Cheesy Biscuits

These cheesy biscuits are Asa's favorite. They come together super fast with just one bowl.  It's a perfect biscuit for everyday or special occasions (like Christmas brunch).

Cheesy Biscuits

recipe from King Arthur

makes 9

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups less 2 tablespoons OR  (tare your scale, then add baking powder and salt then flour to make 227g total) All Purpose Flour

113g or more cheddar cheese, freshly grated

1 cup (227g) heavy cream or a bit less milk

Preheat your oven to 425°F with a rack in the upper third.

Mix together baking powder, salt, and flour. Add in grated cheddar. 

Add the cream/milk, and mix until dough sticks together. Using your hands or spoons, make golf ball sized biscuits and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment or silpat, gently smushing them, and leaving a few inches of space in between each.

Bake the cheddar biscuits for 12-15 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and serve immediately.

Bagels (Pop Pop's recipe)

My Dad loved to bake breads, bagels, and biscotti (he died in December of 2020 from a brain tumor).  Thankfully, we have his recipes.  Delilah has been making bagels for us with this recipe and they are just amazing.  It's a very similar process to pretzel making.  Give it a try!  My cousin makes these with his kids in honor of my Dad and they call them "Jaygels" as my Dad's name is Jay.  It's pretty awesome to hear how many people loved my dad and how many are staying connected through baking his recipes.  I will definitely share more recipes soon.

Bagels

makes 10-12 medium sized bagels for a single recipe OR 14-16 medium sized bagels for a recipe and a half

(ingredients for a recipe and a half are in parentheses)

DOUGH

1/3 cup (1/2 cup) Pumpernickel, Rye, or Whole Wheat Flour

3 3/4 cups (5 1/2 cups) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour

1 1/4 cups (generous 1 3/4 cups) warm water

2 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) salt

1 tablespoon (1 1/2 tablespoon) non-diastatic malt powder

1 tablespoon (1 1/2 tablespoon) instant yeast

WATER BATH

2 quarts/8 cups (12 cups) water

2 tablespoons (3 tablespoons) non-diastatic malt powder or brown sugar

1 tablespoon (1 1/2 Tablespoon) granulated sugar

TOPPINGS, optional

everything bagel seasoning

kosher salt

dried onions

dried garlic

poppy seeds

sesame seeds

Combine the dough ingredients in a stand mixer on medium-low speed for 10 minutes. The dough will be quite stiff.

Remove the dough from the bowl with one hand and grease the bowl with the other.  Place the dough back in the bowl.  Let it rise, covered, 60 to 90 minutes.

Divide the dough into pieces (10-12 for a single batch, 14-16 for a batch and a half). Roll one piece at a time into a smooth ball. Let the balls rest, covered, for 30 minutes; they'll puff slightly.

Bring the water, malt powder, and sugar to a very gentle boil in a wide-rimmed pot. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Cut or poke a hole through the center of each ball. Stretch the hole with your fingers until it's 2" in diameter. Place the bagels on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Transfer bagels, four at a time, to the simmering water. Cook for 2 minutes on one side, flip over gently, and cook for another minute.

Remove the bagels from the water and return to the baking sheet, immediately sprinkling optional toppings on one side and flipping to repeat on the other. Repeat with the remaining bagels.

Bake the bagels for 20-25 minutes, until they're set and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of one registers at least 190°F.

Remove the bagels from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Bagels are best eaten the day they are made but they are ok the next day.  If you know that you wont eat them fast enough then slice and freeze them.  They toast up perfectly directly out of the freezer.

Banana Bread, "free" style

This banana bread is dairy free, grain free, gluten free, sugar free... and delicious!  It's simple and amazing, plus it's quick!  It's really best made in a large loaf pan (I tried to make it into donuts but it's really too tender).

Banana Bread
makes one loaf

2 eggs
4 very ripe bananas (frozen work great!)
1 just ripe banana
1/4 cup date puree (or honey, if you're ok with honey)
splash of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
a few shakes of cinnamon
1/2 cup walnuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan.

Put the 4 very ripe bananas in the microwave, covered in saran wrap (poke a few steam vent holes).  Microwave for 3-5 minutes till the juices are released.  Strain, reserving the juice.  Let cool the bananas cool a bit.  Reduce the banana juice by half (either in the microwave, it bubbles up, or on the stovetop).

Beat eggs in stand mixer with whisk attachment on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes, until thick and pale yellow. Reduce speed, add cooled bananas and mix until combined. Pour in date puree, vanilla, and lemon juice and mix until combined.  Add in slightly cooled banana juice and mix.

Add in dry ingredients.  Mix until combined then add in walnuts, if using.  Spoon batter into loaf pan and spread evenly.

Slice remaining banana, the just ripe one, into thin slices.  Lay them in 2 stripes on either side of the loaf pan, shingling them, so they overlap.  You want to leave the middle section uncovered so the loaf can expand a bit).

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown.  Cool on wire rack.

Best served warm.

Whey Good Waffles (or pancakes)

Waffles are great with whey.  This is a double batch, perfect for having leftovers for the freezer.  The recipe is from King Arthur Flour, find it here.  I made the usual changes, subbing in some whole wheat flour and some butter for the oil.

Whey Waffles (or pancakes)
makes approx 10 large waffles

4 cups flour (we like a 50-50 mix of white and whole wheat
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoon baking soda
a few shakes of salt
a little vanilla
4 cups whey
4 large eggs
5 tablespoons melted butter and/or oil

Melt the butter, then add in whey, eggs, and butter/oil.  Add in dry ingredients and mix (dont overmix).

Follow directions for your waffle iron OR make pancakes.  Keep warm in oven till ready to serve.

We serve ours with a buffet of yogurt, walnuts, chopped fruit, cinnamon, and of course, maple syrup.

Banana Pancakes

I often freeze our over-ripe bananas and use them for smoothies, but I wanted to try banana pancakes.  I had a hunch that only one kid would eat them and I was right, but now I have a stash in the freezer for breakfast for the (not-so) Picky Princess.  These are delicious.  I'll make them again.  I might roast the bananas first, since everything is better roasted.

I found the recipe here and modified it with flours and cinnamon.

Fluffy Banana Pancakes

  

2 cups buttermilk (or 2 tablespoons lemon juice + enough whole milk to equal 2 cups, let sit for 10mins)

2 small or 1 large ripe banana, or about 1 cup mashed (I used 2 large)

2 eggs

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2½ cups all-purpose flour (1 cup white, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup oat flour)

¼ cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

a few shakes Cinnamon

In a large bowl, add the buttermilk.

Whisk the mashed banana, eggs, butter, and vanilla into the buttermilk.

Whisk in the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Let batter rest for about 5 minutes.

Heat pan over medium heat with oil.  Cook pancakes.

Waffles and Pancakes and Oven Pancakes

I love to have waffles and pancakes in the freezer for easy weekday breakfasts.  This recipe is so versatile, easy, and sugar free.  It was originally my Dad's recipe from who knows where but I've made a few changes (he used all butter).  I use it often.  Today's version was with half ricotta, half lemon yogurt.  The lemon flavor was really faint, but we enjoyed it.  I might try it again but with lemon zest and ricotta.  I also like it with apples and cinnamon, but most of the family likes fruit free waffles and pancakes.

UPDATE: why stand at the stove, when you can make one giant pancake in the oven? I use a large sheet pan, 12 x 16 for this double recipe.  You could use the same sheet pan for a 1 1/2 recipe too, but if you make just a regular batch then you'll want a smaller pan.  Preheat your oven to 350-375. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper then grease the paper with a little butter or oil.  This isn't strictly necessary but it helps to crisp up the bottom a little. Pour in your batter and smooth it out.  Bake till lightly browned on the top and a knife comes out clean.

Basic Waffle and Pancake Batter
(this is a double recipe, you can easily half it, it makes 8 large waffles.  we usually make 4 large waffles and about a dozen small-ish pancakes)

8 T butter (that's one stick)
4 T coconut oil
2 cup sour cream, yogurt, or ricotta (ricotta makes them really light and fluffy)
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (we tried subbing in a half cup of almond flour and it was great!)
4 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
milk to thin (optional, it's a THICK batter though)

Melt butter and coconut oil in large bowl.  Add in the dairy, then the eggs, and then the rest of the ingredients.  Mix well.  Use for waffles or pancakes.