VIDEO RECIPE: Buttermilk Biscuits with Chorizo Sausage and Quick Tomato Compote

For iPad and iPhone users, if the video does not load below please try this link on the CBC website.

Here's the second installment in Rock Recipes video cooking series with CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Regular readers know I love my Sunday Brunch and this recipe is a real stick-to-your- ribs kind of start to a busy weekend day. Check out how to make the lightest buttermilk biscuits and how to quickly and simply make some homemade chorizo sausage. Add some quick-cooked, fresh tomato compote and scrambled egg and you've got one outstanding brunch dish.

Find the individual recipes in this dish at the links below: 

Buttermilk Biscuits

Chorizo Sausage

Spicy Quick Tomato Compote 

For iPad and iPhone users, if the video does not load below please try this link on the CBC website.

Here's the second installment in Rock Recipes video cooking series with CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Regular readers know I love my Sunday Brunch and this recipe is a real stick-to-your- ribs kind of start to a busy weekend day. Check out how to make the lightest buttermilk biscuits and how to quickly and simply make some homemade chorizo sausage. Add some quick-cooked, fresh tomato compote and scrambled egg and you've got one outstanding brunch dish.

Find the individual recipes in this dish at the links below: 

Buttermilk Biscuits

Chorizo Sausage

Spicy Quick Tomato Compote 

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Cheddar and Chive Buttermilk Biscuits

Cheddar and Chive Buttermilk Biscuits

These light and flaky buttermilk biscuits packed with fresh garden chives pockets of oozing melted cheddar cheese are very easy to make and are always welcome with barbeque fare or fried chicken at our house. They also make regular appearances at Sunday brunch as the base for great sausage or bacon breakfast sandwiches.

Makes about 6 large biscuits

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a food processor, blend together

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Pulse in:

• 1/3 cup very cold salted butter, cut in small cubes

Do not over incorporate the butter into the flour. Similar to making a flaky pastry, small pieces of butter should be visible in the flour. 

Transfer this mixture from the food processor into a large mixing bowl and add:

• 4 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, diced small

Toss together and make a well in the center. Pour in

• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Working very quickly with a wooden spoon, fold the dry mixture through the buttermilk, only until the flour disappears, then stop immediately. Drop the sticky dough onto a well floured counter top or bread board. Sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour as well as flouring your hands to handle the dough. After folding it just a few times, I don't even use a rolling pin for these biscuits, the dough is soft enough to pat it out gently with floured hands to a thickness of about 1 & 1/2 inches . Using a large sharp  biscuit cutter cut the biscuits out an place them well spaced out, on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. I recommend aluminum baking sheets because they tolerate the higher oven temperature without burning the bottom of the biscuits. An alternative to using a biscuit cutter is to form the dough into a round and simply cut it in wedges, like a pie.

Bake in the 425 degree F preheated oven for about 10 minutes before lowering the temperature to 375 degrees F and baking for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are evenly golden brown. Smaller biscuits will need about 5 minutes less in the oven.

Cheddar and Chive Buttermilk Biscuits

These light and flaky buttermilk biscuits packed with fresh garden chives pockets of oozing melted cheddar cheese are very easy to make and are always welcome with barbeque fare or fried chicken at our house. They also make regular appearances at Sunday brunch as the base for great sausage or bacon breakfast sandwiches.

Makes about 6 large biscuits

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a food processor, blend together

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Pulse in:

• 1/3 cup very cold salted butter, cut in small cubes

Do not over incorporate the butter into the flour. Similar to making a flaky pastry, small pieces of butter should be visible in the flour. 

Transfer this mixture from the food processor into a large mixing bowl and add:

• 4 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, diced small

Toss together and make a well in the center. Pour in

• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Working very quickly with a wooden spoon, fold the dry mixture through the buttermilk, only until the flour disappears, then stop immediately. Drop the sticky dough onto a well floured counter top or bread board. Sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour as well as flouring your hands to handle the dough. After folding it just a few times, I don't even use a rolling pin for these biscuits, the dough is soft enough to pat it out gently with floured hands to a thickness of about 1 & 1/2 inches . Using a large sharp  biscuit cutter cut the biscuits out an place them well spaced out, on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. I recommend aluminum baking sheets because they tolerate the higher oven temperature without burning the bottom of the biscuits. An alternative to using a biscuit cutter is to form the dough into a round and simply cut it in wedges, like a pie.

Bake in the 425 degree F preheated oven for about 10 minutes before lowering the temperature to 375 degrees F and baking for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are evenly golden brown. Smaller biscuits will need about 5 minutes less in the oven.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Buttermilk Chive Biscuits

Buttermilk Chive Biscuits

Just outside my back door, at the edge of my patio only about 10 feet away from the kitchen stove is a small bed of herbs that I use practically every day from Spring until first frost. The first herbs to be usable are a couple of varieties of chives and I particularly like fragrant garlic chives in this recipe.

Fresh biscuits of any kind are a fantastic addition to almost any meal and I still make them many times during the summer months, especially at barbeques where people just go mad for them. Once you get the hang of making good biscuits you can easily whip up a quick batch in about 10 minutes, which is no time at all to spend in order to bring such a great comfort food addition to a meal.

You can change up the herbs to suit individual meals and a little grated cheese makes a good addition too. These make a fantastic base for weekend brunch sandwiches like sausage and egg or as we recently used them in a very indulgent Scallops Benedict with Brown Butter Hollandaise

Buttermilk Chive Biscuits

Makes about 6 - 8 large biscuits,

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a food processor, blend together

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Pulse in:

• 1/3 cup very cold salted butter, cut in small cubes

Do not over incorporate the butter into the flour. Similar to making a flaky pastry, small pieces of butter should be visible in the flour. 

Transfer this mixture from the food processor into a large mixing bowl and add:

• 3 tbsp chopped fresh chives

Toss together and make a well in the center. Pour in

• 1 cup buttermilk

Working very quickly with a wooden spoon, fold the dry mixture through the buttermilk, only until the flour disappears, then stop immediately. Drop the sticky dough onto a well floured counter top or bread board. Sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour as well as flouring your hands to handle the dough. After folding it just a few times, I don't even use a rolling pin for these biscuits, the dough is soft enough to pat it out gently with floured hands to a thickness of about 1 & 1/2 inches.

Using a large sharp  biscuit cutter cut the biscuits out an place them well spaced out, on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. I recommend aluminum baking sheets because they tolerate the higher oven temperature without burning the bottom of the biscuits. An alternative to using a biscuit cutter is to form the dough into a round and simply cut it in wedges, like a pie. (As pictured.)

Bake in the 425 degree F preheated oven for about 10 minutes before lowering the temperature to 375 degrees F and baking for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are evenly golden brown.

Buttermilk Chive Biscuits

Just outside my back door, at the edge of my patio only about 10 feet away from the kitchen stove is a small bed of herbs that I use practically every day from Spring until first frost. The first herbs to be usable are a couple of varieties of chives and I particularly like fragrant garlic chives in this recipe.

Fresh biscuits of any kind are a fantastic addition to almost any meal and I still make them many times during the summer months, especially at barbeques where people just go mad for them. Once you get the hang of making good biscuits you can easily whip up a quick batch in about 10 minutes, which is no time at all to spend in order to bring such a great comfort food addition to a meal.

You can change up the herbs to suit individual meals and a little grated cheese makes a good addition too. These make a fantastic base for weekend brunch sandwiches like sausage and egg or as we recently used them in a very indulgent Scallops Benedict with Brown Butter Hollandaise

Buttermilk Chive Biscuits

Makes about 6 - 8 large biscuits,

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a food processor, blend together

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Pulse in:

• 1/3 cup very cold salted butter, cut in small cubes

Do not over incorporate the butter into the flour. Similar to making a flaky pastry, small pieces of butter should be visible in the flour. 

Transfer this mixture from the food processor into a large mixing bowl and add:

• 3 tbsp chopped fresh chives

Toss together and make a well in the center. Pour in

• 1 cup buttermilk

Working very quickly with a wooden spoon, fold the dry mixture through the buttermilk, only until the flour disappears, then stop immediately. Drop the sticky dough onto a well floured counter top or bread board. Sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour as well as flouring your hands to handle the dough. After folding it just a few times, I don't even use a rolling pin for these biscuits, the dough is soft enough to pat it out gently with floured hands to a thickness of about 1 & 1/2 inches.

Using a large sharp  biscuit cutter cut the biscuits out an place them well spaced out, on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. I recommend aluminum baking sheets because they tolerate the higher oven temperature without burning the bottom of the biscuits. An alternative to using a biscuit cutter is to form the dough into a round and simply cut it in wedges, like a pie. (As pictured.)

Bake in the 425 degree F preheated oven for about 10 minutes before lowering the temperature to 375 degrees F and baking for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are evenly golden brown.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Scallops Benedict on Chive Buttermilk Biscuits with Brown Butter Hollandaise

Scallops Benedict on Chive Buttermilk Biscuits with Brown Butter Hollandaise

My youngest sister is visiting from Alberta for a few weeks and her recent mini quest to find some decent scallops at local eateries had hit a couple of snags. She showed up at my house with some freshly bought plump scallops and announced, "We're eating these later," which really translates, "You're cooking these for me later." I speak fluent Belinda.

Since there was already a set menu for the rest of the day, she upped her demanding ante and said, "Well, I guess they are just going to have to be breakfast then, aren't they?"

Scallops for breakfast? I'm game for anything brunch related so the wheels started turning. Breakfast = bacon, bacon's great with scallops, so that's a no-brainer. I love using fresh buttermilk biscuits as the base for Eggs Benedict and with the first shoots of fresh chives popping up in the garden I decided to use those too. To give a little punch to the Hollandaise sauce I added some more of the fresh chives and added a slightly nutty element by using brown butter to make it.

The culmination of all those efforts and wonderfully delicious components was just outstanding; the light fluffy biscuits, the sweet scallops, the salty bacon and the fresh lemon scented Hollandaise sauce turned out to be a terrifically balanced combination and little Sis declared it to be one of the best things she's ever eaten....it really was incredibly delicious but then again, maybe she's just buttering me up to cook for her again.

Chive Buttermilk Biscuits

Makes about 6 large biscuits

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a food processor, blend together

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Pulse in:

• 1/3 cup very cold salted butter, cut in small cubes

Do not over incorporate the butter into the flour. Similar to making a flaky pastry, small pieces of butter should be visible in the flour. 

Transfer this mixture from the food processor into a large mixing bowl and add:

• 3 tbsp chopped fresh chives

Toss together and make a well in the center. Pour in

• 1 cup buttermilk

Working very quickly with a wooden spoon, fold the dry mixture through the buttermilk, only until the flour disappears, then stop immediately. Drop the sticky dough onto a well floured counter top or bread board. Sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour as well as flouring your hands to handle the dough. After folding it just a few times, I don't even use a rolling pin for these biscuits, the dough is soft enough to pat it out gently with floured hands to a thickness of about 1 & 1/2 inches . Using a large sharp  biscuit cutter cut the biscuits out an place them well spaced out, on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. I recommend aluminum baking sheets because they tolerate the higher oven temperature without burning the bottom of the biscuits. An alternative to using a biscuit cutter is to form the dough into a round and simply cut it in wedges, like a pie.

Bake in the 425 degree F preheated oven for about 10 minutes before lowering the temperature to 375 degrees F and baking for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are evenly golden brown.

Easy Brown Butter Hollandaise Sauce

• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tsp chopped lemon zest
• 1/2 cup hot brown butter
• 1 tbsp chopped chives

To brown butter just melt it in a small saucepan over medium heat and watch it until the color turns light golden brown. Pour it off immediately into a heat proof measuring cup, leaving the sediment behind.
In a blender combine the egg yolks, mustard and lemon zest and juice for only a few seconds. With the blender on medium speed, slowly pour in the hot butter in a thin stream. The sauce should thicken quite quickly. Pour into a bowl and keep the bowl warm in a warm water bath while preparing the other components of the Scallops Benedict.

• 2 dozen large fresh scallops
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 9 eggs, scrambled and cooked
• 12 slices crisp cooked bacon roughly chopped 

Season with salt and pepper and pan sear the fresh scallops in a hot pan with the butter and olive oil for only a few minutes per side.

To construct the dish, slice a biscuit in half and use one piece as the base. Add the scrambled eggs and top them with the seared scallops. Pour on some of the Hollandaise sauce and sprinkle with the chopped bacon and additional chives for garnish. Top with the second half of the biscuit if you like.

Scallops Benedict on Chive Buttermilk Biscuits with Brown Butter Hollandaise

My youngest sister is visiting from Alberta for a few weeks and her recent mini quest to find some decent scallops at local eateries had hit a couple of snags. She showed up at my house with some freshly bought plump scallops and announced, "We're eating these later," which really translates, "You're cooking these for me later." I speak fluent Belinda.

Since there was already a set menu for the rest of the day, she upped her demanding ante and said, "Well, I guess they are just going to have to be breakfast then, aren't they?"

Scallops for breakfast? I'm game for anything brunch related so the wheels started turning. Breakfast = bacon, bacon's great with scallops, so that's a no-brainer. I love using fresh buttermilk biscuits as the base for Eggs Benedict and with the first shoots of fresh chives popping up in the garden I decided to use those too. To give a little punch to the Hollandaise sauce I added some more of the fresh chives and added a slightly nutty element by using brown butter to make it.

The culmination of all those efforts and wonderfully delicious components was just outstanding; the light fluffy biscuits, the sweet scallops, the salty bacon and the fresh lemon scented Hollandaise sauce turned out to be a terrifically balanced combination and little Sis declared it to be one of the best things she's ever eaten....it really was incredibly delicious but then again, maybe she's just buttering me up to cook for her again.

Chive Buttermilk Biscuits

Makes about 6 large biscuits

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a food processor, blend together

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Pulse in:

• 1/3 cup very cold salted butter, cut in small cubes

Do not over incorporate the butter into the flour. Similar to making a flaky pastry, small pieces of butter should be visible in the flour. 

Transfer this mixture from the food processor into a large mixing bowl and add:

• 3 tbsp chopped fresh chives

Toss together and make a well in the center. Pour in

• 1 cup buttermilk

Working very quickly with a wooden spoon, fold the dry mixture through the buttermilk, only until the flour disappears, then stop immediately. Drop the sticky dough onto a well floured counter top or bread board. Sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour as well as flouring your hands to handle the dough. After folding it just a few times, I don't even use a rolling pin for these biscuits, the dough is soft enough to pat it out gently with floured hands to a thickness of about 1 & 1/2 inches . Using a large sharp  biscuit cutter cut the biscuits out an place them well spaced out, on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. I recommend aluminum baking sheets because they tolerate the higher oven temperature without burning the bottom of the biscuits. An alternative to using a biscuit cutter is to form the dough into a round and simply cut it in wedges, like a pie.

Bake in the 425 degree F preheated oven for about 10 minutes before lowering the temperature to 375 degrees F and baking for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are evenly golden brown.

Easy Brown Butter Hollandaise Sauce

• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tsp chopped lemon zest
• 1/2 cup hot brown butter
• 1 tbsp chopped chives

To brown butter just melt it in a small saucepan over medium heat and watch it until the color turns light golden brown. Pour it off immediately into a heat proof measuring cup, leaving the sediment behind.
In a blender combine the egg yolks, mustard and lemon zest and juice for only a few seconds. With the blender on medium speed, slowly pour in the hot butter in a thin stream. The sauce should thicken quite quickly. Pour into a bowl and keep the bowl warm in a warm water bath while preparing the other components of the Scallops Benedict.

• 2 dozen large fresh scallops
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 9 eggs, scrambled and cooked
• 12 slices crisp cooked bacon roughly chopped 

Season with salt and pepper and pan sear the fresh scallops in a hot pan with the butter and olive oil for only a few minutes per side.

To construct the dish, slice a biscuit in half and use one piece as the base. Add the scrambled eggs and top them with the seared scallops. Pour on some of the Hollandaise sauce and sprinkle with the chopped bacon and additional chives for garnish. Top with the second half of the biscuit if you like.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes

Late week snowstorms in the Northeast will likely visit my neck of the woods this weekend. Time to get ready to batten down the hatches and get provisions in for a day or two. I never mind a good snowstorm as long as the power doesn't go out. A weekend day with the whole family snowed inside is a great reason to slow down the day, watch old movies and be lazy for a change. On a recent lock-in day, our resident pancake expert Olivia whipped up a batch of these delicious pancakes which turned out just beautifully.

There is no better way to start a winter "lock-in" day than with some light delicious pancakes for breakfast or brunch. Buttermilk makes for lighter pancakes because of the higher acidity which helps to maximize the action of the baking powder and baking soda. Always try not to over mix pancake batter. Stir it well but only just until the flour is fully incorporated. Batter should not be stirred after the initial mixing or you risk denser pancakes.

Makes about 8-10 pancakes

• 1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Sift together and set aside:

• 1 2/3 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

 

Whisk together:

• 1 egg
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups  buttermilk
• 4 tbsp melted butter

Pour over the dry ingredients and whisk together just until combined. Do not over mix. Don't worry about small lumps. The batter will be thick.

Using a 1/4 cup measure, pour batter onto a lightly greased griddle on medium low heat; it's best to cook these slowly. You may need to spread the batter out a little with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle chopped strawberries on the top, along with a sprinkle of chocolate chips. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until the center is fully cooked.

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes

Late week snowstorms in the Northeast will likely visit my neck of the woods this weekend. Time to get ready to batten down the hatches and get provisions in for a day or two. I never mind a good snowstorm as long as the power doesn't go out. A weekend day with the whole family snowed inside is a great reason to slow down the day, watch old movies and be lazy for a change. On a recent lock-in day, our resident pancake expert Olivia whipped up a batch of these delicious pancakes which turned out just beautifully.

There is no better way to start a winter "lock-in" day than with some light delicious pancakes for breakfast or brunch. Buttermilk makes for lighter pancakes because of the higher acidity which helps to maximize the action of the baking powder and baking soda. Always try not to over mix pancake batter. Stir it well but only just until the flour is fully incorporated. Batter should not be stirred after the initial mixing or you risk denser pancakes.

Makes about 8-10 pancakes

• 1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Sift together and set aside:

• 1 2/3 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

 

Whisk together:

• 1 egg
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups  buttermilk
• 4 tbsp melted butter

Pour over the dry ingredients and whisk together just until combined. Do not over mix. Don't worry about small lumps. The batter will be thick.

Using a 1/4 cup measure, pour batter onto a lightly greased griddle on medium low heat; it's best to cook these slowly. You may need to spread the batter out a little with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle chopped strawberries on the top, along with a sprinkle of chocolate chips. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until the center is fully cooked.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Blackberry Lime Buttermilk Drop Scones

Blackberry Lime Buttermilk Drop Scones

These scones are rustic yet somehow elegant in their own way. They do look quite pretty on a pure white plate and were exceptionally appreciated at our weekend brunch.

They are quite simple to make with no rolling or cutting, the dough is just dropped in large spoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking pan. The only real tick is to make sure you are extra gentle with the dough so as not to break up the delicate blackberries. When I add the liquid to the dry ingredients, i just use a rubber spatula and keep folding and scraping the bottom of the bowl so as to sort of toss the ingredients together gently with as little kneading of the dough as possible.

I start these in my food processor because it is so fast but they can be made just as easily in a large bowl by cutting the butter in with a pastry blender or even 2 knifes held between the fingers.

In a food processor, combine:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• pinch salt
• zest of two limes, finely minced

Cut in:

• 1/2 cup very cold butter, cubed

Pulse process until this mixture resembles a coarse meal.  Remove to a large bowl and toss in:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries

Mix together:

• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Pour this over the surface of the dry mixture. Toss all together gently with a rubber spatula, only enough to form a dough ball.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking pan.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 - 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Baking time will vary depending on the size of your scones. This recipe makes about 12.

Blackberry Lime Buttermilk Drop Scones

These scones are rustic yet somehow elegant in their own way. They do look quite pretty on a pure white plate and were exceptionally appreciated at our weekend brunch.

They are quite simple to make with no rolling or cutting, the dough is just dropped in large spoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking pan. The only real tick is to make sure you are extra gentle with the dough so as not to break up the delicate blackberries. When I add the liquid to the dry ingredients, i just use a rubber spatula and keep folding and scraping the bottom of the bowl so as to sort of toss the ingredients together gently with as little kneading of the dough as possible.

I start these in my food processor because it is so fast but they can be made just as easily in a large bowl by cutting the butter in with a pastry blender or even 2 knifes held between the fingers.

In a food processor, combine:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• pinch salt
• zest of two limes, finely minced

Cut in:

• 1/2 cup very cold butter, cubed

Pulse process until this mixture resembles a coarse meal.  Remove to a large bowl and toss in:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries

Mix together:

• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Pour this over the surface of the dry mixture. Toss all together gently with a rubber spatula, only enough to form a dough ball.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking pan.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 - 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Baking time will vary depending on the size of your scones. This recipe makes about 12.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

The Best Buttermilk Biscuits & Honey Butter

The Best Buttermilk Biscuits & Honey Butter

Followers of Rock Recipes will know that I love a great weekend brunch and look forward to it all week long. Brunch ideas have often made appearances here over the years. This week was extra special with my sister visiting from Alberta along with her husband and Kaitlyn, a land locked Albertan friend who has come to love the natural beauty and warm spirit of Newfoundland, our incredible island home. To watch Katie comb our rocky beaches for seashells and starfish with the wide-eyed wonder of a child, is to witness the spirit of so many who have discovered this place and now claim just a little piece of it as home.

But more than the spirit gets fed here in Newfoundland, so back to that brunch. From the rocky shores of Newfoundland we travel to the sandy beaches of the US gulf coast for a southern breakfast specialty, the buttermilk biscuit. In Newfoundland we are very fond of our raisin tea buns and the food culture equivalent in the southern states has to be warm, tender buttermilk biscuits. I've sampled many in my travels in chain restaurants to roadside diners but with real buttermilk not being readily commercially available here until being recently introduced by Farmers brand, my attempts with buttermilk substitutes have always fallen just a little short of my expectations.

Not so now, as these beautiful little biscuits were a big hit with all 11 hungry appetites at yesterday's brunch, where about three dozen were conquered with various combinations of sweet honey butter, homemade cherry apple jam, fresh strawberries and cream. One or two adventurous experimenters who shall remain unnamed, piled all of those on as an over the top finale to a great meal that also included scrambled eggs, sausage and one of my favorites, Prime Rib Hash topped with what has become a favorite breakfast condiment at our house, Spicy Quick Tomato Compote.

There are a few tips that make this recipe work particularly well  in my opinion. Although many traditional southern recipes call for all shortening in varying amounts, some of which leave the biscuits a little too oily for my taste, this one relies on a combination of a moderate amount of vegetable shortening and butter for a perfect combination of lightness and flavor. The amount of baking powder required is about double what I would use for our traditional tea buns and is supplemented with just a little baking soda. Too much soda in other recipes I find I can taste quite strongly and really don't enjoy. Other than that, the trick to really flaky biscuits is handling the dough as little as possible; overworking the dough will produce much denser biscuits. Higher than usual oven temperature also makes these rise, bake and brown quickly making them extra flaky.

Originally published on August 21, 2011.

Give these a try to add a touch of homemade baking love to your next weekend brunch. I guarantee they will be much appreciated and enjoyed.

Makes about 18 two inch biscuits

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a food processor, blend together

4 cups all purpose flour

9 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Pulse in

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp very cold vegetable shortening, cut in small cubes (I store mine in the freezer)

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp very cold salted butter, cut in small cubes

Do not over incorporate the shortening and butter into the flour. Similar to making a flaky pastry, small pieces of butter should be visible in the flour. 

Transfer this mixture from the food processor into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in

2 cups buttermilk

Working very quickly with a wooden spoon, fold the dry mixture through the buttermilk, only until the flour disappears, then stop immediately. Drop the sticky dough onto a well floured counter top or bread board. Sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour as well as flouring your hands to handle the dough. I don't even use a rolling pin for these biscuits, the dough is soft enough to pat it out gently with floured hands to a thickness of about 1 & 1/2 inches. Using a sharp 2 inch biscuit cutter cut the biscuits out an place them, almost touching, on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. I recommend aluminum baking sheets because they tolerate the higher oven temperature without burning the bottom of the biscuits.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are evenly golden brown. Delicious served warm with Honey Butter.

Honey Butter

Honey butter is simply honey beaten into plain butter in a 2 to 1 ratio of butter to honey.

1 cup butter (not margarine or other horrible butter substitutes)

1/2 cup honey

Beat together with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy.

The Best Buttermilk Biscuits & Honey Butter

Followers of Rock Recipes will know that I love a great weekend brunch and look forward to it all week long. Brunch ideas have often made appearances here over the years. This week was extra special with my sister visiting from Alberta along with her husband and Kaitlyn, a land locked Albertan friend who has come to love the natural beauty and warm spirit of Newfoundland, our incredible island home. To watch Katie comb our rocky beaches for seashells and starfish with the wide-eyed wonder of a child, is to witness the spirit of so many who have discovered this place and now claim just a little piece of it as home.

But more than the spirit gets fed here in Newfoundland, so back to that brunch. From the rocky shores of Newfoundland we travel to the sandy beaches of the US gulf coast for a southern breakfast specialty, the buttermilk biscuit. In Newfoundland we are very fond of our raisin tea buns and the food culture equivalent in the southern states has to be warm, tender buttermilk biscuits. I've sampled many in my travels in chain restaurants to roadside diners but with real buttermilk not being readily commercially available here until being recently introduced by Farmers brand, my attempts with buttermilk substitutes have always fallen just a little short of my expectations.

Not so now, as these beautiful little biscuits were a big hit with all 11 hungry appetites at yesterday's brunch, where about three dozen were conquered with various combinations of sweet honey butter, homemade cherry apple jam, fresh strawberries and cream. One or two adventurous experimenters who shall remain unnamed, piled all of those on as an over the top finale to a great meal that also included scrambled eggs, sausage and one of my favorites, Prime Rib Hash topped with what has become a favorite breakfast condiment at our house, Spicy Quick Tomato Compote.

There are a few tips that make this recipe work particularly well  in my opinion. Although many traditional southern recipes call for all shortening in varying amounts, some of which leave the biscuits a little too oily for my taste, this one relies on a combination of a moderate amount of vegetable shortening and butter for a perfect combination of lightness and flavor. The amount of baking powder required is about double what I would use for our traditional tea buns and is supplemented with just a little baking soda. Too much soda in other recipes I find I can taste quite strongly and really don't enjoy. Other than that, the trick to really flaky biscuits is handling the dough as little as possible; overworking the dough will produce much denser biscuits. Higher than usual oven temperature also makes these rise, bake and brown quickly making them extra flaky.

Originally published on August 21, 2011.

Give these a try to add a touch of homemade baking love to your next weekend brunch. I guarantee they will be much appreciated and enjoyed.

Makes about 18 two inch biscuits

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a food processor, blend together

4 cups all purpose flour

9 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Pulse in

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp very cold vegetable shortening, cut in small cubes (I store mine in the freezer)

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp very cold salted butter, cut in small cubes

Do not over incorporate the shortening and butter into the flour. Similar to making a flaky pastry, small pieces of butter should be visible in the flour. 

Transfer this mixture from the food processor into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in

2 cups buttermilk

Working very quickly with a wooden spoon, fold the dry mixture through the buttermilk, only until the flour disappears, then stop immediately. Drop the sticky dough onto a well floured counter top or bread board. Sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour as well as flouring your hands to handle the dough. I don't even use a rolling pin for these biscuits, the dough is soft enough to pat it out gently with floured hands to a thickness of about 1 & 1/2 inches. Using a sharp 2 inch biscuit cutter cut the biscuits out an place them, almost touching, on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. I recommend aluminum baking sheets because they tolerate the higher oven temperature without burning the bottom of the biscuits.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are evenly golden brown. Delicious served warm with Honey Butter.

Honey Butter

Honey butter is simply honey beaten into plain butter in a 2 to 1 ratio of butter to honey.

1 cup butter (not margarine or other horrible butter substitutes)

1/2 cup honey

Beat together with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy.

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Cheddar and Chive Buttermilk Biscuits make fantastic breakfast sandwiches

Cheddar and Chive Buttermilk Biscuits make fantastic breakfast sandwiches

With the weekend on the horizon, here's a timely recipe variation that provides the basis for fantastic breakfast sandwiches for your weekend brunch. Many recipes for cheese biscuits call for grated cheese but I find the strands of cheese can toughen the tender biscuit dough. Instead I dice the cheese into very small cubes which do not interfere with the tender biscuit, instead melting in little pockets within the biscuit to provide a more cheesy punch.

I had some leftover thinly sliced Mustard and Demerara Glazed Ham from a dinner earlier in the week, that I lightly fried to add to these sandwiches but bacon, sausage, or back bacon are also excellent. My scrambled egg for this sandwich is pretty standard but for extra richness I love to add 1 tsp sour cream per egg whisked into the egg mixture. I also sometimes add a little crushed chili sauce to the eggs for a spicy kick and sometimes a little finely minced garlic for extra flavor. Roasted red peppers are also one of my preferred additions to a good breakfast sandwich.

Originally published on Sept 30, 2011.

Makes about 10 three inch biscuits

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a food processor, blend together

4 cups all purpose flour

9 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Pulse in

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp very cold vegetable shortening, cut in small cubes (I store mine in the freezer)

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp very cold salted butter, cut in small cubes

Do not over incorporate the shortening and butter into the flour. Similar to making a flaky pastry, small pieces of butter should be visible in the flour. 

Transfer this mixture from the food processor into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Toss in:

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, diced small

1/4 tbsp chopped fresh chives

Pour in

2 cups buttermilk

Working very quickly with a wooden spoon, fold the dry mixture through the buttermilk, only until the flour disappears, then stop immediately. Drop the sticky dough onto a well floured counter top or bread board. Sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour as well as flouring your hands to handle the dough. I don't even use a rolling pin for these biscuits, the dough is soft enough to pat it out gently with floured hands to a thickness of about 1 & 1/2 inches. Using a sharp 3 inch or larger biscuit cutter cut the biscuits out an place them, almost touching, on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Alternately, you can cut the dough into three or for inch squares with a sharp knife. I recommend aluminum baking sheets because they tolerate the higher oven temperature without burning the bottom of the biscuits.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are evenly golden brown.

Cheddar and Chive Buttermilk Biscuits make fantastic breakfast sandwiches

With the weekend on the horizon, here's a timely recipe variation that provides the basis for fantastic breakfast sandwiches for your weekend brunch. Many recipes for cheese biscuits call for grated cheese but I find the strands of cheese can toughen the tender biscuit dough. Instead I dice the cheese into very small cubes which do not interfere with the tender biscuit, instead melting in little pockets within the biscuit to provide a more cheesy punch.

I had some leftover thinly sliced Mustard and Demerara Glazed Ham from a dinner earlier in the week, that I lightly fried to add to these sandwiches but bacon, sausage, or back bacon are also excellent. My scrambled egg for this sandwich is pretty standard but for extra richness I love to add 1 tsp sour cream per egg whisked into the egg mixture. I also sometimes add a little crushed chili sauce to the eggs for a spicy kick and sometimes a little finely minced garlic for extra flavor. Roasted red peppers are also one of my preferred additions to a good breakfast sandwich.

Originally published on Sept 30, 2011.

Makes about 10 three inch biscuits

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a food processor, blend together

4 cups all purpose flour

9 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Pulse in

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp very cold vegetable shortening, cut in small cubes (I store mine in the freezer)

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp very cold salted butter, cut in small cubes

Do not over incorporate the shortening and butter into the flour. Similar to making a flaky pastry, small pieces of butter should be visible in the flour. 

Transfer this mixture from the food processor into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Toss in:

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, diced small

1/4 tbsp chopped fresh chives

Pour in

2 cups buttermilk

Working very quickly with a wooden spoon, fold the dry mixture through the buttermilk, only until the flour disappears, then stop immediately. Drop the sticky dough onto a well floured counter top or bread board. Sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour as well as flouring your hands to handle the dough. I don't even use a rolling pin for these biscuits, the dough is soft enough to pat it out gently with floured hands to a thickness of about 1 & 1/2 inches. Using a sharp 3 inch or larger biscuit cutter cut the biscuits out an place them, almost touching, on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Alternately, you can cut the dough into three or for inch squares with a sharp knife. I recommend aluminum baking sheets because they tolerate the higher oven temperature without burning the bottom of the biscuits.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are evenly golden brown.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad