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Biscuits For Every Meal : The Daring Bakers January Challenge.

27 Friday Jan 2012

Posted by Good Cooks in Appetizer & Sides, Bread and Pastries, Breakfast & Brunch, Daring Kitchen, Recipes, Snacks

≈ 25 Comments

Tags

Appetizer & Sides, apricot, apricot biscuits, Baking, biscuits, breakfast scones, cambil cream of chicken soup recipes, cheddar biscuits, cheddar garlic biscuits, Chicken, corn, corn and chicken chowder, corn soup, creamy corn and chicken soup, daring bakers, daring kitchen challenge, fan tan rolls, herbed biscuits, light lunch, scone, Soup, sweet biscuits, tea time biscuits

Blog-checking lines: Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers’ host. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens!

It only took me 25 minutes to get these fluffy and tasty biscuits from the fridge to your table. Which is the most thing I adore about making these all the time, and whether it’s for breakfast, snacks or even for lunch these are very welcome in my family.

The recipe was given by Audax was very successful, I followed every step in the recipe, I really like it. I played with the flavours and added a little to the original. Very special thanks to Audax Artifex for sharing these awesome recipes and dedicated her tries to get the best of the biscuits recipes.

actually, I made two kinds of biscuits, and hoped to make more but as always, the time is my big problem.

The savory one which is the Buttermilk Cheese and Garlic Biscuits. Mmm! Warm and cheesy biscuits are a snap to make, and it went very well with the warm chicken and corn cream soup. That was a superb for satisfying light lunch meal. In the biscuit batter I used grated cheddar cheese, garlic powder and sprinkle of dried parsley leaves, Other delicate fresh herbs (tarragon, chives, chervil) will work in this recipe in place of the parsley. For a browner crust, brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter after baking, it’s also intensify the butter flavour in the biscuits.

The other kind is the sweet biscuits-Stacked Apricot Biscuit. Tender and slightly sweet, these treats are perfect for afternoon tea, and perfect  for breakfast as will. Serve with softly whipped and sweetened whipping cream, or even a your choice of jam.

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Cheddar and Garlic Herbed Biscuits

For the original recipe check audax recipes here

When the weather outside gets chilly, nothing beats this hearty chicken and corn cream soup, complete with freshly baked flaky buttery biscuits.

1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
2 teaspoons fresh baking powder
1\4 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons frozen grated butter (or a combination of lard and butter)
1\2 cup cheddar cheese , shredded
1\4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley
about ½ cup cold buttermilk
optional 1 tablespoon buttermilk, for glazing the tops of the scones
1 tablespoon melted butter, to glaze after baking

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to very hot 450°F

2. Triple sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl.Add the cheese , dried parsley, and the garlic powder (If your room temperature is very hot refrigerate the sifted ingredients until cold.),
3. Rub the frozen grated butter (or combination of fats) into the dry ingredients until it resembles very coarse bread crumbs with some pea-sized pieces if you want flaky scones or until it resembles coarse beach sand if you want tender scones.

4. Add nearly all of the liquid at once into the rubbed-in flour/fat mixture and mix until it just forms a sticky dough (add the remaining liquid if needed). The wetter the dough the lighter the scones (biscuits) will be!
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board, lightly flour the top of the dough. To achieve an even homogeneous crumb to your scones knead very gently about 4 or 5 times (do not press too firmly) the dough until it is smooth. To achieve a layered effect in your scones knead very gently once (do not press too firmly) then fold and turn the kneaded dough about 3 or 4 times until the dough has formed a smooth texture. (Use a floured plastic scraper to help you knead and/or fold and turn the dough if you wish.)
6. Pat or roll out the dough into a 6 inch by 4 inch rectangle by about ¾ inch thick (15¼ cm by 10 cm by 2 cm thick). Using a well-floured 2-inch (5 cm) scone cutter (biscuit cutter), stamp out without twisting six 2-inch (5 cm) rounds, gently reform the scraps into another ¾ inch (2 cm) layer and cut two more scones (these two scones will not raise as well as the others since the extra handling will slightly toughen the dough). Or use a well-floured sharp knife to form squares or wedges as you desire.
7. Place the rounds just touching on a baking dish if you wish to have soft-sided scones or place the rounds spaced widely apart on the baking dish if you wish to have crisp-sided scones. Glaze the tops with milk if you want a golden colour on your scones or lightly flour if you want a more traditional look to your scones.
8. Bake in the preheated very hot oven for about 10 minutes (check at 8 minutes since home ovens at these high temperatures are very unreliable) until the scones are well risen and are lightly coloured on the tops. The scones are ready when the sides are set.
9. Immediately place onto cooling rack to stop the cooking process, serve while still warm.

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Corn and Chicken Cream Soup

3 chicken tenders, cut into small cubes
1\4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups water
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1\4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon cream cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

In a large pot over medium heat, combine the onion, butter or margarine, and the minced chicken. Saute for about 1-2 minutes, then add the corn kernels, sauté for about 5 min more.
Add the cream of chicken soup, water, salt and pepper. Add in the cheddar cheese, whisk in the cream cheese and allow to heat through. Add the herbs, Stir together, test the taste and serve.

__________________________________

Apricot Biscuits

Stacked biscuits, baked in muffin cups and sweetened or not, make an attractive opener for a feast.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1\4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2\3 cup dried apricot, cut into small pieces
1\2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup fat-free milk
turbinado sugar (row cane)to sprinkle on the top
cinnamon (optional)
1 tablespoon melted butter for the top and between the folds

Preheat oven to 410 degrees F. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add in the dried apricot, the granulated sugar, and the lemon peel. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center; add milk. Stir just until dough clings together.

Knead the dough gently for 10 to 12 strokes on a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll one portion into a 12×10-inch rectangle. If desired, sprinkle turbinado sugar and cinnamon over rectangle. Cut rectangle into four 12×2-inch strips. Cut into each strip into 4 square. Stack the strips one on top of the other. Place stacks, edge-side down, in greased muffin cups. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Serve warm with cream cheese or apricot jam.

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Roasted Tomato with Pepper & Garlic

24 Sunday Jul 2011

Posted by Good Cooks in Appetizer & Sides

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Appetizer & Sides, barbecued tomato sauce, middle eastern, side dish, tomato, vegetarian

One of the famous middle eastern barbecue dip. A side dish served usually with meat, chicken or fish barbecue, kebab and kofta, it can be served hot or cold.
Very delicious, especially with plenty of olive oil, it combines the sweet taste from barbecuing the tomato and the sour taste, with the distinguished flavour of herbs like parsley and garlic. Serve with pita bread.
Can be cooked in the oven or stove top, but on the grill it give it very rich flavour.

Roasted Tomato with Pepper & Garlic

4 large fresh tomatoes
1 green pepper slightly hot
4-5 garlic cloves
1\2 cup minced parsley
salt black pepper
dash of cinnamon
olive oil

Clean the tomato cut it into big pieces, along with some garlic cloves minced, and the chopped parsley and cutted green pepper. if you like the heat you can use any kind of hot pepper, dash of black pepper, salt.

Cover with aluminum foil and put it on the grill, make sure the pot is heat resistant and high sided, put the grill  and cook it on medium low heat for a bout 20-30 min, check for it, add olive oil , more salt if needed, press the tomato with the fork to break it into small pieces, mix  and serve with plenty of pita ships.

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Appricot Marmalade

07 Tuesday Jun 2011

Posted by Good Cooks in Breakfast & Brunch, Fruits, Recipes

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Appetizer & Sides, apricot, Dessert, fruit reserve, gift ideas, marmalade

Isn’t it the season for apricot now?
Why not go grab some and let’s do some marmalade?
Ah summer is full of goodies, apricot, peaches, plums, cherries. And the first thing I like to do with all of these fruits is to stock up my pantry with the jam and marmalade for those days don’t get such fruits.


I have a good memories of my moms apricot jam, it was the best I ever ate. It was and still my favourite, Sweet, sour, thick, super aromatic.

The homemade marmalade makes a great gift idea along with some crackers and cream cheese, I already gave tow friends of mine a basket of these and they were very happy with it.  Even my friends whom I gifted her some marmalade, since she always use the store-bought, said the homemade is better.

When you prepare the apricot, wash it and put it on a clean towel to dry, pit and cut it into small pieces, then weigh it. the amount in this recipe will make at least 3 jars.
The most important step in making marmalade is sterilizing the jars, mom used to put the jars with their leads in a big pot of simmering water and wait 5 minutes. But my way is to put the jars in the dish washer on high heat and hot air drying, or any water in the jar can be dried with clean towel.

Apricot marmalade

1 kilo apricot (washed, dried, pitted, and cut)
5 cups sugar
drops of lemon juice

After washing the apricot, dry it with clean towel, cut it in half and take of the pits inside, then cut it to small pieces, put the apricot in a pot that size double the amount of the apricot, to leave room for the apricot when boiling. Add the sugar, cover it and leave it over night in the fridge.
The next day, stir the apricot with its own formed syrup, put the pot on medium heat and let it boil, after boiling lower the heat to low, count half an hour, check every while and stir.


You will notice a white frothy surface on the marmalade, take it off, test the thickness of the marmalade. Add a few drops of lemon juice let it simmer for more 2-3 minutes and turn off the heat, let set for 5 minutes.
Spoon the marmalade into the jars while it is hot, cover it and keep it in room temperature.

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