Easy Homemade Biscuits

This is what we had for breakfast today.

The picture is not the best (I curse the awful lighting we have in this temporary housing), but I assure you it was yummy!  What did you have?

I still consider myself to be quite the novice when it comes to making rolled biscuits.  BUT...I think I have found the best recipe yet.  Thanks to Beth from kitchenMage, I made these babies.

Now if you are comparing mine to hers, I know what you are thinking.  Hers look much better.  Let me remind you that I already stated I am a bit of a novice at this whole biscuit making thing.  It could also be due, in part, to  my crappy lack of photography skills and the fact that I used a phone camera.  Either way, I think these are the best I've ever made!  

I have always been a lover of biscuits.  As a kid, I cherished the occasional "going out for breakfast" events because it meant I could order biscuits instead of toast.  Homemade biscuits were not a staple in our kitchen, but I loved them so.  The fluffy, soft, buttery goodness was such a treat.  

Let's face it.  Biscuits really aren't that tricky.  After all, they require just a few basic ingredients, and they really take no time at all in an oven.  However, when you are new to mixing, kneading, and rolling dough, the job can feel a bit daunting.  The more you mess with dough, the tougher the biscuits become, and if things aren't just right, you can be left with a sticky, gooey mess before you ever get to cut any biscuits.  Then there is the whole "just how thick am I supposed to roll this stuff" to get the perfect end result?  It does take some practice...and well, some confidence (which, by the way, comes with some trial and error--as with everything in life).

Anyway, I am glad that I have continued to make homemade biscuits.  I have come a long way from my first ever batch of bisquick "drop" biscuits (because I was too scared to attempt rolled biscuits).  Baking a fluffy, flaky, biscuit from scratch really can be done!

I did not use a food processor, as Beth did.  I used my hands, but these were really easy.  Be sure to check out Beth's extra notes, as well as her photos of the whole process.  It is all good info.  And, thank you, Beth!

Easy Homemade Biscuits

from Beth at kitchenMage

2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup cold butter
1 cup cold milk

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Mix together the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder.

Next, cut the butter into small pieces and add them to the flour mixture.  Then cut in the butter with your hands by shmearing (yes that is my own word) it between your fingers (there's no need for a pastry blender).  The result should be a crumbly looking dough, with the butter pieces about the size of peas.

Then add in the cold milk and gently mix the dough until it just comes together.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead the dough just a few times to get it into a more cohesive ball of dough (I did have to add just a sprinkle or two of flour to keep it from sticking to everything!).

Roll the dough out (I rolled it into a circle) to a thickness of about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch, and cut your biscuits with a biscuit cutter or glass (I actually used a 3-inch cutter).  I was able to get 8 biscuits from this batch, and I did save the leftover dough for later, as Beth suggested.

Place your biscuits on cookie sheet (no need to grease) and bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes. 

The end result is a lovely, fluffy, warm biscuit...mmm, so good with butter and jelly, or used to make a sausage, egg and cheese biscuit sandwich, as we did this morning. Then there is always biscuits and gravy.  Are you hungry yet?  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Donut Puffs

 I LOVE the Fall!  The temperature change, the colors, the decor, the comfort food, and all things pumpkin!  The rest of my family is probably not as in to pumpkin as I am, but I definitely didn't get any complaints from these donut puffs.  I call them puffs because they aren't shaped like donuts, donut holes, or even muffins.  So...puffs, they are!

You can find this recipe all over the blogosphere as donuts, and donut muffins.  I adapted the recipe from babycakes slightly.   I like to substitute some white flour with a bit of whole wheat flour.  I also use unsweetened applesauce in place of the oil whenever I can.  Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't exactly call these puffs healthy, but I feel like small changes can help a bit. 

I whipped these babies up one night when I was feeling a bit stressed and irritable.  I needed something to take my mind off my troubles.  These were quick and easy, and they hit the spot with a cup of coffee.  They were also a good incentive for my kiddos to finish their homework! 

When in need of some good old comfort food, make some pumpkin spice donut puffs and get your fall on!

Pumpkin Spice Donut Puffs

adapted from babycakes

1¾ cups flour (I used 1 c all purpose flour, and 1 c whole wheat flour)

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce

½ cup brown sugar

1 egg

1½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup pumpkin (canned)

½ cup milk

For Topping:
½ cup melted butter
⅔ cup sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon

In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon and set aside.  In a larger bowl, us an electric mixer to combine the applesauce, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk.

Pour dry ingredients into liquid ingredients and stir until moistened. Do not over mix.
Drop by rounded mounds into a muffin tin (sprayed with cooking spray).  Bake about 4 to 5 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into "puff" comes out clean.

Melt butter in a small bowl and combine the sugar and cinnamon in a zipper bag.
While donuts are still hot, dip each one in melted butter, then shake in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to add topping.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

Over the summer, my sister-in-law, Heidi, had a shindig for some occasion that I can no longer remember.  Her mother-in-law, Jackie brought a heavenly dessert called Sopapilla Cheesecake.  Well...I guess it was heavenly by everyone's reaction to it.  I got up to partake in the experience, only to find the entire dessert was eaten.  Not a tiny smidge left!  What?  Are you kidding?  You PIGS!  Well, as the saying goes..."You snooze, you lose!"

I knew that I would have to make this dessert, so when I came across it on Pinterest, I got excited.  Now I could finally see what all the hubbub was about.  I am not sure if this is the exact recipe that Jackie used, but I've seen it on Pinterest more than a few times, and they are all the same recipe.  It is so super easy, and truly yummy!  I know this is not the last time I will make this little delight. 

If you are in need of a new dessert to make for company or take somewhere, make this!  Like I said, it is very easy, and it will impress a crowd.  Oh, and if it is a bigger crowd, make two...just in case!

Sopapilla Cheesecake
 from Chef in Training

2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
2 8oz packages cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup butter, melted
cinnamon-sugar mixture

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unroll 1 can of crescent rolls (I used the sheet of crescent rolls--this eliminates having to press the seams together) and lay it on the bottom of a 9x13 pan (no need to grease). 

Combine softened cream cheese with sugar and vanilla (I added a couple shakes of cinnamon to this mixture, also).  Spread the cream cheese mixture over the bottom crescent roll layer.  

Lay the second layer of crescent rolls over the cream cheese layer and pour melted butter over the top.  Then sprinkle cinnamon-sugar over that (to your liking).  Bake for 20-30 minutes.  Let this cool for a bit before eating so the cream cheese mixture can set a bit.  

This dessert can be easily cut in half and made in an 8x8 dish.  That's what I did.  Otherwise I would have spent the next several days eating and eating, and gaining about 3-4 pounds!   Enjoy!

 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bites

We are a granola bar eating family around here.  I have been making these granola bars for a little over a year now, but recently I bought a box of the Quaker chewy granola bars because we were in the process of moving, and making my own was out of the question.  I was so surprised when I took a bite of one.  I didn't like it.  In fact, I stopped eating it!  Mine are so much better! 

So, when I came across these chocolate chip granola bites on Pinterest, I just had to try them.  I chose to replace the oil, however, with peanut butter.  This recipe is very similar to the granola bars I already make, but I liked the idea of putting them in cupcake liners in a muffin tin.  I don't have a mini muffin tin, but the regular muffin tin produced perfectly sized single servings. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bites
adapted from another lunch

2 1/2 c. quick oats
1/2 c. crisp rice cereal
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. natural creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla
* optional: ground flax seed and/or wheat germ (3 heaping Tbs. of each)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the oats, rice cereal,  and salt (and ground flax and wheat germ if using) in a bowl.  In a large glass measuring cup, combine the brown sugar, peanut butter, and honey.  Heat in microwave for 1 minute.  Then stir to combine and add the vanilla.  Add the honey mixture to the oat mixture and combine really really well.  It may take some work, but the mixture should stick together.  Then add the chocolate chips and continue to stir.  

Using a cookie scoop, fill paper lined muffin cups about half full, and then press the mixture really well into each cup (they will end up about 1/3 full).  The more packed you can make them, the better they will stay together.  I was able to fill 18 muffin cups (regular sized).  Then bake them for about 10 minutes (I'm not sure how necessary this step is, but it didn't hurt).  Allow the granola bites to cool COMPLETELY before messing with them.  Otherwise, they may fall apart on you.
 

 
These were easy to store in the freezer, and when packing lunches, I simply placed the granola bar bite, paper liner and all, into a sectioned  lunch container with a lid.  I imagine you could make these without the paper liner to eliminate packaging material, altogether--so earth friendly!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins w/ Cinnamon-Sugar Topping

I needed to use up several very ripe bananas, but banana bread takes up to an hour and fifteen minutes to make.  It was already a late Saturday morning, and I didn't want banana bread that badly.  My already lazy Saturday would have become even lazier!  So, I decided to look for a quicker banana muffin recipe to make instead.  I found a recipe here that used applesauce instead of oil, which is good because we had lost our oil in our move, and it hadn't been replaced yet.  It also makes the muffins a little bit healthier.

I changed the ratio of whole wheat flour to all-purpose flour just a bit.  I then changed up the recipe even more by adding chocolate chips (YUM) and a cinnamon-sugar topping!  The result...a yummy, moist, chocolate-y muffin.  The cinnamon-sugar topping was just the right touch to make this weekend breakfast special.  I think the next time I make these, I may try using all whole wheat flour.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
 adapted from SparkRecipes (SERENITY)

1/2 cup all whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 ripe bananas)
1/4 cup sugar (I used brown sugar)
1/4 cup applesauce
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 Tbs semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the Topping:
4 Tbs butter, melted
cinnamon-sugar mixture (2 tsp cinnamon to 4Tbs sugar)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease muffin tin or use paper muffin liners.  Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a separate bowl, beat banana, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Stir in applesauce.  Stir in flour mixture. Once combined, add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.
Pour batter into muffin cups, about 3/4 full.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean (mine took the full 20 minutes).  If you use paper liners, the muffins stick to the paper until they have set awhile.  While the muffins are still warm, dip the tops in the melted butter, and then into the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Makes 12 muffins.