Category: Breads, Biscuits, Scones
“Bacon Up” Some Savory Scones

“Bacon Up” Some Savory Scones

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It is not surprising that I love scones.  Scones are the British version of biscuits and as you all know, I am obsessed with biscuits.  I will go in search of two things on my travels, BISCUITS and PIE. Yep, I have been known to detour far and wide for either.  I may not go out of my way for a scone (who am I kidding, yes I will), but if I happen on a bakery and they have scones, that’s what will be sitting next to my cup of joe.  At home, my favorite scone recipe is from Dorie Greenspan.  Tender, crumbly, buttery, a touch of sweetness-downright delicious.  Make it with currants for a classic cream scone, or change it up and add orange zest and dried cranberries or my personal favorite, lemon and wild blueberries.

But this post takes a walk on the savory side.  Recommended by my friend Mary, baker extraordinaire-Bacon, Cheddar, Chive Scones from King Arthur Flour are seriously addicting.  That first bite fills your mouth with buttery crumbs, chunks of golden cheese, flecks of green chives, and then…wait for it..sweet, salty, crispy, bits of BACON.  Hello?  Are you smacking your lips right now?  You should be.

bacon cheddar chive scone

These are quick and easy to make and you can freeze the unbaked scones, take them out in the morning, throw them in the oven and voila, 30 minutes later, you are enjoying freshly baked warm scones.

After cutting the butter into the flour mixture, add your flavor bombs.

Add cream and fold, smoosh the dough together and form a disc approximately 1 inch thick, cut into wedges.  Do not overmix, but the dough should come together when pinched.  Add cream in tablespoon increments if necessary.

Confession.  The first time I made these was on a whim.  I opened the door to my fridge, hmmm, no chives, scallions will have to do.  What? No heavy cream, you’re kidding… well, I do have half & half, why not?  The trifecta of substitutions, I had a medley of cheese, Monterey Jack, Cheddar, and Mozzarella no cheddar.

Last minute bakers cannot be choosy.

The scones turned out fine. Light, great bacon flavor, definitely a keeper and I saved all those calories using half-half. Not bad!

The next time I was prepared-heavy cream, pastry flour, chives, sharp cheddar cheese…you betcha’.  This scone was a bit denser and moister, I could taste the sharp cheddar and overall the scone seemed richer.

Both scones were delicious.  So I leave it to you.  For a richer scone use heavy cream, for a lighter scone use half & half but definitely use sharp cheddar cheese for flavor.  I might even add some chopped jalapeno next time to spice it up a bit.  Woohoo!

**Alert** If you are a purist do not read the next paragraph.  The recipe calls for approximately a cup of chopped bacon.  That’s a lot of bacon.  You COULD oven-bake or pan-fry (all that splatter, ugh) the half pound of bacon and crumble it into bits, OR you could go to Costco and buy ready to use REAL bacon bits.  We are not talking imitation Bacobits but real bacon.  Snap, So EASY.

 

 

 

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Bacon-Cheddar-Chive Scones

Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American, British
Keyword scone
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Pastry Flour Blend either works fine
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 4 tablespoons cold butter
  • 1 cup very coarsely grated or diced cheddar cheese grated works well
  • 1/3 cup snipped fresh chives or finely diced scallion tops the green part
  • 1/2 pound bacon cooked, cooled, and crumbled (about 1 cup)* see text above
  • 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream or whipping cream or enough to make the dough cohesive

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the middle to upper third. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment.
  • Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Work the butter into the flour until the mixture is unevenly crumbly, with some of the butter remaining in larger pieces.
  • Mix in the cheese, chives, and bacon until evenly distributed.
  • Add 3/4 cup of the cream, stirring to combine. Try squeezing the dough together; if it's crumbly and won't hang together, or if there are crumbs remaining in the bottom of the bowl, add cream until the dough comes together. Transfer the shaggy dough to a well-floured work surface.
  • Pat the dough into a smooth 7" disk about 3/4" thick. Transfer the disk to the prepared baking sheet. Use a knife or bench knife to cut the disk into 8 wedges, spreading the wedges apart a bit on the pan.
  • Brush the scones with a bit of cream; this will help their crust brown.
  • Bake the scones in the middle or upper third of the oven for 22 to 24 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool right on the pan.If they brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil.   Serve warm, or at room temperature.
  • Refrigerate any leftover scones, well wrapped, for several days; reheat before serving. Freeze for longer storage.

Notes

Want to make scones now, freeze and bake later?
Make scones up to the point they're on the baking sheet, cut and ready to bake; don't brush them with cream. Freeze, then remove from the sheet, and wrap airtight in a plastic bag. When you're ready to bake, remove however many you want to bake from the freezer, place on a baking sheet, brush with cream, and bake in a preheated 425°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.
Make mini-scones: Divide the dough in half, and roll each half into a 5" round. Cut each round into 8 wedges. Bake in a preheated 425°F oven till golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes; or for about 25 minutes if frozen.
Squash-O-Rama (Zucchini Bread)

Squash-O-Rama (Zucchini Bread)

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We returned home from our road trip to Minneapolis to the first zucchini of the season. Yay! Of course by the end of the season I’m not sure I will still be cheering but for now, it is a welcome sight. Grilled and roasted tops the list in our house, BUT you can only roast or grill so many zucchinis.  At the height of the season, we need to expand our repertoire on what the heck to do with all that squash.

1001 Ways to Use Your Squash, just kidding but I do have a couple that will keep you from pulling your hair out and screaming “Noooooo!” at the sight of another green courgette.

Zoodles! Replace a portion of noodles in your favorite pasta dishes with julienned zucchini. This cuts down all those dreaded carb calories and adds flavor and texture to summertime pasta dishes, a WIN-WIN if you ask me. Julienned zucchini ribbons don’t require much cooking,  I toss zoodles in with just-drained pasta.  The heat from the noodles is enough to cook the zucchini. Try this Tomato, Bacon and Arugula Pasta/Zoodle dish, quick, easy and delicious.

From Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem cookbook, a recipe for Turkey Zucchini Burgers can put a dent in any bounty of squash.  Make em’ big and use them for burgers, make em’ small for a perfect happy hour appetizer.

simple zucchini bread

Zucchini bread!!!  When everyone is really tired of eating all that squash, this is the sneaky way to use up your store without your family knowing they are eating MORE zucchini.

There are thousands of zucchini bread recipes out there, not quite rock star banana bread numbers but enough to make your head spin.  I’m going to make it easy for you…King Arthur Flour Zucchini Bread is moist, flavorful and damn delicious.  Lightly spiced with cinnamon, sweetened with brown sugar, and finished with walnuts and golden raisins it’s a winner. Its so easy the title is Simple Zucchini Bread.  You can substitute or add just about anything but the kitchen sink. I didn’t have raisins so I used KA’s Jammy Bits (little fruit flavor bombs), or you could use any dry fruit, like cranberries or apples.  Don’t like walnuts? Use pecans or almonds. Instead of a loaf of bread, make muffins, just remember to decrease the baking time to approximately 20-25 minutes. Whatever you do, keep this recipe in mind the next time you are looking at a bushel of squash and wondering what to do with it.

simple zucchini bread

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Simple Zucchini Bread

A delicious, easy quick bread
Course Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword zucchin bread
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons boiled cider apple juice, orange juice, milk, water, or the liquid of your choice
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon optional
  • 1 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 cups grated or shredded zucchini somewhere between firmly and lightly packed
  • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts toasted until golden
  • 3/4 cup raisins or currants golden raisins preferred
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar for sprinkling on top optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the brown sugar, boiled cider or other liquid, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
  • Whisk the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into the flour, then add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients in the bowl, stirring or beating gently until smooth.
  • Stir in the zucchini, walnuts, and raisins or currants.
  • Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it if necessary. Sprinkle with brown sugar, if desired.
  • Bake the bread for 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The top (just under the crust) may seem a bit sticky; but so long as the toothpick doesn't reveal wet batter, it's done.
  • Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool completely. For best results, don't slice until it's cool.
  • Store the bread at cool room temperature, well wrapped, for several days; freeze for longer storage.

Notes

  • Shredded zucchini varies a lot in weight, depending on the season, the freshness of the vegetable, the fineness of the shred, and how firmly you pack it into the cup. Measure your zucchini by volume in this recipe, not weight; don't fret if your weight doesn't match the weight in the recipe.
  • To toast chopped walnuts, spread them in a single layer in a baking pan, and toast in a preheated 350°F oven for about 6 minutes, or until they're golden brown and smell "toasty.

 
A Toast to Bostock (Brioche aux Amandes)

A Toast to Bostock (Brioche aux Amandes)

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Our weekend ritual of going to the Farmer’s Market is a two-pronged mission.  After stocking up on fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables we turn our attention to the artisanal products that are peppered throughout the market.  Smoked salts, leaf lard from the meat guy, olive oils from family orchards, bread, and fresh tofu.  I invariably stop at the Manresa bread stall. I have a weak spot for their Kouign Aman and their Bostock.

Bostock?  Yep, glorified TOAST, 4-5 bucks a slice. Call it a guilty pleasure.  A slice of buttery brioche with a layer of orange marmalade or strawberry rhubarb jam, topped with an almond frangipane and a generous sprinkle of sliced almonds.  Baked, finished with a blanket of powdered sugar.  So good.

I probably won’t attempt to make Kouign Aman but Bostock, that’s a different story.  It’s toast on steroids when you think about it.  A recipe for Bostock from the blog The Little Epicurean looked delicious and sounded very doable.  Time to stop the 5 dollar toast madness and make my own. I love her photo and as they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery.  Making Bostock pictogram starts with brioche, slather with preserves, coat with almond frangipane and top with sliced almonds. Pop it in the oven. Badabing, badaboom, done.

Bostock

Ok, I did cheat a little, store-bought brioche (Trader Joe’s Brioche-thumbs up) makes this a quick and easy recipe.  I used a homemade strawberry-blueberry jam but feel free to use any jam you like. The almond frangipane is made of butter, almonds, sugar and an egg whirled to a smooth creamy paste in a food processor.  As I pulled the slices out of the oven the aroma of butter, sugar and almond filled the kitchen.  Life is good, especially if you have fresh baked Bostock.

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A Toast to Bostock (Brioche aux Amandes)

Glorified toast which you should definitley make!
Course Breads, Breakfast
Cuisine French
Keyword Bostock
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 thick slices of brioche challah, or enriched milk bread
  • 6 Tablespoons orange marmalade or your choice of jam
  • Almond frangipane spread recipe follows
  • Sliced almonds as needed
  • Confectioners' sugar to dust

Almond Frangipane Spread:

  • 1 cup almonds sliced or whole
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup unsalted butter room temperature, softened
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 Tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick silicone mat. Arrange bread on baking sheet. Spread 1 tablespoon of orange marmalade over bread. Top with 3 tablespoons of almond frangipane spread. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top.
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes until almonds are golden and bread is toasted.
  • Transfer bread to cool rack to prevent bottom from getting soggy. Dust warm bostock with sifted confections' sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Almond Frangipane Spread:

  • In a food processor, pulse together almonds and half of sugar until nuts are finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl.
  • In same food processor, process together butter, remaining sugar, salt, vanilla, almond extract, egg, and cream until smooth.
  • Scrape down bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing. Add ground nut mixture and pulse until thoroughly combined.
  • Use almond frangipane spread immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Allow to soften to room temperature before use.
Karma’s a Batch…of Meyer Lemon Scones

Karma’s a Batch…of Meyer Lemon Scones

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I got up this morning with scones on the brain.  A while ago I had come across a recipe on the blog Dessert for Two for Small Batch Meyer Lemon Scones. They looked delicious.  I filed it away under the “I should try these cause they look yummy” recesses of my mind.  This past weekend my goal was to clean and reorganize the fridge (inspired by Sam Kass’s new book). As luck would have it, squirreled away in the back of the crisper drawer I found a forgotten bag of Meyer Lemons from my baking buddy, Kathy.

Karma, I was Meant to Make These Scones.

The recipe makes four more-than-generous scones so my first change was to make six instead.  A nice size to accompany a breakfast plate or on its own as an afternoon tea treat. You can whip up a batch in no time flat and that’s without using a mixer. The keys are to keep everything as cold as possible and to not overwork the dough.  The mantra for any scone, biscuit, or pie dough.

I used a pastry cutter to mix the butter in the flour.  The butter should be in small pieces no bigger than petite peas.  Add the wet ingredients and blend together.  The mixture will not hold together but will be shaggy.  Pour onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Fold and compress the dough to form a disc.  The heat of your hands will help the dough clump together.  Cut the disc into four to six pieces.

Separate the scones and paint the tops with heavy cream.  Bake until golden.  I made the icing but it didn’t stand out on the scones. It did add a nice sweet-tart finish though.

Meyer Lemon Scones

These scones are tender, buttery, and lemony sweet.  The perfect beginning or ending to a day.  It’s a good thing this is a small batch recipe…I’d be tempted to eat them all.

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Karma’s a Batch…of Meyer Lemon Scones

A lovely buttery, light, lemony scone from Dessert for Two that is easy to make, a perfect weekend morning pick me up.
Course Biscuits and scones, Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword Cream Scones, meyer lemon scones, Meyer lemons
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

Wet Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
  • 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream plus extra for brushing
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • zest of 2 Meyer lemons* I'm thinking grapefruit or reg lemons would work well too.

For the optional glaze: Try not to skip it, it is a nice finish.

  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
  • In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
  • Dice the butter and add it to the flour mixture. Work the butter into the flour mixture until it's evenly distributed and smaller than peas. Use two knives, a pastry cutter, or your fingertips (quickly squeeze the butter pieces between your fingers pressing them into little flakes.
  • Whisk heavy cream, egg yolk and lemon zest in a small bowl. Pour ontothe flour mixture and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Don't overmix, but incorporate things well.
  • Scoop the dough out, place it on the baking sheet, and use the warmth of your hands to fold and press dough together until it sticks together into a round disc form.
  • Cut the dough circle into 4-6 even pieces. Brush each piece with extra heavy cream. (Cut by pressing knife in one downward motion, don't use a sawing motion which will cause uneven rising)
  • Bake for 13-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and they lightly brown on the edges.
  • While the scones bake, whisk together the glaze ingredients.
  • Glaze the scones when cool.
What’s for Dessert? Croutons!

What’s for Dessert? Croutons!

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Awhile back I reviewed Food52 Mighty Salads. Flipping through the book I found quite a few recipes to try including a tomato pasta salad, a crab and corncake salad and a tomato cucumber salad with lamb kebabs.  At the very end of the book, snuck in on the last page (those sneaky Food52ers) I found a single non-salad recipe.

Better yet, it is a DESSERT recipe.  A tantalizing little tidbit among a sea of greens and grains.  As part of their thank you page and because they couldn’t write a cookbook without a sweet finish, they came up with Berry Salad with Brioche Croutons.  It is simple, yummy and the perfect ending.

….of course I had to try it.

It is STUPID EASY and delicious.  Start with your favorite loaf of brioche.  Cut 4 slices about 3/4 inch thick and then cut into cubes.  Place in a buttered baking dish, throw in a handful of nuts, your choice.  I like walnuts but feel free to use pecans or almonds or a mix of your favorite nuts. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons honey and finish with a sprinkle of sea salt or kosher salt (a little bigger sprinkle).  Bake in a preheated oven (350 degrees) for 7 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool.  Store in an airtight container.

Now you could just munch on these bad boys all by themselves, which I have been known to do, or you could throw them on top of a bowl of berries-strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, whateverberries (just checking if you are paying attention) sweetened with some raw sugar as suggested by the folks at Food52.

My favorite option is on top of plain Greek yogurt with a touch of honey and fresh berries..  It adds a nice crunch and makes my breakfast seem deliciously decadent.  Its way too easy not to try.

 
Jest Jammin’ (Strawberry Lime Jam)

Jest Jammin’ (Strawberry Lime Jam)

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From my weekly trip to the Farmer’s Market I once again came home with way too many strawberries…I should have bought one basket but noooo…I went bonkers and bought a HALF FLAT of strawberries.  That’s 6 baskets of strawberries between the two of us.

Which means it’s JAM TIME.  I pulled up the recipe for STUPID EASY JAM I posted a couple months ago, grabbed the lime instead of the lemon sitting on the counter and less than an hour later I’m spreading homemade jam on toast to go with my coffee.  How easy is that? Yummos.  The lime is a nice change from lemon it gives it a tropical twist.

I think the best thing about regattas and long bike rides is guilt free carb loading. There is nothing better than a pb&j sandwich. I love the saltiness of the peanut butter and the sweetness of the jam smooshed between two slices of Wonder Bread.

Even though I didn’t row or ride today, a loaf of soft white bread reminiscent of Wonder Bread, a jar of just made jam and summer’s last hurrah heat wave was the perfect excuse for a pb&j sandwich and a tall glass of ice cold milk for dinner. Nothing like starting the day with jam on buttered toast and ending it with a pb&j.  Felt like a kid again.

So if you are like me and find yourself with too many strawberries.  Make some jam!
Strawberry Squared (Strawberry Bread)

Strawberry Squared (Strawberry Bread)

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The problem with going to the Farmer’s Markets is I end up with way more than we will be able to finish.  As I walk through the market everything looks so delicious and smells so good. The aroma of sun ripened fruit is intoxicating, the variety of greens and tomatoes are mind boggling, every where I turn I see or smell something that I just have to try.

The old adage “my eyes are too big for my stomach” fits me perfectly.  I return home from my market excursion, bag brimming with way too many things and in quantities that make me slap my forehead and wonder “what was I thinking”.  I don’t just have one basket of strawberries (the perfect amount for Wes and me) but a three pack (way too many).

By mid-week I am hunting for recipes that contain strawberries.

I came across this Strawberry Bread recipe in Saveur magazine.  A luscious quick bread that called for not only fresh strawberries but strawberry jam.  Strawberry squared!  It looked and sounded heavenly so I quickly pulled out my loaf pans, my baskets of strawberries and set to work making this bread.  In a wink I had the batter made (the beauty of quick breads) and I was sliding the pans into the oven.

I no longer have to worry about buying too many berries at the market.  This bread is delicious.  It is moist, slightly tart from the fresh berries, sweet from the jam that I swirled into the batter and bursting with strawberry flavor. The cinnamon adds just a hint of spice. I imagine this bread would lend itself well to other fruits. I have plans to try this with the nectarines currently sitting on my counter.

This bread is great warm just out of the oven but it’s also wonderful with a cup of tea or coffee, toasted and spread with a bit of butter.

Boy I love summer.

 

 

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Strawberry Loaf Cake

Ingredients

  • MAKES 2 LOAVES
  • Ingredients
  • Unsalted butter for greasing pans
  • 3 cups flour plus more for dusting
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 ⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 1 ⁄4 cups canola oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 cups roughly chopped strawberries substitute peaches or nectarines
  • 1 ⁄2 cup strawberry jam optional or peach jam

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350°. Grease 2 (9" x 5" x 2¾") loaf pans with butter and dust with flour; set aside. Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk sugar, oil, and eggs.
  • Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.
  • Stir in strawberries and pour batter into prepared pans. If using jam, spoon ¼ cup over each loaf and using a knife, swirl jam into batter.
  • Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaves comes out clean, about 1 hour.
  • Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Biscuits! Love, American Style

Biscuits! Love, American Style

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The NYT recipe for spicy pork shoulder made quite a bit so to keep things fresh and interesting (the classic leftover dilemma), we looked for different ways to enjoy our Instant Pot Pulled Pork.  We quickly discovered all that pure porky goodness goes well with just about anything.  Like…BISCUITS.  I pulled out Bon Appetit’s recipe, BA’s BEST Buttermilk Biscuit, which had caught my eye during one of my many biscuit quests.  The leftover pulled pork gave me an excuse to make biscuits (as if I needed an excuse to make biscuits, who am I kidding?) and it proved to be a winning combination.

Verdict:  These are pretty damn good biscuits.  Don’t wait until you have pulled pork to make these.  They are fabulous with just butter and honey.  But when you do make that spicy pork shoulder, make a batch of these bad boys to go along!

Variation 1: Good Morning! Biscuits slathered with butter and honey on a plate next to a mound of pulled pork and 2 eggs, scrambled, soft, runny..breakfast plate ecstasy.

Variation 2: Lunch anyone? Biscuit, still warm, split in half and piled with pulled pork and a perfectly cooked sunny side up egg.  The first bite, egg yolk oozes down and all over the pork and biscuit making it even yummier (yep)..ultimate biscuit sandwich.

Variation 3: For the home team!  A yummy slider-biscuit, pork, slaw, Q-sauce, football/basketball on TV..GAME DAY food at its finest.

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Bon Appetit's Best Buttermilk Biscuits

Buttery, flaky, just what a biscuit should be...
Course Biscuits and scones, Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword biscuits, buttermilk biscuits, homemade
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 3½ cups all-purpose flour plus more for surface
  • 1 cup 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces, plus more, melted, for brushing
  • 1 cup chilled buttermilk

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°.
  • Place baking powder, salt, sugar, baking soda, and 3½ cups flour in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add chilled butter and pulse until largest pieces of butter are the size of a pea.
  • Transfer to a large bowl and gradually drizzle buttermilk over top, tossing with a fork as you go to incorporate. Knead mixture a few times in bowl until a shaggy dough forms (mixture will look a little dry), then turn out onto a clean surface and pat into a 1"-thick square.
  • Using a knife or bench scraper, cut dough into 4 pieces. Stack pieces on top of one another, sandwiching any loose dry bits of dough between layers, and press down to flatten.
  • Lift up dough with bench scraper and dust surface with flour. Roll dough into a 1"-thick rectangle and trim a thin border around sides of dough to create clean edges.
  • Cut into a 4x3 grid to make 12 biscuits (don’t reroll scraps). Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing 2" apart; freeze 10 minutes.
  • Brush tops of biscuits with melted butter and place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 400° and bake biscuits until deep golden brown on bottom and golden on top, 20–25 minutes.

Notes

 
BA's best buttermilk biscuits
There is a video on how to make these biscuits at the end of the recipe. If you are a biscuit making newbie, it is well worth watching.
Pumpkin Apple Bread-Here, There, Everywhere

Pumpkin Apple Bread-Here, There, Everywhere

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Everywhere I turn I am reminded that Fall is upon us.  Shorter days, cooler nights, falling leaves blanketing the ground….and pumpkin in EVERYTHING!  Pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bars, cake, cookies, cheesecake, pancakes…augh!  It is endless.  But as much as the pumpkin onslaught has tempered my enthusiasm for all things pumpkin I still find myself wanting to pull out my loaf pans and bake some pumpkin bread.  Today was the perfect day to do so.  With rain in the forecast, it was time to hunker down at home in my jammies and bake.  I pulled out a favorite recipe, Rebecca’s Apple and Pumpkin Bread from Gourmet magazine’s You Asked For It column. Moist and flavorful, spiced with cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, chunks of apples peppered throughout plus a crunchy cinnamon-sugar topping. It is a slice of yumminess.  Perfect with a steaming cup of tea or coffee, especially on a wet, chilly day.

dsc04717

TWEAKS

I add chopped toasted pecans to the streusel topping to add some crunch and substitute brown sugar for part of the sugar in the topping.  If you like the contrast of tart and sweet, use Granny Smiths or Pippins. I have used Golden Delicious, Fuji, and Mutsu apples with great results.  Really, any apple that doesn’t break down works well.  At times I use mace instead of nutmeg for a milder, subtle flavor and I add ginger to up the spice.  The recipe makes two loaves of bread, one for now and one you can wrap and freeze for another day.  Enjoy!

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Apple Pumpkin Bread

Delicious, moist, spiced pumpkin bread with apples added.
Course Breads
Cuisine American
Keyword apple, crumb topping, Pumpkin Bread
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour

Ingredients

For topping

  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 5 tablespoons granulated sugar I use 3 T granulated sugar + 2 T brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans

For bread

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or mace
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 15-oz can solid-pack pumpkin (original recipe calls for 16 ounce, add 1/4 cup applesauce if desired)
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2-1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs lightly beaten
  • 2 apples peeled, cored, and chopped (2 cups) I use Pippen and Fuji, your choice

Instructions

  • For topping: Blend together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter in a small bowl with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add nuts. Set aside.
  • For bread: Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9 X 5 inch loaf pans. Set aside.
  • Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg or mace, cloves, ginger and allspice into a medium bowl.
  • Whisk together pumpkin oil, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl.
  • Add flour mixture, stirring until well combined.
  • Fold in apples.
  • Divide batter between buttered loaf pans. Sprinkle half of topping evenly over each loaf.
  • Bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of bread comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool loaves in pans on a rack for 45 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool completely, about 1 hour.
  • Yield: two loaves.