quick bread

lemon ginger scones

01/24/2013 By bridget 9 Comments

I’ve had in the back of my mind for a while now, years actually, that scones would be a perfect treat to bring in to work. I could do most of the work the night or weekend beforehand and then just bake them in the morning before work. It would be easy for me, and my coworkers would have fresh scones to go with their morning coffee.

It sounds good in theory. In reality, it was a harried morning of showering, emptying the dishwasher, making smoothies, chugging my morning tea, skipping a couple makeup steps, hoping the blue of my scarf didn’t clash too much with the blue of my shirt, oh and garnishing, baking, cooling, and snapping a few very quick pictures of lemon-ginger scones.

So I was wrong about the convenience of baking scones in the morning before work. But I was right about my coworkers loving them. It was a nice morning of compliments – not on my outfit with its clashing blues, obviously, but the tender and slightly spicy scones made up for the unavoidable shortcomings that resulted from my rushed morning.

One year ago: Pasta with Tiny Meatball Sauce
Two years ago: Stromboli
Three years ago: Baked Ziti
Four years ago: Twice-Baked Potatoes with Broccoli, Cheddar, and Scallions
Five years ago: Deviled Eggs with Tuna

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Lemon-Ginger Scones (inspired by Bon Appetit’s Lemon Cream Scones, but when I realized I didn’t have nearly enough cream, I adapted Tartine’s Buttermilk Scones instead)

Serves about 8

As always, you can freeze scones after shaping, before baking. Bake directly from the freezer, adding 2-3 minutes to the baking time.

2½ (12 ounces) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (1.75 ounces) granulated sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
3 teaspoons lemon zest, plus 1 teaspoon
1½ teaspoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes, very cold
2 ounces crystallized ginger, chopped fine
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2.Pulse the flour, ¼ cup sugar, 3 teaspoons lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a food processor until evenly mixed. Scatter the butter cubes over the dry ingredients and pulse until the largest bits of butter are no larger than peas. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the ginger, then the buttermilk. Knead a few times to bring the dough together.

3. On a lightly floured work surface, pat the dough out to ½-inch round. Cut the round into 8 wedges or use cutters to cut other shapes.

4. Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet. Rub the remaining 1 teaspoon of zest into the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Brush the scones with the melted butter and top with the sugar mixture. Bake until lightly browned around the edges, about 16-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, citrus, fruit, quick bread

cornmeal molasses pancakes

11/15/2012 By bridget 2 Comments

I’m not sure what made these pancakes so perfect – was it the combination of ingredients, with the crunch of cornmeal and depth of molasses, or was it being cooked in a cast-iron skillet? I’ve had a cast-iron skillet for almost a year, and I would say that I use it occasionally, but not often.

The main reason I don’t use it more is because, no matter what anyone says, washing a pan by hand, without soup, is not as easy as throwing it in the dishwasher. But the cast-iron undoubtedly forms a better crust on food, from meat to, yes, pancakes, so there are times when it is absolutely worth the extra cleaning step.

I was a little worried about these pancakes though. There’s no sugar in the batter except for molasses. That couldn’t possibly be sweet enough, right?

It actually was, with a distinct but not overwhelming bitter molasses flavor. And of course I added more sugar in the form of maple syrup on top anyway. The result was perfect pancakes, with a crisply browned exterior and tender middle, all thanks to just the right combination of ingredients – or just the right skillet choice.

One year ago: Salted Herbed Roast Turkey
Two years ago: Green Chile Mayonnaise
Three years ago: Wheat Berries with Caramelized Onions, Feta, and Lentils
Four years ago: Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake

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Cornmeal Molasses Pancakes (adapted from recipezaar via Joy the Baker)

Serves 2

If you don’t keep buttermilk around, my favorite substitution is a mixture of plain yogurt and milk; for this recipe, use ¾ cup milk and ½ cup yogurt. You can also use regular milk, adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to the wet ingredients.

1 cup (4.8 ounces) all-purpose flour
½ cup yellow or blue cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1¼ cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon dark molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for cooking the pancakes

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the egg until thoroughly combined, then add the buttermilk, molasses, vanilla, and oil. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk gently until the batter is mostly mixed but still contains small lumps. Let the batter rest while the pan heats, at least 5 minutes.

2. Heat a non-stick skillet or a griddle over medium heat. Add a few drops of oil and spread it over the bottom of the pan. Using a ¼ cup measure, pour the pancake batter onto the hot griddle. When the pancakes are golden brown, after about 2-3 minutes, flip to cook the other side another 2-3 minutes. Keep warm in oven heated to 200 degrees.

Filed Under: breakfast, quick bread, whole grains

flatbreads with honey, sea salt, and thyme

10/12/2012 By bridget 7 Comments

On our very last day in Italy, almost exactly one year ago, we took it easy. One last order of “due cappuccini”, one last walking tour, one last cathedral, one last gelato, one last lunch. That lunch was one of many memorable meals on that trip. We ate on the street on a warm day. We ordered pecorino and honey to go with the ubiquitous bread. It was the first time I’d paired honey with cheese, and I was impressed at how well they went together.

It was all downhill from there. Two weeks of restaurant meals, dehydration, and poor sleep had caught up to Dave, and he wanted nothing more than a nap and proximity to a box of Kleenex. We ate dinner in the apartment – bread, cheese, sausage, a basket of cherry tomatoes I’d bought from a farmer’s market, a bottle of wine. Then we set our alarms for 4:30 the next morning and said our goodbyes to Italy.

I’ve been hooked on bread with cheese and honey since that day, and this might be the perfect way to combine the ingredients – just a thin crisp of bread topped with shavings of nutty cheese and generous spoonfuls of honey. The sea salt is absolutely necessary to balance all the sweet honey, and the crunch of the snowflake-sized flakes is a nice touch. It’s not the same as the first time I paired cheese with honey, but it isn’t bad. It isn’t bad at all.

One year ago: Chewy Brownies
Two years ago: Palmiers
Three years ago: Applesauce Snack Cake
Four years ago: Pain Ordinaire

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Flatbread with Honey, Thyme, and Sea Salt (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

I used a firm Gruyere, which was really delicious. Deb used a Mahon, which I’ve never even heard of and certainly can’t find where I live. Parmigiano-Reggiano would be great as well.

⅓ to ½ cup honey
1¾ cups (7.75 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon table salt
½ cup water
⅓ cup olive oil
¾ cup (1.5 ounces) grated gruyere cheese
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
Flaky sea salt such as Maldon

1. Place a baking stone on the middle rack of the oven and heat the oven to 450 degrees. In a small saucepan, heat the honey over low heat.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; pour the water and oil into the well. Stir the liquids into the flour until a dough forms, then knead the dough about five times, until it forms a smooth ball.

3. Divide the dough into four equal portions. On a sheet of parchment paper, roll one portion into an oval approximately 12 inches long by 6 inches wide.

4. Transfer the parchment paper with the dough to the heated baking stone. Bake for 5 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove the dough from the oven and evenly distribute a quarter of the grated cheese over the surface. Return the dough to the oven until it’s browned at the edges, 3-4 additional minutes. Immediately drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of honey over the surface of the bread, then sprinkle with a quarter of the thyme and a generous pinch of sea salt. Cut the bread into pieces; serve warm. Repeat with the remaining portions of dough.

Filed Under: bread, cheese, quick bread

goat cheese scallion muffins

05/08/2012 By bridget 7 Comments

Goat cheese scallion muffins don’t sound very similar to garlic cheddar biscuits, and yet when Dave said these reminded him of Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay biscuits, I agreed. They have some things in common – there’s cheese and aromatics in both, but goat cheese and cheddar are very different beasts. Besides, who would think that a muffin and a biscuit would have such similar textures?

It’s probably because I mixed the batter like I would a biscuit, by cutting the goat cheese into the dry ingredients before stirring in the liquids. The original recipe might have been more muffin-like, with a layer of goat cheese baked between dollops of dough, but I wanted bits of goat cheese spread evenly throughout the muffin. I also used buttermilk instead of milk, counting on the former’s sour tang to add the “zing” that many reviewers complained was missing from muffins made with the original recipe.

I must have done something right, because these had plenty of flavor; the goat cheese stood out nicely. It’s hard to say if they live up to the legacy of Red Lobster’s deservedly popular biscuits, but as irresistible as those are, they have one thing those don’t – goat cheese. And plenty of zing.

One year ago: Double/Triple Chocolate Cookies
Two years ago: Orange Oatmeal Currant Cookies
Three years ago: Burnt Sugar Ice Cream
Four years ago: Strawberry Cheesecake

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Goat Cheese Scallion Muffins (adapted from Gourmet via epicurious)

Makes 12 muffins

1½ cups (7.2 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
4 scallions, minced
1 egg
6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup buttermilk
4 ounces goat cheese

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray the bottoms of a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with paper liners. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, baking soda, and scallions. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, butter, and buttermilk.

2. Using a pastry blender, cut the goat cheese into the flour mixture until the largest cheese pieces are about pea-sized. Add the liquid ingredients; use a rubber spatula to stir until just combined.

3. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean, 18-22 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool slightly, about 5 minutes, then use a thin-bladed knife to remove the muffins from the pan. Serve warm.

Filed Under: bread, cheese, quick bread, vegetables

double coconut muffins

03/27/2012 By bridget 11 Comments

A friend of mine recently became, as she calls it, a “part-time vegan”, which I take to mean that she avoids eggs and dairy when she’s in charge of what she eats but will eat them if someone else prepares food for her. This started me on search for vegan cookie recipes. Most of what I found called for Earth Balance, but all I could find in my town was a whipped version for spreading, which I didn’t think would take well to baking. Instead, I bought coconut oil.

And then I got busy with other baking projects and set that one aside. That’s where it still sits – “aside.” But unlike my plans to make vegan cookies, the coconut oil is no longer forgotten. And maybe this is a better introduction to a new ingredient – using it with similar flavors.

In these muffins, the coconut oil is combined with shredded coconut to make an intensely, but not overwhelmingly, coconut muffin. In fact, I found that the tanginess of the Greek yogurt was at least an equal player. It was a nice combination with the tropical coconut.

The texture was spot on as well – tender and moist, like the best muffins are. I suppose that makes sense, since these are slightly higher in fat than many muffins. But it’s vegan fat, and that has to be better than butter. I still have half a cup of coconut oil in the fridge, and while I probably should make my friend some cookies, I’m tempted just to make more muffins.

One year ago: Citrus Sunshine Currant Muffins
Two years ago: Honey Ginger Pork Tenderloin
Three years ago: French Yogurt Cake
Four years ago: Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

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Double Coconut Muffins (rewritten but not changed from Smitten Kitchen)

Makes 10 muffins

8 tablespoons (½ cup; 4 ounces) virgin coconut oil
¾ cup (3.6 ounces) all-purpose flour
½ cup (2.4 ounces) whole wheat flour
¾ cup (3.25 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut, divided
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon table salt
1 cup (8 ounces) Greek-style yogurt, room temperature
⅓ cup (2.33 grams) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray 10 muffin cups with nonstick spray or line them with paper liners. In a small saucepan, warm the coconut oil just until it melts; don’t heat it until it’s hot.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, ½ cup shredded coconut, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, coconut oil, yogurt, and vanilla. Add the coconut oil mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

3. Divide the batter among the 10 prepared muffin cups. Top each muffin with about a teaspoon of the remaining shredded coconut. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack; cool 5 minutes, then remove them from the pan. Serve warm.

Filed Under: bread, fruit, quick bread, whole grains

raspberry ricotta scones

03/15/2012 By bridget 9 Comments

I’ve largely gotten out of my scone phase from a few years ago. Back then, I was making a new scone recipe almost once a month. One batch of scones, frozen before baking, would last a couple weekends, which made for some wonderfully relaxed weekend mornings, with nothing to do but turn the oven on, transfer the frozen scones to a baking sheet, and boil water for the French press. Twenty minutes later, I’d sit down with a scone, a mug, and a food magazine.

The problem with this scenario is that there’s very little nutrition in a scone. I’m not against a little butter for breakfast, but as we’ve become more active lately, we require breakfasts that fill us up and provide energy. I don’t want to imagine Dave on one of his weekly racquetball marathons with nothing but butter, flour, and sugar for fuel.

On quiet mornings when we don’t have a busy day ahead though, scones hit the spot. And this one is even better, because it does have some extra health benefits from protein-rich ricotta and fiber-rich whole grains. Moreover, this is one of the best scones I’ve ever made.

I’ve admittedly become more and more enamored with whole grains and the nutty depth of flavor they add to baked goods, and this was a perfect example of how a portion of whole wheat flour isn’t a sacrifice to be made for health reasons, but an improvement in flavor. I think this recipe has me headed toward another scone phase.

One year ago: Corniest Corn Muffins
Two years ago: How to adapt any bread to be whole wheat
Three years ago: Lemon Cup Custard
Four years ago: Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Raspberry Ricotta Scones (slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Makes 9

Baked scones are best fresh out the oven. If you want to make these in advance, form and cut the scones, then transfer the unbaked scones to a ziploc bag to freeze. There’s no need to defrost before baking, but you will need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time.

I used whole wheat pastry flour, which I prefer in quick breads. But if you only have regular whole wheat flour, I’m sure it will be fine.

¾ cup (6.5 ounces) whole milk ricotta
⅓ cup heavy cream
1 cup (4.8 ounces) whole wheat flour
1 cup (4.8 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ cup (1.75 ounces) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup (4.75 ounces) raspberries, fresh or frozen

1. Adjust a rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. In a large measuring cup, combine the ricotta and heavy cream.

2. Combine the flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt in the food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is cut into pea-sized pieces. Add the raspberries and pulse a few times to break them down. Add the ricotta mixture; pulse just until the dough is evenly moistened but still looks crumbly.

3. Transfer the dough to a work surface and pat into a ball. Knead the dough a few times, then pat it out into a 7-inch square that is about 1-inch thick. Cut the dough into 9 squares.

4. Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown around the bottom edges, 16-20 minutes. Transfer the scones to a wire rack and cool about 10 minutes before serving.

Filed Under: cheese, fruit, quick bread, summer, whole grains

spelt crackers

12/04/2011 By bridget 7 Comments

I’ve had one of those weekends that make people say goofy things about how they need another weekend to recover from their weekend. I’m blaming the holidays, although not all of my extra projects are holiday-related. In particular, the dinner party I’m co-hosting on Thursday is dominating a lot of my kitchen time this week, since it’s on a weekday so everything I’m in charge of needs to be done in advance.

But I still managed to squeeze in time to make these crackers – twice. Not only do they only have three ingredients – water, salt, and fancy flour – those ingredients don’t require any complicated steps. There’s no kneading and no resting, just a quick stir before the dough is ready to be rolled out.

Twenty minutes in the oven and just like that, you have crackers. Crackers so good that Dave said, “These are homemade? But they’re just like real crackers!” Fresh crisp crackers, baked brie topped with roasted red peppers and garlic, and a glass of wine make the perfect break from weekend chores.

One year ago: Comparison of 3 Bolognese Sauce recipes
Two years ago: Bourbon Pound Cake

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Spelt Crackers (barely adapted from The New York Times Magazine via Smitten Kitchen)

4-6 servings

The original recipe calls for white spelt flour, but I don’t know what I used. In fact, I bought my spelt flour in the bulk section at the same time I bought barley flour, and I mixed them up and don’t know which I used. The crackers turned out great regardless.

I didn’t flour the pan generously enough the first time and had some issues with the dough and then the baked crackers sticking. I tried spraying the pan with oil the second time instead of flouring, which made rolling a lot easier, but the crackers weren’t as crisp. From now on, I’ll stick with flour but be sure to use plenty of it.

¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup water
1½ cups spelt flour, plus more for flouring surface
Coarse sea salt, dried onion bits, poppy seeds and sesame seeds, or a seed combination of your choice

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Dissolve the salt in the water. Stir in the spelt flour until a ball forms.

3. Generously flour an overturned 12-by-17-inch cookie sheet and roll out the dough on top of it, using as much flour as needed to prevent sticking, until the dough covers the sheet from edge to edge. Using a spray bottle filled with water, spray the dough to give it a glossy finish. Prick the dough all over with a fork. If you choose, sprinkle with sea salt or seeds. For neat crackers, score the dough into grids.

4. Bake until the dough is crisp and golden, 15 to 25 minutes. Break into pieces and serve.

Filed Under: bread, healthy, quick bread, whole grains

cheddar puffs with green onions

11/12/2011 By bridget 5 Comments

Are you afraid of yeast? Or at least resistant to adding complicated rising schedules to your already-stressful Thanksgiving to-do list? Try these puffs instead of yeast bread. They take about 10 minutes to put together, and you can shape the dough and freeze it until the big day. Then you just pop them in the oven while the turkey rests.

I admit that they don’t make the best gravy mop, but they have such great flavor on their own that you don’t really want to bury it anyway – even with this gravy. They resemble cream puffs, except instead of a sweet creamy filling, they’re full of onions bits and shredded cheese. They taste perfect with the turkey, and they fit perfectly into the turkey roasting schedule.

Two years ago: Croissants (Martha Stewart)
Three years ago: Asian Peanut Dip

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Cheddar Puffs with Green Onions (adapted from Bon Appétit via epicurious)

Makes 24 puffs

½ cup water
2 tablespoon butter, cut into 4 pieces
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup + 1 tablespoon (2.7 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
3 ounces grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
¼ cup minced green onions

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Bring the water, butter, and salt to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan. Remove from the heat; mix in the flour. Stir over medium heat until the mixture becomes slightly shiny and pulls away from sides of the pan, about 3 minutes; transfer to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition to form a sticky dough. Mix in the cheese and green onions.

3. Divide the dough into 24 equal portions; drop onto the baking sheet one inch apart. (Can be made ahead. Wrap in plastic, then foil. Refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.)

3. Bake the cheese puffs until golden, about 30 minutes if at room temperature and 35 minutes if chilled or frozen. Serve immediately.

Filed Under: bread, cheese, dinner party, freezer friendly, quick bread

apple cider doughnuts

10/16/2011 By bridget 26 Comments

It’s going to be 95 degrees here today, but I’m trying to force it to feel like fall anyway. It isn’t just the temperature; there are no trees here to change colors, the air is always dry and crisp, and the only place to buy pumpkins and apples is the grocery store. I often prefer living in the desert, even with months of over 100-degree days in the summer, but every fall, I miss upstate New York.

I especially miss the cider mill I lived near when I was there, which was almost a fall festival of its own, every day. I loved stopping there and choosing one each of six different apple types, which made the best apple pies I’d ever eaten. In the weeks before Halloween, they’d cover most of the lot with pumpkins, not to mention the barrels of squash of every variety. Inside, you could watch them pulp the apples into cider on one side of the building, and on the other, they were frying doughnuts. Brushing fallen sugar off of our shirts after biting into fresh donuts became a yearly tradition.

You can’t buy jugs of fresh cider here or the donuts made with it, but I can make my own doughnuts using pulpy storebought apple juice. By reducing the apple cider/juice until it’s syrupy, you can increase the apple flavor of the doughnuts without increasing the stickiness of the dough. Concentrating apple juice and frying apply donuts smells like fall, and, in a pinch, that will have to epitomize the season in the desert.

One year ago: Burritos
Two years ago: Green Chile Rellenos
Three years ago: Stuffed Mushrooms with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

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Apple Cider Doughnuts (slightly adapted from The Hearth Restaurant via Smitten Kitchen)

Makes 18 doughnuts and 18 doughnut holes

Despite generally being anti-shortening, I tried it for frying this time. However, I wasn’t happy with it; it started smoking well before it reached proper frying temperature. The doughnuts also seemed to absorb more fat than usual.

1 cup apple cider
3½ cups (16.8 ounces) flour, plus additional for the work surface
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, at room temperature
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup buttermilk
Vegetable oil or shortening for frying
Topping (optional): ½ cup granulated sugar + 2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the apple cider to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until reduced to ¼ cup, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.

2. Using an electric mixer on medium speed (with the paddle attachment, if using a standing mixer), beat the butter and granulated sugar until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time; continue to beat until the eggs are completely incorporated. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add half of the reduced apple cider and buttermilk, then all of the dry ingredients, then the remaining liquid ingredients, mixing just until combined.

3. Flour two sheets of parchment or wax paper; turn the dough out onto one floured sheet and cover with the second sheet. Roll the dough out to a thickness of ½-inch. Transfer the dough to the freezer until it is slightly hardened, about 20 minutes.

4. Using a floured 3-inch or 3½-inch doughnut cutter (or a round cutter plus a 1-inch round cutter or backside of a piping tip), cut out rings of dough. Place the cut doughnuts and doughnut holes onto one sheet of floured wax paper. Re-roll the scraps of dough, incorporating as little flour as possible. Refrigerate the doughnuts for 20 to 30 minutes.

5. Add oil or shortening to a deep-sided pan to measure a depth of about 3 inches. Heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 350°F. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet.

6. Carefully add three doughnuts and three holes to the oil; fry until golden brown, about 60 seconds. Flip the doughnuts and fry until the other side is golden, 30 to 60 seconds. Drain on the rack for one minute. Dip the top of the warm doughnuts into the cinnamon sugar mixture (if using) and serve immediately.

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, cake, dessert, fall, quick bread

basic biscuits

10/10/2011 By bridget 8 Comments

I just got back from two weeks in Italy, which I spent eating: croissants for breakfast, baskets of bread for lunch and dinner (and not a whole grain in sight), wine with lunch and dinner, gelato at least once a day, and so on and so on and so on. And guess what? I came home exactly the same size I was when I left.

I wish I could use this as justification to throw all of my healthy eating ideals to the wind (I accidentally typed “wine” at first – I’m still in vacation mode) and just eat what I want to eat. And maybe I could, if I spent hours upon hours walking in my normal life, walking until my feet ached and then ached more, and then they kept aching hours after I’d stopped walking. Instead, I spend hours upon hours of my normal life sitting at a computer, both at work and at home, and that, my friends, is the difference.

Biscuits, and their buttery bready cousins croissants and scones, become a weekend treat. Usually I make biscuits to sandwich with eggs and ham for breakfast, but occasionally I serve them alongside crab cakes for dinner. But just occasionally. If only my normal life burned as many calories as my vacation life, I could – and would! – eat biscuits almost every day.

Jennifer chose these for Tuesdays with Dorie, and she has the recipe posted. I…made no changes? Maybe? I don’t know, I made these a while ago. It seems likely that I followed the recipe exactly, except I definitely used the cake flour option, because I love how light biscuits are when they’re made with cake flour.

One year ago: Fold-over Pear Torte
Two years ago: Split-Level Pudding
Three years ago: Lenox Almond Biscotti

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, quick bread, tuesdays with dorie