-mix.

Drop spoonsful of dough on a baking sheet you’ve lined with grease-proof baking paper. Shape them up with your fingers a bit. My dough was enough for 12 large biscuits.

Melt about 2 oz of butter and whisk in 1/2 to 1 tsp garlic salt (I like a salty outer layer) and 2 tsp oregano.

Lightly brush the biscuits with 50% of the butter mix.

Bake them in a preheated oven at 400F (200C) for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of your biscuits. Until they’re golden brown.

Remove the biscuits from the oven and brush them with the remaining butter.

Peppery Bacon and Cheddar Scones

Adapted from Rebecca Rather’s “The Pastry Queen”

Makes 8 to 10 scones

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese (or Monterey Jack, Havarti, Habanero Cheddar, etc.)
4 green onions
10 slices bacon, cooked and chopped into 1-inch pieces
3/4 to 1 1/2 cups buttermilk (substitute half the amount with cream for a richer scone)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons water

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.
2. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is crumbly and studded with flour-butter bits the size of peas.
3. Stir in the cheese until just blended.
4. Add the green onions, bacon and 3/4 cup buttermilk. Mix just until the ingredients are incorporated. If dough is too dry to hold together, add the remaining buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough can be formed into a ball. Stir as little as possible to ensure a light-textured scone.
5. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, and pat it into a ball. Using a well-floured rolling pin, flatten the dough into a circle about 8 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Cut the dough into 8 to 10 equal wedges.
6. Whisk the egg and water together in a small bowl. Brush each wedge with the egg wash. Place the scones on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and no longer sticky in the middle. Serve warm.

Blueberry scones

Ingredients:
2 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 cup sugar
1 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoons kosher salt
zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
3/8 pound (1.5 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash
1/8 cup raw (turbinado sugar) for sprinkling

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl, mix 2 cups of flour, 1/8 cup sugar, the baking powder, salt and half of the zest.

Add the cold butter and mix with a hand mixer until the butter is the size of peas.
Combine the eggs and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture and mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy and sticky.

Combine the blueberries, the rest of the zest and 1/8 cup of flour, add to the dough, and fold in until blended.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and knead the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see small bits of butter in the dough.

Roll the dough into a log and cut triangles of dough. Place the scones on a baking pan lined with parchment paper or silpat.

Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash, sprinkle with raw sugar, and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked. The scones will be firm to the touch. Allow the scones to cool for a couple minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Fresh Strawberry Muffins

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries
3 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and mix well.

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to butter mixture. Add vanilla. Gently stir in strawberries.

Spoon batter into muffin pans.

Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over muffins.

Bake at 400º for 20-25 minutes.

Makes one dozen muffins. (Make sure you eat them the day you bake them. They aren't so great the next day.)

Garlic Cheese Drop Biscuits

Yield 12

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
1 cup buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Heat the oven to 350 F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Blend the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and garlic powder into a large bowl.

With your fingers, blend the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse sand with pea sized lumps of butter in it. Stir in the shredded cheeses.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the buttermilk in. With a spoon, gently mix until the dry ingredients are just moist. Do not overmix.

Scoop the biscuits onto the parchment line sheet (roughly 1/3 cup - I used a large disher) and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. The tops will be pale, but the bottoms will be lightly golden brown.

Brush the tops with the melted butter and place under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the tops become golden.

Serve warm.

Chipotle Cheddar Biscuits

from Baked: New Frontiers In Baking

2 1/3 c. all purpose flour
1 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 T. chipotle powder
1 T. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 t. cream of tartar
1 t. salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
2 c. grated and tightly packed cheddar cheese (sharp or medium)
1 1/4 c. buttermilk
1 large egg
Kosher salt for topping

Preheat oven to 400*F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the butter and work in using your hands until the mixture looks like coarse sand (this is similar to making pie dough). Add the cheese and stir to incorporate into the dough.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. Add to the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix. My dough seemed extremely wet at this point, more like a muffin batter than a biscuit dough. After sitting for a couple minutes it should tighten up.
Scoop about 1/4 cup of dough for each biscuit and drop in mounds about 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt and bake in the center of the oven for about 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking time. Biscuits are done when they are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a biscuit comes out clean.

Transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container. Should be eaten in 1 day because will be dry on the 2nd day.

Parmesan-Herb Biscuits

(from Bon Appétit magazine)

2 cups all-purpose flour
6 Tbsp. nonfat dry milk powder
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried tarragon
1 tsp. dried basil
½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
¾ cup (or more) ice water

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Whisk first 9 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Add butter and cut in with fingertips until very coarse meal forms. Gradually add ¾ cup ice water, tossing until moist clumps form and adding 1 or 2 tablespoons more water if needed to form a slightly sticky dough.
2. Gather dough into ball. Sprinkle work surface with flour. Using floured hands, press dough into 6-inch square. Cut dough into nine 2-inch square biscuits. Arrange biscuits with sides touching on ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake biscuits until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Separate biscuits slightly and cool 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 9 biscuits.

Banana Bread

Cook's Illustrated, The New Best Recipe

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
1 1/4 cups walnuts, chopped coarse
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 very ripe, soft, darkly speckled large bananas, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan; dust with flour, tapping out the excess.

2. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and walnuts together in a large bowl; set aside.

4. Mix the mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla with a wooden spoon in a medium bowl. Lightly fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined and the batter looks thick and chunky. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

5. Bake until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. (The bread can be wrapped with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)