I really hate biscuits made with shortening, and I hate Bisquick. I grew up on those over salted things and I thought I didn’t like biscuits at all until I learned to make my own.  Biscuits aren’t hard to make, and they don’t take long, but sometimes the mess first thing in the morning is more that I can face.

This recipe for make your own biscuit mix should be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container, for no more than a month.  I will be surprised if it lasts that long.

Make Ahead Biscuit Mix

9c flour

1c nonfat dry milk

1/3 c baking powder

3 tsp salt

1 1/4 c unsalted butter

1/4 c sugar

Stir dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Rub in butter with your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.  Makes 12 cups of mix, which will make about 5 dozen biscuits.

To make biscuits:

Combine 2 cups of mix, and 1/2 c water.  Mix with fork until dough holds together.  Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and knead lightly about 15-20 times.  Roll to 1/2 inch thickness and cut with a biscuit cutter.  Place on an ungreased backing sheet and bake at 425F  for 12 minutes, or until golden.  Makes 10-12 biscuits.

Post from: Baking Delights

Muffins for breakfast are just good. The make the kitchen smell good. They fill everyone up. They are not that expensive. Nearly everyone likes them. These muffins are filling, and delicious. The have the crunchy granola on top and super sweet, dried papaya inside. I don’t know what else to say..besides maybe….What are you waiting for?

Use the Granola Recipe that I posted a couple of weeks ago. It works great, and it keeps the cost down if you make it yourself. If you like to use whole grains go ahead with that, it will be great. A mix of whole grains is nice in this, the intensity of the dried papaya can take it.

Awesome Granola Papaya Muffins

2 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 c sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 c buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 c unsalted butter, melted

1 c chopped dried papaya

Granola for sprinkling on tops

Preheat oven to 400. Use silicon muffin liners .

Combine dry ingredients (except granola). Combine wet ingredients and quickly mix into dry. Stir until just moistened. There will be lumps.

Spoon into muffin cups and sprinkle generously with the granola. Bake for 20 minutes, or until done. Makes 12

If you are not reading this on http://bakingdelights.com it is stolen content.  Thanks.

Post from: Baking Delights

By now you have several dozen cookies in the freezer and you are good to go, right? This is about the time I switch to quick breads. They also freeze really well and make really good gifts when wrapped in clear wrap and tied with raffia, or what ever imaginative way you want to do it!

You can make these loaves full sized or make them in the small loaf pans. Often I will put two or three loaves of different types in a basket and add some homemade lemon curd or pumpkin spice butter.

This cranberry bread recipe is one that Marc’s mom used to make. It is moist and delicious, for breakfast or brunch or even snacks. I like it with orange curd spread on it and a dusting of finely chopped dark chocolate.

Cranberry Bread

1 orange – use both the juice and the rind
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 cup fresh cranberries, halved
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Grease and flour one 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

Grate the rind of the orange. Squeeze the juice into a measuring cup, and add the rind and enough hot water to equal 3/4 cup.

Sift the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium-size mixing bowl.

Add the juice with water and rind, the butter, and egg to the dry ingredients. Mix well.

Stir in the cranberries and nuts.

Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Post from: Baking Delights

  This morning I decided to treat everyone to doughnuts. I used my normal recipe with some adjustments and these were really good. The kids said they tasted like that candy, Circus Peanuts, but I don’t think so.    Do you spell it donut or doughnut? Both are correct but I am seeing the first spelling more and more! Donut,doughnut…as long as they taste great who cares?

  The only trick to making really good doughnuts is a clean oil, temp 375F, and a dough that is so soft it is nearly, but not quite, impossible to work. Oh! And cut straight through the dough, twisting deflates it some even though it is not yeast risen.

 Banana Cake Doughnuts

      about 3 dozen plus doughnut holes (or donut holes if you are making donuts)

4 eggs beaten

2/3 c sugar

1/3 c buttermilk

1/3 c butter-melted

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp banana flavor (Frontier does a good one)

3 1/2 c flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg (FRESHLY GRATED!!!)

Combine eggs and sugar, beat until smooth and light. Add  buttermilk, cooled butter, vanilla, and banana flavor.  Sift dry ingredients. Add egg mixture and beat until smooth. Chill ( don’t chill the dough…it does make it MUCH easier to work. I just never have time)

  Roll out about 1/3 inch thick. cut with floured cutter. Let stand about 10 minutes.

   While waiting make icing:

1 c confectioners

1/4 c butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp banana

mix thoroughly and ad a little buttermilk to thin if needed or add more confectioners to thicken.

Drop doughnuts in 375 oil. Fry only a couple at a time. I have a large fryer and I do 4-5 at a time.  Turn when one side is golden.  Fry until done. Drain and place on absorbant surface (this is how I recycle my brown paper bags..) Glaze while still warm.

Post from: Baking Delights

Yesterday’s experiment.

2 1/2 cups wheat free baking mix
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
2 tsps. ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon egg replacer mixed well with enough water to reach an egg-like consistency
2 tablespoons spectrum vegetable shortening
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Basic instructions — whisk all dry ingredients in one bowl, all wet ingredients in another. Combine just until all ingredients are mixed well. Batter will be very thick. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Enough for 12 large muffins, with some crowning on top

Either finish all the batter so you’ve got quite a muffin top going, or you’ll have enough for 12 regular sized muffins PLUS 2 larger muffins (i used free-standing muffin cups for these) — I added a handful of raisins to the batter before baking the last two.

If you don’t have wheat free baking mix, use whatever flours you have on hand, trying to achieve a balance of light and coarse flours, then double the leaveners (i.e., use 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

The texture of the muffin turned out quite nicely. A bit of firmness and crunch on the outside, nice density and softness inside. BUT it wasn’t perfect — to me it didn’t taste nearly “pumpkin-y” enough. So modifications are in order. Definitely adds more sugar. And I really lilked the contrasting texture of raisins in the batter, though my kids don’t like raisins in muffins. I think the flours were a bit too gritty for this, and the pumpkin taste should dominate more. Maybe next ime I’ll use 50% more pumpkin and less flour. And maybe a bit more fat. Oooh, and pearl sugar at the top would be a lovely touch. Plus maybe some vanilla. And double the spices! I guess I’ll have to revamp the whole thing to make it work.

Post from: Baking Delights