Buttermilk Biscuits

 Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen’s “Ultimate Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits”

This recipe takes ~1 hour, 50 minutes from start to finish:

• ~30 minutes to freeze butter
• ~ 30 minutes to make the dough
• ~ 30 minutes to chill the dough
• ~ 20 minutes to bake

Makes 9 biscuits.

Ingredients 

• 2 cups (240g) bread flour
• 1 cup (120g) all purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
• 2 sticks of butter
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, chilled

Directions 

The dough will start out very crumbly and dry in pockets but will be smooth by the end of the folding process; do not be tempted to add extra buttermilk. Flour the counter and the top of the dough as needed to prevent sticking, but be careful not to incorporate large pockets of flour into the dough when folding.

1. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl. Coat sticks of butter in flour mixture, then grate 7 tablespoons from each stick on large holes of box grater directly into flour mixture. Toss gently to combine. Set aside remaining 2 tablespoons butter.

2. Add buttermilk to flour mixture and fold with spatula until just combined (dough will look dry). Transfer dough to liberally floured counter. Dust surface of dough with flour; using your floured hands, press dough into rough 7-inch square.

3. Roll dough into 12 by 9-inch rectangle with short side parallel to edge of counter. Starting at bottom of dough, fold into thirds like business letter, using bench scraper or metal spatula to release dough from counter. Press top of dough firmly to seal folds. Turn dough 90 degrees clockwise. Repeat rolling into 12 by 9-inch rectangle, folding into thirds, and turning clockwise 4 more times, for total of 5 sets of folds. After last set of folds, roll dough into 8 1/2-inch square about 1 inch thick. Transfer dough to prepared sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.

4. Transfer dough to lightly floured cutting board. Using sharp, floured chef’s knife, trim 1/4 inch of dough from each side of square and discard. Cut remaining dough into 9 squares, flouring knife after each cut. Arrange biscuits at least 1 inch apart on sheet. Melt reserved butter; brush tops of biscuits with melted butter.

5. Bake until tops are golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes (18 minutes in my oven), rotating sheet halfway through baking.

Pearl Milling Company Complete Pancakes

Ingredients 

• 2 cups (270g) pancake mix
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• vanilla extract

Directions

1. PREHEAT griddle to 350°F (Dial 4 on the Dash griddle).
2. PLACE buttermilk in mixing bowl.
3. ADD mix.
4. MIXING: Using a wire whisk, mix just until large lumps disappear. Tips:
• Thick mix = better mix
• DO NOT OVERMIX. 
• Allow batter to set at least 20 minutes.
5. GREASE griddle with vegetable oil or shortening.
6. POUR 1/3 cup of batter for each pancake.

Restaurant Style Salsa

 Ingredients

• 1 onion (see Step One)
• 1 serrano pepper, with ribs and seeds removed, roughly chopped
• ½ bunch of fresh cilantro (leaves & tender stems), roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup pickled jalapeño slices
• 1 tsp garlic powder 
• 1 tsp Caldo de Tomate
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 28 oz can Whole Peeled Tomatoes (Cento or Red Gold)
• 1 14.5 oz can Red Gold Diced Tomatoes & Green Chiles
• 3 Tbsp pickled jalapeño brine (The juice from the jalapeño jar)
• Juice of 1 lime

Instructions

1. Set the Breville to “broil.” While the Breville is heating up, cut an onion into four wedges from pole to pole. Cut one of the onion wedges in half and place on a foil-lined ⅛ sheet pan. Broil until the onion has softened a bit and a few dark spots appear. ~15 minutes.
2. In a food processor, add the onion, serrano pepper, pickled jalapeños, cilantro, garlic powder, Caldo de Tomate, and salt.Action: Pulse 10 times to finely mince.
3. Add both cans of tomatoes to the processor. Pulse in 10 short 1-second bursts. Do not run the machine continuously! Continuous blending aerates the mixture, turning it pink and foamy. Pulsing keeps it red and dense. 
4. Pour the mixture into a large glass bowl. Stir in the jalapeño brine and lime juice.
5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours but 24 hours is even better.

Brown Gravy

 Ingredients 

• 22g beef Better Than Bouillon 
• 12g chicken Better Than Bouillon 
• 2 ¼ cups water
• 4 Tablespoons butter (although beef or chicken drippings would be best)
• 2 ozs AP flour
• ⅛ tsp onion powder
• heaping ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp Accent (MSG)

Instructions 

1. Dissolve the beef and chicken Better Than Bouillon in the water. Set aside.
2. Combine the flour, onion powder, and pepper. Set aside.
3. Melt the fat over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the flour mixture. Stirring frequently, cook until the roux is just about the color of peanut butter.
4. While stirring, slowly pour in half the liquid. Once it is incorporated into the roux, add the remaining liquid.
5. Stir in the MSG.

Tuxedo Cake

 Adapted from “Tuxedo Cake - Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake” by Bonni Bakery

MAKE SURE TO PROOFREAD THIS RECIPE. WAS HASTILY TRANSCRIBED.

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake (this makes 3 cakes)

    

Note: I have replaced the original cake recipe with Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake:

• 3 cups sugar 
• 315 grams all-purpose flour 
• 1 ⅛ cups (90g) HERSHEY'S Cocoa 
• 2 ¼  tsps baking powder
• 2 ¼ tsps baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cup milk
• 168 grams vegetable oil
• 3 tsps vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cup boiling water

For the Chocolate Mousses 

Note: This is 1.5x the amount called for in the original recipe.

• 6 Large Egg Yolks
• 3 cups Heavy Cream (divided equally into 2 bowls)
• 3 tablespoon Granulated Sugar 
• 2.5 Tablespoons superfine sugar
• 3 tablespoon Cornstarch
• 2 teaspoon Vanilla
• 5.25 oz/150g Dark Chocolate
• 90g Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate*
• 60g Hershey’s Milk Chocolate*
• 6.75 oz/195g  White Chocolate*

For the Chocolate Ganache

• 3 ozs Hershey’s Milk Chocolate*
• 2 ozs Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate*
• ⅓ cup Heavy Cream 80g / 80ml
• ½ tsp espresso powder

Instructions

Make the Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease three 9-inch cake pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, HERSHEY’S Cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder in the bowl of a stand mixer.
3. Add the eggs, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes.
4. Stir in the boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
5. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Cool completely and then wrap each cake individually and refrigerate.

Make the Chocolate Mousses

1. In a food processor, process both types of chocolate together until they are very fine. Set aside. Next, process white chocolate until very fine. Set aside in a separate bowl.
2. Put egg yolks in a bowl with the sugar and cornstarch and whisk until they become slightly thick and pale.
3. Pour one of the bowls of cream into a saucepan with the vanilla and warm over medium-low
4. heat until it is scalding hot (180°). This means it is giving off steam and there are tiny bubbles appearing on the surface. Don't let it boil.
5. Drizzle a little of the hot cream into the egg yolks and whisk it in.
6. Keep drizzling a little more, whisking the whole time, until all the cream is added. Then pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and return to the heat.
7. Heat the mixture, whisking constantly (but not vigorously - just enough to keep it moving and avoid burning) until it begins to thicken.
8. Remove from the heat and put half of the mixture into the bowl with dark/milk chocolate and
9. half in with the white chocolate. Mix 2.5 Tablespoons additional superfine sugar into the dark/milk chocolate mixture.
10. Mix each bowl until the chocolate (and sugar) has completely melted.
11. In a separate bowl, whip up the reserved heavy cream until stiff peaks form.By the time you have whipped the cream, the custard mousses should have cooled to room temperature. If they are still warm, let them cool completely, then split the whipped cream evenly between the two chocolate mousse mixtures and fold it in gently until completely combined.
12. Pour the dark chocolate mousse on top of the bottom cake layer in your dessert ring and smooth it out with a spatula. If your dark chocolate mousse is still very liquid, put it in the fridge for a few minutes after pouring.
13. Once the dark chocolate mousse has set up, place a second cake on top of the dark chocolate mousse.
14. Pour the white chocolate mousse on top of the second cake and smooth it out in the same way. 
15. Put the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, add the third cake layer on top, then return to the fridge to set for at least 4 hours.

Make the Chocolate Ganache

1. Once the cake has been chilling for at least 4 hours, remove it from the fridge and release it from the cake ring. Return to the fridge while you make your ganache.
2. In a food processor, process both types of chocolate and place it in a bowl.
3. Heat the cream and espresso powder on medium heat, just until scalding (tiny bubbles just starting to form). Don't let it boil. Remove from the heat and pour the cream over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute.
4. Mix the cream and the chocolate together until completely melted, glossy and smooth. Let it cool completely to room temperature. It should be thick enough that it won't just run off the side of the cake, but thin enough to spread out into a nice smooth layer on top of the cake.
5. Spread the ganache on top of the cake and use a spatula or knife to spread it out to the edges.

Candied Maple Bourbon Pecans

Ingredients 

• 3/8 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup maple sugar
• heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg white
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1teaspoon bourbon
• ⅛ cup maple syrup
• 1 pound pecan halves

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to just under 250 degrees F
2. Mix white sugar, maple sugar, and salt together in a small bowl.
3. Whisk egg white, water, vanilla, and bourbon together in a large bowl until frothy. 
4. Pour pecans into the egg white mixture and then pour the maple syrup over the pecans. Toss to coat.
5. Slowly pour in sugar mixture and stir until pecans are evenly coated.
6. Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet; Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Stir pecans and rearrange into a single layer. Continue to cook, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, until pecans are evenly browned, another 30 to 50 minutes.*

*Baked to perfection: I baked for 10 minutes on the bottom rack. Stirred, rotated, and baked on middle rack for 15 minutes. Stirred, rotated, and baked on the bottom rack for 15 minutes. Stirred, rotated, and baked on middle rack for 10 minutes.

Dough for Tavern Pizza

 Makes 2 14-inch pizzas

Ingredients 

• 2 ½ cups (12½ ounces/354 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Cornmeal for dusting pizza pans(s)

Directions 

1. In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine  flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add cold water and oil. Mix until dough forms sticky ball that clears sides of bowl. Continue kneading the dough until it becomes smooth & elastic.
2. Split the dough into two pieces and form each into a tight ball. Place each dough ball in greased bowls. Cover the bowl(s) with plastic wrap. If cold fermenting place in the fridge for up to 4 days. Alternatively, if you plan on baking it, let dough rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
3. One hour before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, set baking stone on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. 
4. Sprinkle cornmeal on pizza pan(s) and build your pizza. Bake for 5 min on the pizza pan and then 3-5 minutes directly on oven rack.

Sally’s Apple Cinnamon Bread (4-Loaf Version)

 Makes four loaves

Note: Scroll to the bottom for instructions on prepping the ingredients a day ahead.

Ingredients

Crumb Topping

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 96 g AP flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 stick butter, cold & cubed

Apples

• 4 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled & cut into 1.5” chunks
• 4 medium Jazz apples (or Honeycrisp if you cannot find the Jazz variety), peeled & cut into 1.5” chunks
• 1 1/3 cups brown sugar
• 4 tsp cinnamon

Batter

• 876 g AP flour
• 4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp nutmeg
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 1 cup neutral oil
• 3 cups sugar
• 8 eggs, room temperature
• 320 grams unsweetened applesauce
• 4 tsp vanilla
• 2 cup whole milk, room temperature

Directions

1. Adjust the top oven rack to the lower third position (just below center), and cover the bottom rack with foil because the batter is prone to running over. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray 4 9×5-inch loaf pans with nonstick spray.
2. Crumb Topping: Make the crumb topping first. Mix the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together. Add the cold butter, and using a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingers, cut butter into the brown sugar mixture until pea-size crumbles form. Freeze until ready. (the colder it is, the less likely it will sink into your batter).
3. Apples: Stir the apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon together. Set aside.
4. Batter: Whisk the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Add the eggs and then beat on medium speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the applesauce and vanilla extract on medium speed until combined. Mixture will look chunky and curdled—this is normal and expected.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, turn the mixer on low speed and with the mixer running, slowly pour in the milk. Beat just until combined and do not overmix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be sticky and slightly thick.

Pour and spread about 1/2 of the batter into the bottom of the prepared loaf pans. Spoon apples and any cinnamon/brown sugar juices leftover in the bowl evenly on top. Pour and spread remaining batter on top, making sure to scrape out every last drop of batter. Using a knife, swirl the batter down the center of the loaf pans.

Bake for 60-75 minutes. Add frozen crumb topping and loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil at the 30 minute mark.

These are large heavy loaves, so if your bread is taking longer, that’s completely fine. A toothpick inserted in the center of the loaves will come out clean when the bread is done. Begin checking at 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely in the pans set on a wire racks.

Once cooled or nearly cooled, cut into slices and serve. (Bread falls apart if you try to slice it when it’s warm.)

Cover and store bread at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Freeze baked & cooled loaves for up to 3 months.

To Prep a Day Ahead:

1. Crumb Topping: Make the crumb topping first. 

Mix:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 96 g AP flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Add:

• 1 stick butter, cold & cubed

Then:

• using a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingers, cut butter into the brown sugar mixture until pea-size crumbles form. Freeze until ready.

2. Apple Coating: Combine the following ingredients, cover, & set aside:

• 1 1/3 cups brown sugar
• 4 tsp cinnamon

3. Batter: Whisk the following ingredients together in a large bowl, cover, & set aside:

• 876 g AP flour
• 4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp nutmeg
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt

Toss the following ingredients into the stand mixer bowl, cover, and set aside:

• 2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 1 cup neutral oil
• 3 cups sugar

Then in a separate bowl, combine the following, cover, & refrigerate:

• 320 grams unsweetened applesauce
• 4 tsp vanilla

Finally, measure out 2 cups of milk, cover, & refrigerate.