Wednesday, February 26, 2014

***THE Southern buttermilk biscuits***

Recipe combined from here and here and here

Makes about 10-12 biscuits


If using a Cast Iron pan: 425 degrees, 16-18 min

2 cups Self-Rising flour (White Lily preferred), plus more for dusting
4 Tablespoons cold butter, to cut in
1 Tablespoon un-salted butter, melted
1/4 cup cream cheese, cold (about 2 oz)
3/4 cup whole buttermilk  (If dough is dry may add a bit more, maybe 1-2 Tablespoons)
Maldon flaky salt*

Preheat the oven to 500°F for baking sheets.
425°F for cast iron pan 
Make sure the oven rack is in the middle position.

Measure the flour into a large bowl. Incorporate the cold butter and cream cheese into the flour, using a pastry blender or two knives. Cut butter into flour until it is crumbly.

Make a well in the center. Pour in the buttermilk and, using a fork to mix lightly, mix the flour into the buttermilk. The dough will be wet and messy.

Flour a work surface or a sheet of parchment paper works well too. Dump the dough from the bowl onto the surface.

Flour the top of the dough and the rolling pin. Roll out the dough to 1-inch thickness into an oval shape. Do not over handle the dough. Take the short sides of the oval and fold them in toward the middle, turn the dough, gently press down into a oval again and repeat. Repeat this folding once more and pat into desired thickness, usually about an inch or more. This folding creates flaky layers in the biscuits.

Use the biscuit cutter and start from the edge of the rolled-out dough and cut straight through the dough with the cutter, trying to maximize the number of biscuits cut from this first roll out. Roll out the excess dough after the biscuits are cut and cut more biscuits.

Place the biscuits on a baking sheet, or in a cast-iron skillet, or a baking pan with the biscuit sides touching. (It does not matter what size pan or skillet you use as long as the pan has a lip or sides and the biscuits are touching. 

Brush the tops with the melted butter. *Lightly sprinkle the biscuits with a few grains of flaky salt (such as Maldon). 

For extra flaky biscuits, chill the dough before baking until firm, about 10 minutes.

Place the pan in the oven and bake 10 to 12 minutes on a baking sheet, until light brown on top. 15-20 min for cast iron. Brush with butter again when you remove from the oven.




To Make Ahead: The unbaked biscuits can be frozen: Freeze biscuits in a single layer and transfer to a resealable plastic bag for up to one month. Bake straight from the freezer, adding a few minutes to the cooking time.

Note: You can freeze any leftover baked biscuits. To reheat, do not defrost. Wrap the biscuits in foil. Bake in a 400°F oven 25 to 30 minutes. Open the top of the foil for the last 3 to 5 minutes to brown a little on top.

White Lily Flour is (according to MANY websites) the preferred flour for Southern buttermilk biscuits. It is made from soft winter wheat and has a low protein count, so if you can fine a similar flour I'm sure it would work well too. Amazon sells White Lily. 






The Secrets to the Best Ever, Perfect Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Secret #1 - Preheat the skillet. Just as you do with Southern cornbread, coat a cast iron skillet or with shortening, or butter or spray a rimmed baking sheet or cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat it in the oven just like with cornbread for about 5 minutes. (I didn't do this).

Secret #2 - Use very cold, self rising flour, and for the best biscuits, use a soft, winter wheat flour - like White Lily brand - and yes, it does make a difference! Just stick the flour in a bowl in the freezer the night before you plan to make biscuits. Do not substitute all purpose flour. (I just keep my self-rising flour in the fridge so it is cold).

Secret #3 - Use very cold fat from the refrigerator. It can be lard, vegetable shortening or pure butter, but my preference is butter. If using butter, cut the very cold butter half into cubes. Cut into the flour first using two knives or a pastry cutter until crumbly. When first learning to make biscuits avoid using your hands.

Secret #4 - Use buttermilk. Real buttermilk, not a vinegar and milk substitute. All good Southern biscuits contain real buttermilk. Period. If you don't tend to use buttermilk in your cooking, it will keep awhile, so just keep practicing on your biscuits with it and put some up in the freezer.

Secret #5 - Cold dough. Remember, a successful fluffy and light biscuit comes from keeping the dough cold and not handling it too much. The heat from your hands will melt the butter, so until you get to the point where you can literally mix and shape biscuits in about 5 minutes, use a gentle and soft touch because you do not want the dough to get warm!

Secret #6 - Folding. After quickly kneading, push the dough into a rectangle and fold the short sides in toward middle one on top of the other. Turn the dough, shape into a rectangle again and repeat. Repeat this folding once more for a total of three times and pat into desired thickness, usually about an inch or less. If you cut the biscuits too thick, they will quickly rise and lean over. The dough folding action creates flaky layers in the biscuits.

Secret #7 - No twisting! Use a cutter about 2 to 3 inches in size, cut them very close together and take care not to twist the biscuit cutter, whether it be a cutter or a juice glass, but only push down and lift up on the cutter. Twisting will cause the fibers in the edges of the biscuit to close and result in a flatter and more dense biscuit. So just press down and lift up - no twisting!!

Secret #8 - Spacing. I like to do my buttermilk biscuits in a skillet, which produces a crunchy crust on the bottom and soft edges. You may also bake them on a half sheet, rimmed baking pan or in a small greased cake pan. For biscuits that have more crunch all the way around, space them about an inch apart from each other. For soft biscuits, place them close together.

Secret #9 - High temperature. Bake your biscuits in a preheated 500 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Candied Pecans


2-3/4 cups pecan halves
2 tablespoons butter, softened, divided
1 cup sugar (I used white granulated)
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Place pecans in a shallow baking pan in a 250° oven for 10 minutes or until warmed. Grease a 15x10x1-in. baking pan with 1 tablespoon butter; set aside. 

Grease the sides of a large heavy saucepan with remaining butter; add sugar, water, salt and cinnamon. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Cover and cook for 2 minutes to dissolve sugar crystals.

Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 236° (soft-ball stage). Remove from the heat; add vanilla. Stir in warm pecans until evenly coated.

Spread onto prepared baking pan. Bake at 250° for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Spread on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet to cool.



Recipe found here