Black Pepper and Herb Biscuits

Why did I feel like making biscuits? Well I've never made them before so I thought I'd give it a shot. I ran out of buttermilk so I used a combo of 2% milk and heavy cream and I added fresh rosemary, chives, and thyme from my garden. Because I didn't use the right milk my biscuits were a little runny and after I formed them they baked together as one big cake biscuit, I just cut them apart once they cooled.

This recipe comes from Ode To Goodness. The directions are really easy to understand and are basically the same way you make scones.

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground pepper
handful of fresh herbs

1 1/2 cups cold buttermilk

Method:

With a rack in the middle of the oven, heat to 500 degrees. Spray a 9 inch cake pan with non-stick spray. Set aside. Also, grab a 1/4 cup measure and spray it inside and out with non-stick spray, you’ll use it to portion out the biscuits and that will help the dough to slip out easily.
Spread one cup of flour onto a rimmed baking sheet to toss the biscuits in later. Set aside.
Mix the remaining two cups of flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, pepper, and herbs in a bowl to combine. Add the butter and cut it in with 2 forks until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and mix lightly with a rubber spatula until the mixture is just combined. Do not over mix. It should be a little lumpy.
Working quickly, measure out a leveled 1/4 cup of the dough in your greased measuring cup. Drop the biscuits onto the floured rim baking sheet. Continue until you have no more dough. Sprinkle some flour from the baking sheet on top of each biscuit. Roll the biscuit in the flour, pick it up and form into a ball by passing it from each had to the other, kind of like your playing hot potato (remember that game?). By doing so, you’ll shape it and get rid of excess flour. Place the dough into the cake pan, arranging 9 biscuits around the perimeter and then filling in the middle with the last three.
Bake the biscuits for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 450 and bake for another 15 minutes, or until nice and golden brown. Cool the biscuits in the pan for two minutes then flip them out onto a clean kitchen towel, then flip them right side up. Break them apart and let cool for 5 more minutes.

Muffin Thursday: Lemon Thyme Date Muffins

These are really excellent muffins. The recipe was for a loaf cake but I didn't feel like waiting that long for them to bake so I made muffins instead. Plus they're easier to share this way. :-)

This recipe comes from The Dinner Vine. I changed the whole eggs to yolks and the original recipe called for blackberries but I used dates instead.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
3 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp chopped, FRESH thyme
2 cups chopped dates
1/4 cup 2% milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup extra virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare muffin pan with papers.
In small bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, soda, salt, set aside.
In another bowl combine eggs, lemon zest, and sugar, beating well.
Add vanilla.
Beat in milk.
Add oil, gradually, mixing until incorporated.
Add dry ingredients, only stirring lightly.
Now gently stir in dates and thyme until combined.
Bake in muffin pan for about 20 min or until they bounce back to the touch.

Garlic Rolls with Red Pepper Flakes

I was looking for a basic bread to make and I found this recipe for a garlicky salty bread with a hot kick. The spice isn't overwhelming, the flakes disperse pretty well through the bread and the garlic is a nice touch, I added extra garlic powder too. Also, the original recipe just makes one boule but I made several knotted rolls instead.

The original recipe bakes the boule in a dutch oven at 400, but I opted for making the knots and baking at 375.

Ingredients:

1C warm water
1pkg active dry yeast
pinch of sugar

1 stick butter
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes, plus additional for sprinkling on top
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 C bread flour
2 tsp salt
olive oil- for making the knotted rolls and for brushing on top
course sea salt for tops

Method:

Combine warm water, yeast and a pinch of sugar in a medium measuring glass. Cover with a towel and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
In a small saucepan, melt butter and add herbs and garlic. Stir and set aside.
Add flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with doug hook. Add salt. With mixer on low, pour in yeast and butter mixtures. Mix for approximately 10 minutes or until dough pulls away from the sides of your bowl completely. The dough should not be stuck to the bowl at all. If it is, add a touch more flour and continue to mix.

Form into a smooth ball, cover and let sit in a warm place until doubled in size or roughly 1 hour.
Kneed dough for a minute then cut into about 6 pieces and roll each piece into a dough-snake. Rub a little olive oil on your hands and tie the snake into a knot. Place each knot on a parchment lined baking sheet and let them rise for another 30 mins. Preheat your oven to 375. Brush the tops of the rolls with a little olive oil, salt, red pepper flake, garlic powder mixture and put them in the oven for 25 or so minutes until they are hollow sounding when you hit the bottom and have a little color on the top.