I guess it's time to face the reality. Hawaii is a thing of the past and we're back home in the frozen tundra of the Northwoods. If I'm being honest, I have to tell you that I kinda' like being back home. Despite the fact that we are bracing for a few days of REALLY cold weather (and when I say "cold", I mean COLD).
I know a lot of people will think I'm nuts, but I love these spells. There is truly nothing better than being tucked inside on a cold day..nowhere to go...nowhere to rush off to. Just hangin' out at the house. Today we did one of my favorite snowy day tasks which is baking. Don't ask me why...I haven't a clue why when it turns cold I suddenly get an urge to bake up a storm?!
I have a stash of recipes I love to pull out at this time of year. I call it my "Winter Yum's" list which includes such concoctions as Barley Soup, Spinach Tortellini Casserole, Choco-Seed Cookies, Chewy Granola Bars, Baked Ranch Crackers...just to name a few. But today we decided on Sweet Potato Biscuits.
This is a new recipe and I wasn't sure how it would go over with the boys. My youngest eats just about anything under the sun, but my oldest is a picky little bugger when it comes to food. Luckily, he came back into the kitchen half-way through the baking process and said "Mmmmm...those smell yummy!". Whew! Not only did he like them...he ate 2 huge biscuits with his dinner! A record.
So...the next few days we'll be staying inside. I'm so grateful for a warm house and a pantry filled with goods to make some "winter yum's"!
***ETA: Recipe (I don't know why I didn't think to include this originally!) This is a recipe from a Martha Stewart magazine from several years ago. I tweaked it a bit.
| 1 3/4 |  |
cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and shaping |
| 2 | |
tablespoons light-brown sugar |
| 2 1/2 | |
teaspoons baking powder |
| 1 | |
teaspoon salt |
| 1/2 | |
teaspoon baking soda |
| 6 | |
tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus 1/2 tablespoon melted butter and more for pan |
|
1 small can sweet potato chunks (mashed) | |
| 1/3 | |
cup buttermilk 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp cinnamon |
| 1. Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with some pea-sized lumps of butter remaining. In a small bowl, whisk together sweet potatoes, buttermilk, vanilla and cinnamon; stir quickly into flour mixture until combined (do not overmix). | ||
| 2. Shape the biscuits: Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead very gently until dough comes together but is still slightly lumpy, five or six times. (If dough is too sticky, work in up to 1/4 cup additional flour.) Shape into a disk, and pat to an even 1-inch thickness. With a floured 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits as close together as possible. Gather together scraps, and repeat to cut out more biscuits (do not reuse scraps more than once). | ||
| 3. Bake the biscuits: Preheat oven to 425°, with rack on lower shelf. Butter an 8-inch cake pan. Arrange biscuits snugly in pan (to help them stay upright). Brush with melted butter. Bake until golden, rotating once, 20 to 24 minutes. | ||
Just for fun: Mix 1 TBS honey with 1/4 cup margarine. Top biscuits with a big dollop of butter. Pure Yumminess!
Stay warm everyone!
i am the same way, i LOVE baking during autumn/winter months.
i think you need to start a recipe blog, your food photos always look so yummy! :)
Posted by: mindi | January 31, 2007 at 09:30 PM
I agree about the recipe blog. Sweet potato biscuits sound sooooo good right now! And what is a choco-seed cookie. Sounds like a healthier alternative for my kiddos...who are we kidding, I would totally eat them all myself - haha!
Posted by: Amanda Willis | February 01, 2007 at 06:20 AM
Oooh, all of those sound so delicious! It's cold where I'm at too, but unfortunately I had to get up and go to work today. I would have loved to stay home in the warm too!
Enjoy!
Posted by: Gail | February 01, 2007 at 08:31 AM
okay, you can't talk about your yumminess without sharing at least A recipe!!!!!! pretty please?!
Posted by: dawn | February 01, 2007 at 03:46 PM
Add me to those saying, recipes please?????? Particularly those sweet potato biscuits look soooo scrumptious. Your readers await your generosity! :-)
Ciao,
Dee
Posted by: Dee | February 01, 2007 at 04:31 PM
oooh yeah! thanks!
Posted by: mindi | February 01, 2007 at 05:46 PM
Your wish is my command..recipe added! :)
Posted by: Jamie Schultz | February 01, 2007 at 06:37 PM
mmmm.. those look soo good! I'm the same way, love to bake when it's cold out. :)
Posted by: amanda(peawithme) | February 01, 2007 at 09:46 PM
totally making these tomorrow... and it's not even cold here in FL.
Posted by: AlissaE | February 02, 2007 at 06:03 PM
YUM! I'm on my way over!! LOL!!
Posted by: Melissa Mullinax | February 03, 2007 at 07:01 AM
First you make us envious of the balmy 80 degrees. Next you entice us with treats that make our mouths water. To top that off, you challenge Martha by "tweaking" her recipe?! I'm not sure I can take much more of it Jamie! heheh ;) Now I just have to find someone whose arm I can twist into baking for me!
Posted by: paolo | February 03, 2007 at 08:22 PM