Sweet Blueberry Biscuits

 

Biscuits:

• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour (I used White Lily, a flour available in most Southern stores)
• 1 Tb. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 Tb. sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter (VERY cold)
• 3/4-ish cup buttermilk (use enough until the dough is just barely wet enough)
• 1 c. frozen blueberries (we used fresh blueberries that had been frozen overnight)
• 1/2 stick melted salted butter

Sauce:

• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 3 Tb. milk (or more if not thin enough)
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

How to make it :

Cut butter into small pats and lay out on a cookie sheet lined in wax paper. Stick in the freezer for at least 10 minutes. Prepare cast iron skillet with a tiny amount of bacon grease, if available. Easiest thing: fry one piece of bacon, wipe out the pan, and you’re good to go!

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Stir the sauce ingredients together (powdered sugar, milk, vanilla), and make sure the powdered sugar is completely dissolved.

Combine all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, sugar) together and then cut in the cold unsalted butter. Cut in until the butter is about pea sized, relatively well mixed in. Add buttermilk. Add slowly until you have just enough where the dough separates from the sides of the bowl. Stir until just combined and roll it out onto a well-floured surface.

Before kneading, prepare a large area for kneading. (I use a large cutting board for easy clean-up!) Sprinkle the area with some flour. Put the dough on the floured area and sprinkle some flour over the dough. Press the dough out (no need to roll with a pin) and flatten to about 1/2″ thickness. Put blueberries over dough. Knead a couple of times and flatten back out to about 1″ thickness. (Honestly, the thicker the better, because they rise so beautifully!) The berries will likely start to bleed onto the dough and you’ll start to see flecks of blue as the berries defrost.

Place biscuits in a cast-iron skillet and be sure biscuits are touching.

Bake at 500 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. Somewhere around 6 to 8 minutes, take the skillet out of the oven and brush the biscuits with melted salted butter. This is an integral part of the baking process. And be liberal with it, brush on the sides of the biscuits if they are showing. When you begin to see the tops lightly brown (and the blueberries burst), take them out. The temperature in the middle of the biscuits will remain very hot once out of the oven and will continue the cooking process.

NOTE: Some people have mentioned that they have to leave their biscuits in for longer than 10 or 12 minutes. I have never had to leave mine in for longer, but if you fear yours aren’t getting done and want to leave them in for longer, be sure to watch them like a hawk! I promise, they will go from done to burnt in just a few seconds!

When you take the biscuits out of the oven, let the pan cool for about 10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the biscuits after 10 minutes. Use as much or little of the sauce as desired.

Serve immediately!

Grilled or Broiled Garlic Parmesan Corn

 

Ingredients

4 ears of corn on the cob

• Olive oil cooking spray
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Husk the corn. Coat each piece all over with olive oil spray.

2. To Grill: Preheat grill to medium-high. Add corn to grill. Grill corn, turning occasionally, until charred and tender, 8 to 12 minutes total. If it starts to stick, coat with more olive oil spray.

3. To Broil: Preheat broiler. Line a baking pan with foil. Place corn on pan. Broil for about 6-7 minutes until charred (browned). Turn over and broil about 6 minutes more.

4. Remove corn from heat and sprinkle with a little salt and garlic powder all over each piece. Sprinkle the top of each ear of corn with ¾ tablespoon of Parmesan cheese.
Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition Facts

for 1 corn on the cob
96 calories
2g fat
1g sat fat
3g chol
5g prot
18g carbs
3g fiber
3g sugar
229mg sod

Classic Shrimp Scampi

 

INGREDIENTS

  2 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup dry white wine or broth
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ¾ pounds large or extra-large shrimp, shelled
• ⅓ cup chopped parsley
• Freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon
• Cooked pasta or crusty bread

PREPARATION
In a large skillet, melt butter with olive oil. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine or broth, salt, red pepper flakes and plenty of black pepper and bring to a simmer. Let wine reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
Add shrimp and sauté until they just turn pink, 2 to 4 minutes depending upon their size. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice and serve over pasta or accompanied by crusty bread

German Chocolate Pecan Bars

 

Ingredients

• 1-¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup cold butter, cubed
• 12 ounces dark chocolate chips
• 3 eggs
• ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ¾ cup light corn syrup
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 3 cups pecan halves, toasted

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Line a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, allowing an overhang on two ends. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar.
3. Add the cubed cold butter and blend with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles small peas. It will be dry, but it will come together when baked.
4. Press the flour mixture into the prepared baking dish.
5. Bake for 15 minutes.
6. Remove the baked chocolate crust from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack. Sprinkle the dark chocolate chips evenly across the crust. Allow to cool for 30 minutes.
7. In a large bowl, gently whisk the eggs. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup and melted butter, and whisk until smooth.
8. Mix in the unsweetened shredded coconut and pecans.
9. Pour the pecan mixture on top of the melted chocolate chips, and spread evenly.
10. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the bars are golden brown and the filling has set.
11. Allow to cool completely, then refrigerate for 1 hour before cutting into squares.

How classic and delicious do these bars look? We just can’t get enough of the combination of classic German chocolate shortbread crust, melted chocolate, and pecan-coconut topping, and we also love that we can take out the coconut if we really want, or if we’re hosting guests who aren’t particularly fond of the flavor. (Believe it or not, coconut-haters do exist!)

SEX IN A PAN

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, soft (margarine works very well)

• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Filling:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, soft
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2 cups whipped cream

Topping

• 1 (106 g) package chocolate instant pudding, 4 serving size
• 1 (106 g) package instant vanilla pudding, 4 serving size
• 2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups whipped cream
• 1 chocolate bar, grated

Directions:

Beat together the butter and sugar. Blend in flour, then stir in the chopped pecans.
Press mixture into a 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 25 minutes at 350*. Cool.
Combine cream cheese, and icing sugar. Add 2 cups whipped cream.
Pour this mixture over the crust.
Combine both pudding mixes with the milk. Pour over cheese mixture.
Ice with 1-1/2 cups whipped cream and sprinkle with grated chocolate.
Chill for at least 4 hours before serving

German Pancake Recipe

 

Ingredients:

6 eggs

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• dash of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 Tbs butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. As oven preheats, place the butter in 9×13” baking dish and put in oven for the butter to melt.

Place the eggs, milk, flour, salt and vanilla in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Pour batter into the baking dish with the melted butter. Bake, for 20 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.

Remove from oven and sprinkle generously with syrup and powdered sugar or fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Bars

 

Ingredients

• 2⅛ cups (10½ ounces) all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 12 tablespoons butter (1½ sticks), melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup (7 ounces) light brown sugar
• ½ (3½ ounces) cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit.

Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with foil, letting the excess hang over the edges of the pan by about 1 inch so you can grab those edges and pull the brownies from the pan after they have baked. Spray the foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined; do not over-mix. Fold in the chocolate chips and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula.

Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, 24-28 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Remove the bars from the pan by lifting the foil overhang and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve