Find Your Blueberry Thrill!

I'm feeling blue this weekend - not sad, just in a blueberry mood. If you're not yet in a blueberry mood, read on . . .

Check out this hand-dyed yarn from The Plucky Knitter. If I could knit, I would make something yummy with this - it's called 'Blueberry Queen' and really captures the essence of blueberries.

But, perhaps we should move on to real berries. Is it blueberry season where you live? It's just beginning here and I discovered that NC is the fourth largest blueberry producer - this tasty fact is from the NC Blueberry Council (who knew we had a BC?). And as you might guess, we also have a blueberry festival to celebrate this fabulous fruit. And, of course, every good food festival deserves a queen - here's Pamela Ann Norris, the NC Blueberry Queen from 1973. I wonder where she is now - is she in a blueberry mood?

To find a blueberry festival close to you, check out the list here. I was surprised at the number of cities that celebrate the little blueberry - some even take their festivals to another level - like the town of Stony Plain in Alberta that combines blueberries with bluegrass for a three day event. You'll also find parades, pageants, cook-offs, and, of course, lots of delicious blueberries!

What did I do with my blueberries this weekend? Besides eating them by the handful and on salads and cereal, I made some tasty muffins. I like this recipe because the muffins are moist, but not too sweet.

You'll need two bowls, and here's what you do:

In a medium bowl mix the wet ingredients:

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2/3 cup safflower or canola oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla

In large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Zest of one orange or lemon
  

With large spatula, toss 1 1/2 to 2 cups blueberries in flour mixture. Gently add wet ingredients. Stir only until mixed. Fill a 12-muffin pan with mixture (I use baking papers because they're easy; if baking directly in muffin pan, you'll need to butter and flour the pan.). Bake at 375 for 20 min. or until toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean.

I know you'll like these muffins - they're great for breakfast and they only take minutes to make. (If you're using frozen berries, don't thaw them because they'll leave blue streaks in the batter - also you'll need to increase the baking time just a bit.)

So, I hope you're feeling a little blue now, too. I'd love to hear your favorite recipe for blueberries . . . and, stop by tomorrow for a special announcement! I'm off to have a muffin . . .

Cupcake Love

Okay, I have a confession that's not directly related to cupcakes. In middle school I was a big Captain & Tennille fan and for some reason when I typed in 'cupcake love' it reminded me of 'Muskrat Love' - if you're too young to remember that "classic", be glad - as it was recently voted one of the worst songs of all time! Nevertheless, once the tune is in your head, it's impossible to remove so now I'm imaging a rewrite that goes something like this:

Cupcake Suzy, Cupcake Sam
Do the jitterbug at a Cupcake Stand
And they're yum-my, Sam is so chummy!

And they whisk and they twirl and they bake them
Munchin' and crunchin' the frosting
Floating like the heavens above
Looks like Cupcake Love . . .

Oh! You're still here? I was afraid the song would send you running to another blog. So back to cupcake love - everyone knows there's a lot of cupcake love out there these days. Cupcakes must be the most tony dessert around. They're popping up all over the blogosphere, cupcake shops are in almost every town, cupcake cookbooks are best sellers, and even Visa uses them in their ads:

For Christmas this year, I hope to make some yummy felted cupcakes, like the red velvet one below:

And very soon I'll be taking a cupcake class where I may learn to make these: (!)

As for the cupcakes we baked yesterday, the recipe is here. (Follow the advice of many reviewers and only fill the cups 2/3! I usually make half a recipe which yields 18 cupcakes.)

The frosting is an old stand-by from The Southern Living Cookbook. It has a wonderful tangy chocolate flavor without tasting like raw powdered sugar - it's great for cakes of all sizes!

Sour Cream-Chocolate Frosting

1 (12-ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 to 5 tablespoons milk

Melt chips in top of double boiler (or microwave, if you're diligent and check it often!). Cool.

Combine melted chocolate and sour cream. Add sugar alternately with milk, beating at medium speed of an electric mixer until smooth.

Enjoy and have a cupcake-y day!

What's Cheery from the Kitchen? Cupcakes!

On a day when there were too many things on my plate, I decided to take a break and bake! Doesn't baking just cheer you up?

And these buttermilk cupcakes were just the thing to use up some buttermilk left from the weekend! I added one of our favorite frostings: Chocolate Sour Cream (incredibly yummy!).

Here are the results! (Ignore the poor quality photo - chocolate frosting is very hard to photograph. I definitely plan to improve my cuisine photography skills soon!)

Stop back tomorrow for the recipes . . . and some exciting cupcake news!

Big C, Little C, What Begins With C?

Yesterday during a local college graduation, I heard one woman's story with 'C' words. In her case, the words were Cancer and Cookies - words that make us cringe and smile. You may wonder, as her audience did, what message connects pediatric cancer with baking and how, or indeed if, that translates to a take-away for the Class of 2010. But, the two things are connected and the connection is germane to the graduates. And it's a message I think you'll appreciate as well.

The speaker was Gretchen Holt who founded a charity to raise money for pediatric cancer research after her son was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma. She discovered the secret of cancer economics - new and better treatments will only be discovered if more money is spent on research. And from this sobering truth an idea was born for a giant bake sale - 96,000 cookies baked and sold in a few weeks. This raised over $400,000 and the idea for a more permanent method of raising funds and awareness was born.

Today Cookies for Kids' Cancer is a well-known charity. Like many brilliant ideas it's simple: hold local bake sales and pool the proceeds. You can get involved by hosting your own bake sale or purchasing cookies (gift packages are available): www.cookiesforkidscancer.org.

So what was Gretchen's message for the graduates? That we can't know what our future will hold, but the skills we develop along the way can stand us in good stead when we face life's inevitable crises. She specifically spoke to the skills learned in four years at a small college - researching a situation/problem at the onset, finding mentors who will offer their expertise and support, giving 100%, and approaching problems creatively. Gretchen's message was much more eloquent, but I hope I've conveyed a bit of its spirit.

Brown-Edged Wafers: Yum!

Would you prefer a cookie that's: 1) foolproof, 2) easy to make, 3) a cookie classic, 4) so delicious everyone wants the recipe, or 5) A and C? No need to fret over the answer because Brown-Edged Wafers are all of the above! This simple, buttery cookie is certain to become a favorite. The cookies are crunchy and pretty - perfect to accompany fresh fruit or ice cream (or both . . . so many possibilities). Feel free to ignore the holey texture of my batch; I was interrupted while creaming the butter and sugar and resumed the process an hour later - usually they texture is finer . . . really.

You might remember the store-bought version (from Nabisco, I think). These are so much better. Plus, a friend told me those were actually called 'Brown Edge Cookies' so perhaps the people at Nabisco were embarrassed at their grammar mistake and decided to halt production (although the folks at Reynolds don't seem to notice their mistake with 'Wax Paper' - I mean if the paper was made of wax as the name implies it wouldn't work very well . . . but, enough about my pet grammar peeves).

Here's the recipe:

Brown-Edged Wafers

Heat oven to 350.

1 cup salted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 egg whites (unbeaten)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Cream butter. Add sugar, beating until fluffy. Add egg whites, one at a time, blending well. Stir in flour. Stir in vanilla, if using.

Drop by teaspoon (I use a small scoop - it's easy and precise) on ungreased cookie sheet, at least two inches apart. Bake until edges are brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool one minute on sheet then remove to cooling rack (don't cool completely on baking sheet as they will crumble).

Yield: 2 dozen unless you eat lots of batter!

I hope you'll try these this weekend - I'm off to make a pot of tea and have one now!

Peter Piper Picked a Pile of Pitas . . . freshly baked, of course!

Do you like pita bread? I'm guessing you said yes, because who doesn't like it? The next question is a bit trickier . . . have you ever baked pita bread? No? It's so easy . . . since first trying this recipe last week, I've baked it twice. Yum!

I saw this recipe several months ago at The Fresh Loaf and am glad I finally baked it. It's the easiest yeast bread I've ever made and a great recipe to try if you are new to baking. And if you have kids I think they will like this because you put the dough in the oven as flat circles and in five minutes it's puffed into the two-sided pita we know and love. To be honest, I rather like watching this myself . . .

You can get the full recipe here at The Fresh Loaf, plus there are step-by-step photos and lots of good info. (FYI - I used half wheat flour and half regular and loved the results!) While taking pictures of my pitas in the bread basket, I was reminded of the Operation game - remember the bread basket? It turns out this game is still pretty popular and has its own Wikipedia page.

I learned quite a few things about Operation today - first, the original 1965 version featured a smoking doctor on the box. This is now prized by collectors. Look at the doctor - isn't he scary?

Second, Operation-themed costumes are pretty popular - that's something to keep in mind next October. Finally, there are websites that show you how to turn the Operation board into other games. I'm not including links to those because if you're that kind of Mr. Fix-it person you'll know where to find these instructions . . . and if you're not, I don't want to be responsible for injuries when you re-wire the board. (It's not fun when your nose lights up!)

Hope you have a great weekend - with or without pita in your bread basket.

Starting the Week with Focaccia Bread!

What's crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and yummy any time? Focaccia Bread, of course! It's also really easy to make and a great starting point for baking yeast breads. You can find lots of great recipes in blogland. I used a recipe from Gourmet magazine to bake the bread below. It's not my favorite focaccia recipe, but it's very good and perfect if you're in a hurry (by in a hurry I mean you want a short prep time - it will still require 2+ hours to rise). Check out the recipe on Epicurious.

Epicurious readers are pretty savvy so heed their warnings about this recipe. I'll add my suggestions to theirs . . . I only use 4 cups flour to start and then add about 1/4 more and I bake at 500 for about 10 minutes and then finish at 450 and the result is a perfect crusty outside!

And while you're cutting rosemary for this recipe, snip extra to brighten up your kitchen. It smells great and with a little window vase it won't take up precious counter space. I love it because our kitchen windows overlook a wooded area that is mostly brown this time of year - the rosemary is a cheery pop of green!

What's Wrong With This Cake?

Are you the Miss Marple of cakes? Or perhaps the Sherlock Holmes of baking (he does live on Baker Street . . .)? If so, I need your help! Yesterday I baked a tried-and-true recipe - Lemon Tea Bread. I've made it zillions of times (okay, this kind of statement makes my husband raise an eyebrow, but I say a little hyperbole just makes your point). Back to the baking - it's an easy recipe that results in a perfect product. Except this time . . .

The center was sunken and I ended up overcooking it in an attempt to get the center to rise to a normal height. The result is this - it's too dark on the edges and dryer than normal, AND the center - well, you can see what's wrong with the center. On the bright side, it is still delish and looks a bit like a heart, so it could be an early Valentine attempt.

I think perhaps my butter was too soft. I didn't make any of the usual mistakes that cause a cake to cave (i.e., wrong amount of flour, over- or under-beaten, oven temperature wrong, etc.). And it didn't fall after it was removed from the oven, it was like this as it cooked. Plus, this is a simple recipe - not a sponge cake or other complicated type.

Having said all this, you might still like the recipe. It's a wonderful tea bread that's not too heavy and has a nice lemony flavor. Perfect with a cup of tea on a cold afternoon, and if you don't overcook it as I did, you can slice it thinly.

Lemon Tea Bread

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons lemon rind, divided

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preparation

Beat softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 1 cup granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beating at low speed just until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon rind. Spoon batter into greased and floured 8- x 4-inch loafpan.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center of bread comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Stir together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth; spoon evenly over top of bread, letting excess drip down sides. Stir together remaining 1 tablespoon lemon rind and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; sprinkle on top of bread.

From Dorsella Utter, Louisville, Kentucky, as seen in Southern Living, October 2004

Maybe Dorsella, who developed this recipe, will read this and offer a suggestion! Have a great Sunday and good luck if you're baking . . .

Pie Lovers Get Ready - Your Day Is Coming!

What's round and sweet and always yummy? Pie, of course. And if you're a fan of this delish dessert, Saturday (January 23) is your day. It's National Pie Day. Normally I might not jump on the bandwagon of a newly-created holiday, but as a lover of baking and eating pies, I am all for this one. The American Pie Council (who knew?) has lots of info about the big day.

I think the best way to observe National Pie Day is to bake your own pie(s) and share with a friend. If you've never tried making your own crust, now's the time . . . it's really easy and the more times you try the easier and better the results. And - how great will it be to have homemade pie each time you practice? And remember - regardless of the recipe you use the trick is to work quickly and have a light touch (always roll the dough out - never press down!).

Here's a link to the recipe for the fabulous Chocolate Pecan Pie served at Frontera Grill. With its mix of Mexican chocolate and Kahlúa, it may become your go-to dessert for special occasions. And, if you're not a fan of Rick Bayless (Frontera owner/chef), check out his cooking show on PBS and you soon will be!

So, get out those cookbooks and check out your favorite cooking blogs - you're sure to find the perfect recipe for your own pie celebration!

And, one word of caution, don't confuse this with National Pi Day - that's March 14!

Photos from Southern Living. Search their recipes for 'pie' and you'll see lots of yummy ideas!

Leftover Cranberries & Oranges?

What to do with those cranberries and oranges? There are so many yummy possibilities and this morning I chose muffins! It's not quite as healthy as a cranberry-orange chutney (which I made over the holidays), but it's a fabulous way to start the day.

Here's the recipe:

Cranberry Muffins (from Nov '08 Southern Lady magazine)

2 cups self-rising flour (if using all-purpose add 2 t. baking powder & 1/4 t. salt)
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh cranberries
2 large eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream

• Preheat oven to 400. Grease and sugar a 12-cup muffin pan. Set aside.
  
  
• Prepare Orange Crumble Topping (see below). Set aside.
  
  
• In medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. Gently stir in cranberries.
  
  
• In separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Add this mixture to flour/sugar mixture. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened - don't overmix.
  
  
• Pour into muffin pan and sprinkle crumble topping over batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Orange Crumble Topping

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon butter, melted

In small bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add melted butter and stir until crumbly.

These are moister the second day and great with a glass of fresh orange juice. Here's a great trick for getting the most juice from your oranges - microwave them (1 or 2 at a time) for 10 seconds before juicing. Also, if you're a bit pushed for time, mix fresh juice with store-bought. It will taste almost like it's all fresh-squeezed!

The Ultimate Christmas Cookie! Oranges & Dates & Pecans, Oh My!

It's been a busy week in the kitchen - one of those weeks where no photos are taken until it's too late! But, I do have pictures of the best baked good from the week - Orange-Date-Pecan Cookies. Yum! What smells more like the holidays than orange? Did you read the Little House books? Remember how excited the girls would be to get oranges in their stockings? Of course we can have oranges and almost any other fruit year-round, but there's still something very Christmassy about oranges - whether studded with cloves or baked into fabulous cakes and cookies or forming wreaths for the front door.

Photo from Country Living

If you like oranges and pecans, you'll love these cookies. They're great for a cookie swap because the recipe makes around 8 dozen (!) and they're uniform shapes which makes them easy to package. And needless to say, they're perfect with a hot cup of tea! (Once again I found photographing food to be a challenge! All I can say is that these are much prettier in real life.)

Orange-Date-Pecan Cookies (from a Southern Living Christmas book - 199?)

10 ounces pitted dates, chopped
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups self-rising flour (if using all-purpose, add 1 1/2 t. baking powder and 1/2 t. salt)
1 cup finely chopped pecans, divided (toasted, if desired)

• Line a 9"x5"x3" loaf pan with aluminum foil, allowing foil to extend over edges of pan. Set aside
• Finely chop first three ingredients - I do this on a cutting board, but you can also use a food processor
• In large mixing bowl, beat butter at medium speed. Gradually add sugar, beating until blended. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Add flour, beating at low speed just until blended.
• Divide dough into three portions. Knead 1/2 cup pecans into one portion of dough. Press into prepared pan. Knead date mixture into one portion of dough. Press in pan over pecan mixture. Mix remaining pecans with remaining dough. Press in pan over date mixture. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.
• Invert loaf pan onto cutting board and remove foil. Cut dough lengthwise into four portions. Cut each section of dough crosswise in 1/4" slices. Place slices 1 1/2" apart on lightly greased cookie sheet. (I never grease the cookie sheets and the cookies never stick . . . )
• Bake at 350 for 9 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly and remove to racks.

Leah's notes: A loaf pan with straight sides works best. I often freeze part of the dough for several weeks (wrap in parchment paper, then a ziploc bag). In an airtight container, these will get softer (because of the dates) so you may want to let a little air circulate around them if you like them crunchy - or just eat them all the first day!

Hope your weekend includes some sweet treats!

Something Old, Something New, Cookies - Cookies, Just for You!

I love holiday baking - do you? This weekend I baked two big batches of cookies - one new recipe that I've been planning to try for several years and one old recipe that is a favorite of many on our cookie gift list. Let's talk about the new recipe first - Mocha Almond Cookies.

They're very pretty as you can see. It's an easy recipe that is also fast - the only time consuming thing is rolling the cookies into balls and then rolling them in sugars (granulated, then powdered). I think kids would love rolling these - rolling them in granulated sugar first keeps the powdered sugar suspended and as they bake it cracks revealing the yummy chocolateness beneath! Here's the recipe:

Mocha Almond Cookies (from Martha Stewart's Holidays book)

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (you won't be sorry if you use good chocolate here!)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
6 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur (I used Kahlua)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup blanched almonds, finely chopped or ground
Extra sugar, for rolling
Sifted confectioners' sugar, for rolling

1. Melt chocolate and butter in microwave, stir in liqueur; keep mixture warm.
2. In separate bowl, beat eggs and sugar until fluffy. Stir in chocolate mixture.
3. Sift together flour and baking powder; stir into chocolate mixture.
4. Stir in almonds. Chill dough until firm.
5. Roll into one-inch balls (another great use for a small scoop) and chill for 10 minutes.
   
6. Heat oven to 325.
7. Roll balls first in granulated sugar then in confectioners' sugar, coating well.
8. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on rack.

Leah's notes: These cookies are better the second day - more moist and more chocolaty. These are a good choice for mailing/packing/exchanging as they don't crumble and are rather 'sturdy'.


Now on to the sugar cookies - this recipe makes the best sugar cookies I've ever tasted. It's easy, easy, easy and the cookies are light and crunchy with just a hint of almond.

And, if you're in a hurry (as we often are at the holidays, right?) you can use this dough with a cookie press and have five dozen cookies baked in an hour. Sometimes I do roll these out and decorate them, but often I use a cookie press (you don't even have to chill the dough!). As you know, cookie press cookies lose a bit of their shape during baking, but they're still very cheery and extremely tasty! (And some cookie press shapes are better than these trees - wreaths are a great choice.)


Queen Street Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (yes, this is the secret to the yumminess!)
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour (I use self-rising; if using all-purpose add 1 t. baking soda & 1 t. cream of tartar)

1. Mix butter and sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix well.
2. Stir in flour.
3. Chill at least three hours. Roll to 3/16" and cut into desired shapes.
4. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 7 to 8 minutes.

Leah's notes: Do not chill if using a cookie press, just press and bake immediately after mixing. Sugar cookies are best if they don't brown, so remove from oven as soon as cooked. You can sprinkle with sprinkling sugar before or after baking.

Happy Baking!

It's the Great Pumpkin [Bread], Charlie Brown!

If you were Linus sitting in that pumpkin patch waiting and waiting for the Great Pumpkin, what would you be thinking? I would be thinking about all the yummy things that could be made with a patch full of pumpkins! (Actually, I might be too afraid to think . . . the pumpkin patch at night can be a little frightening . . .) So, what's your favorite pumpkin dish? Pie? Toasted seeds? At our house, pumpkin bread wins easily. It's moist and a little spicy and is great with tea! I don't always like breads/cakes made with vegetable oil - they often taste like oil, but this recipe is really good and the flavor is all pumpkin and spice. It's a great busy-day baking project as it takes only 10 minutes or so to prepare (obviously longer to bake . . .).

This recipe makes two 9x5" loaves - or one 9x5" plus three or five smaller loaves (depending on the pan sizes). In other words, you will have more than enough to share. It makes a great gift because you can give away the large loaf and one or two small loaves, and still have a little loaf to keep (much better for you than making a layer cake or pie as a gift which leaves you as empty-handed as Linus).

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

• 3 cups sugar (don't panic! this makes many, many servings)
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin (just plain unsweetened pumpkin, NOT pie filling)
• 3 1/2 cups self-rising flour*
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2/3 cup water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour baking pans (or use Baker's Joy).
2. In mixer, or by hand, mix sugar and oil.
3. At low speed, add eggs and pumpkin. Mix well.
4. In separate large bowl, blend remaining dry ingredients.
5. Alternately add dry ingredients and water to pumpkin mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
6. Pour into prepared pans and bake 40 to 50 minutes - possibly less with small pans, or more with large pans. Bread is done with the sides pull away from the pan (you can also test with a toothpick/cake pick as you would for any cake).
7. Place pans on cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.

Leah's Notes: I often make this without using an electric mixer - it's easy to whisk by hand. If using glass baking dishes, lower the temperature to 325. If using silicone pans, increase the baking time by 10+ minutes. While this is yummy all by itself, it's very good with pumpkin butter or turn it into an honest-to-goodness (emphasis on goodness!) cake with cream cheese frosting.

* If using all-purpose flour, add 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon baking powder.

On final thought on the pumpkin bread - it makes your house smell festive!!

Why Southerners Love Self-Rising Flour

What's the main reason we love self-rising flour? Biscuits!
Many Southern cooks agree that biscuits made with self-rising flour are better than those made with all-purpose, or, as we call it 'plain', flour. (When my husband went to the grocery store with a list that included 'plain flour', I learned that other people don't use that term. On the bright side, it's this type of situation that has allowed him to meet many of the people who work in our local grocery store. He's now on a first-name basis with the butcher and produce manager, who seems to start every sentence with 'tell your wife . . .).



But, back to the biscuits. It isn't just the fact that self-rising flour is easier that makes these biscuits more appealing - they are truly flakier and fluffier. Of course, all really great biscuits start with a soft flour - my favorites being Martha White and White Lily. The self-rising variety has the leavening agent and salt already incorporated so you only need to add shortening and milk (and a pinch of sugar, if desired).

My mother makes great biscuits and she does it the traditional way - no measuring and no pastry blender. She just knows how much of each ingredient is needed and she cuts the shortening into the flour with a fork. I do have to measure and I use a pastry blender. I also have a recent acquisition that I love - a square biscuit cutter.

I purchased my set of four square cutters locally at A Southern Season; they do not offer these through their mail order catalog, but you can find them in many online shops including Kitchen Kapers and Chef Tools. I bought these as a novelty - expecting to use them to cut shortbread, cookies, tea sandwiches, etc. But - once I tried them with biscuits we were hooked. The square shape lends itself to quick cut-outs with less waste and, therefore, less re-rolling (which toughens the dough). Also, squares bake faster than rounds . . . who knew? One other perk is that you can't wiggle or turn the cutter once it's into the dough. Even though I know that twisting the cutter makes biscuits rise less (it seals the edges so stay compressed during baking), I still tend to do it. Notice your next batch - are there some that are not level? One edge is much lower than the other? That's probably the result of turning the cutter. If you use a square cutter, you'll have fluffy results every time.

I've tried loads of biscuit recipes and this is my favorite:

Preheat oven to 475.

2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon sugar
5 tablespoons vegetable shortening (buy it in the 'sticks' for easy measuring)
6 to 7 ounces milk (1% is okay, 2% or whole is better - don't use skim)

Blend self-rising flour and sugar in medium mixing bowl (using a fork or pastry blender). Cut shortening into flour (using fork, fork & knife, or pastry blender) - mixture should be crumbly and every bit of flour should be combined with a bit of shortening. Be careful not to over work - this will make the dough tough.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour milk into well and stir with a fork until dough forms. The mixture will be a bit wet. Flour your hands and the counter or board - with floured hands form dough into a ball in the bowl. (Sprinkle with flour if mixture is too sticky - humidity can affect the amount of flour needed.) Knead dough on counter a few times, until smooth. Shape into rectangle that's approximately 3/4" thick. Cut into 2" circles or squares. Re-knead the scraps and cut again or roll them into shapes - my family likes to make letters from the scraps for the children (easier for letters like L and C - trickier for R and E). If you make other shapes, be sure they're similar in size to the cut-outs so they will bake at the same rate.

Bake on ungreased sheet for 8-10 minutes. Enjoy while hot! The best thing is - once you've made this recipe a few times, you can make a pan of biscuits in 5 minutes and you will not need to look at the recipe. You'll be amazed at how many meals can go from mediocre to marvelous just by adding some fresh, hot biscuits!

One final note about self-rising flour, it's also great for many other baked goods including muffins, cookies, and basic cakes (the 1-2-3-4 style recipes). If the recipe includes flour, baking powder, and salt you can usually use self-rising flour and omit the baking powder and salt. For baked goods like brownies, however, self-rising flour is not a good choice. It will give the brownies a cake-like texture rather the dense, chewy one you expect.