Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

This is my family's recipe for buttermilk drop biscuits. I only know the measurements because I pretty much held measuring cups under ingredients as my grandmother made them. She says she just "knows" the right amount... well I am not blessed with such talent so I have measurements. I make these all the time and they are always huge hit. They are also so stankin' easy to make I almost feel bad when people think I slaved over them... almost.

The recipe also works well for strawberry shortcakes, just add a tablespoon or two of sugar and a dash of cinnamon to the ingredients before mixing up. Each biscuit can be cut in half to use as base and top of single serving shortcake sizes.

1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Dash of salt
Self-rising flour (vital that it is self-rising!)

1. Preheat over to 350 and grease a cookie sheet
2. Mix buttermilk, oil and salt in large mixing bowl.
3. Add 1 1/2 cups of self-rising floor. Mix making sure all ingredients are wet.
4. This is where is get a little confusing for some. Continue to add self-rising flour in 1/4 cup amounts until the dough is a little sticky, but wet sticky. Be carfeul that you don't add some much flour that the dough is dry and won't stick together.
5. Either scoop out approx. 2 tablespoons of dough and drop it onto your cookie sheet or using floured hands roll a small ball of dough in your hands and place on sheet. I usually roll mine in my hand and then flatten slightly ( they need to be at least 1 inch thick) ensuring a more uniform shape that is not common with drop biscuits.
6. Use a pastry brush to brush the top of each biscuit with a small amount of vegetable oil.
7. Bake for 12-18 minutes depending on your oven. It is pretty clear when they are ready as the top of the biscuit will be a nice golden brown.

Strawberry Hand Pie

Jessie loves it when I make pie and since I am also a big fan of pie we decided to use all the wonderful fruit we bought at Wilson's Farm and make hand pies. We had a flat of very fresh and ripe strawberries so strawberry pie it was. This recipe is originally from Martha Stewart, but I made a few changes according to my tastes and my lack of all the specialty kitchen implements she referenced in the recipe. I will try and take a picture of the 2 leftover pies tonight if I remember before we eat them up.

Starwberry Hand Pies
The Filling
2 cups of strawberries cut in half or quarters depending on size
2 tablespoons of sugar (I used the Splenda baking blend)
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Dough
Pate Brisee dough (recipe below for the amount needed for this recipe)
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Extra sugar for sprinkling
All purpose flour for work surface

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Either line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat or prepare other appropriate baking surface. (I baked these in my pie plates, 2 to a plate).
2. In a medium bowl, add strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch; stir everything to combine and set aside to settle.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out a dough disk to about 1/8-inch-thick. You can either fill the dough at this point or transfer round to prepared baking sheet and then fill.
4. Place about 3-4 tablespoons of the strawberry mixture onto one-half of the round. The original recipe called for less mixture, but I really felt that it was off and recommend this greater amount.
5. Lightly brush egg around the edge of the half of the round with filling. Fold remaining dough over to enclose, forming a half moon. Gently press edges together to seal. Brush the top of each pie with egg. (this will give it that nice browned pie look)
6. Using a knife, make 2 to three cuts on the top of each pie. Sprinkle generously with sugar.
7. Repeat process for each hand pie. The recipe makes up to 6 but I opted for 4 more generously filled pies.
8. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pies to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving. Or let cool completely, and store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days.

Pate Brisee Dough
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar (again, I used the Splenda baking blend)
2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces ( like to stick it in the freezer before using)
¼ to ½ cup ice water (literally, I but cubes in my measuring cup)

1. In the bowl combine flour, salt, and sugar. ( You can also do this in the bowl of the food processor, but mine is small so I have to make it in two batches which is easier if all dry ingredients are mixed in a separate bowl)
2. Add cold (must be very cold and hard) butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
3. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. I do a bit at a time and watch how it affects the dough. This ensures that I don’t over do it on the water.
4. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
5. Divide dough into six equal balls for hand pies. Flatten each ball into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap.
6. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour.
7. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

A New Direction

I'm going to try doing this whole blog thing with a new and different focus. I am not very good at writing about me. I'm pretty gaurded about my personal life/thoughts and was never the type of girl that kept journals or diaries. I always wanted to be that person and maybe I can one day train myself to do that. But until that day comes I will shift focus and work on getting myself to actually post every couple of days. And since I love to cook and food in general I plan to post receipes and food pic, maybe... just maybe... in hopes of getting other to join me in posting their tasty receipes along with me. Of course everything will be peppered with details about whatever craft i'm working on, place i hope to travel to, observations about commutting 4 hours a day, my job, what i'm reading, etc...

i have left a few of my old posts up for now while i try to covert them to draft mode... the good news after reading those is that i did get a job and now get to procrastinate at work ...