Sourdough Biscuit Recipe

Don't throw out the discard starter if you don't want to  make bread.  You can use the discard to make Sourdough Biscuits.

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 stick cold butter Or margarine, butter flavored shortening
1/2 c buttermilk* or you can use whole milk
1 cup sourdough starter discard

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°. Grease a cookie sheet or baking sheet.

Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.

Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or two dull knives held together in your hand. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs or small peas when it is done. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

Pour in the buttermilk and sourdough starter. Stir only until the dry ingredients are moistened and a ball starts to form. Do not over stir or the biscuits will be tough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 10 to 12 times. If the dough is really sticky, add a little flour.

Roll out the dough until it is 1/2-inch thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter dipped in flour. You can also use a glass or a cup. Dip the rim of the glass or cup in flour so the dough does not stick to the sides. 

Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 10-12 baking powder biscuits.

You can make your own buttermilk by adding a half tablespoon of vinegar to the whole milk. Allow this to sit for about 8 to 10 minutes.

Easy Glazed Eggnog Doughnut Muffins

 Glazed Eggnog Doughnut Muffins

If you love the taste of eggnog, then you will really like these muffins. They have great flavor and will remind you of glazed doughnuts.  Eggnog is a seasonal item, unless you make your own. You can find it in grocery stores around the time of Halloween, and then it disappears after New Years. 

Ingredients

1/4 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. oil
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla or rum extract
2 2/3 c. flour
1 c. eggnog

Glaze

3 Tbs. butter, melted
1 c. powdered sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. hot water

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°.  Line muffin tins with liners. If you don't have any liners, spray or grease the bottoms of the muffin tins for easier removal.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, oil, sugar and brown sugar together until smooth. 

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Turn the mixer to low and add the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and vanilla or rum extract. 

Beginning and ending with the flour, add some of the flour into the batter and mix until combined. Pour some of the eggnog into the batter, mixing until combined. Keep alternating the flour and eggnog additions, ending with the flour.

Fill the prepared muffin tins with batter. The tins should be filled 3/4 full of batter.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. 

While the muffins are baking, it is time to make the glaze

In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, confectioner's sugar, vanilla and water. Whisk or beat until smooth.

Dip the slightly cooled muffin tops into the glaze. Set the muffins on a plate and allow the glaze to harden. Dip the tops again into the glaze mixture for a second coating and allow the glaze to harden.

You can keep the muffins at room temperature for about a day. You can store the muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days, or in the freezer. If you have leftovers after a day, place the muffins in the refrigerator.  

Muffins stored in the refrigerator will taste dryer than they did when fresh baked. 

 Cheesy Herb Garlic Quick Bread

 

If you love cheese, garlic and herbs, this bread is perfect.  Even though it has yeast in it, it is still a quick bread and does not require rising time. It is quick and easy.  This bread is good on its own, or it goes very well with soups, stews and salads.

 Ingredients

3 c. flour
3 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. yeast
1 1/2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbs. garlic powder
1 egg
1 c. milk
1/3 c. vegetable oil or melted butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°  Grease a 9x5x1-inch loaf pan. 

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, yeast, shredded cheddar and dried herbs.
Whisk the egg, milk and oil in a small bowl. Pour into the dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. 
Place the dough into the prepared pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until done a toothpick inserted in in the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing the bread from the pan. Cool another 10 minutes before slicing.

Apple Fritter Bread

Fall is apple picking time. You can do so many things with apples like making apple pies, apple butter, baked apples, and apple crisp. For this recipe, the best apples to use are the ones that are firm and tart. They hold their texture the best. Some of the better apples to use for this recipe are: Braeburn, Fuji, Granny Smith, Gala, Honey crisp and Pink Lady. But there is no hard set of rules of which apples to use.

Ingredients

1/3 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 apples, firm and tart like Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced to 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 c. butter, room temperature
2/3 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1 3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. 

Glaze

1 Tbs. milk, divided
1/2 c. powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf pan with pan spray. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and mixing well. Set aside.

Prepare the apple mixture by combining the chopped apples with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix well so all the apple pieces have a coating of sugar and cinnamon.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and 2/3 cup granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in the vanilla.

With the mixer turned on low speed, stir in the baking powder and flour until combined.

Add the milk all at once and mix only until combined. It is important not to over-mix or the bread will be tough. 

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Spoon half of the apple mixture over the top of the batter, and then sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top of the apples. Swirl the mixture with a dull knife, by gently cutting through the batter. Do not mix, just cut through to give it a marble effect. Repeat the layers again and swirl the mixture with a knife.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Cool 10 to 15 minutes in the pan, then remove the bread from the pan and place on a wire rack.  You can get the bread out by running a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the loaf. 

When the bread is completely cooled, it is time to make the glaze. 

Combine milk and confectioners sugar in a small bowl.  Mix thoroughly, then drizzle over the top of the bread.  If the glaze is too runny, add some confectioners sugar, a teaspoon at a time. If it is too thick, add just a bit of milk. 

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

Every summer, the zucchini seems to produce like crazy. Everyone has extra zucchini that they give away to family and friends. They also leave several at their neighbor's doorsteps.  If you are looking for ways to use up some of that extra zucchini, this is a simple bread recipe that is easy to prepare. It is moist and delicious. This Zucchini Bread recipe makes 2 loaves. You can cut one and freeze the other one for later.

Ingredients

1 c. oil
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
4 Tbs. powdered buttermilk
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 c. shredded zucchini

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease two 8-inch loaf pans.

Cream oil and sugar until fluffy. 

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour in the vanilla and mix into the batter. 

Add the powdered buttermilk, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and flour. Mix until smooth, but do not over mix or the bread will be tough. 

Stir in the shredded zucchini.

Divide the batter between 2 loaf pans.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes at 350°. Test with a toothpick to tell when the zucchini bread is done. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes before removing from pans.

Cool on racks.