Ruth's Diner Mile High Biscuits

I love biscuits.  I've baked lots of biscuits.  But until now, I haven't found a recipe that was a keeper.  These Ruth's Diner Mile High Biscuits are fantastic!  They are flaky, tender, and moist (as long as you don't over bake them......)  They're made with buttermilk, which, I've decided, is one of my favorite ingredients to bake with.  If it has buttermilk in it, it's got to be good!

 

3 c. flour
1 1/2 t. salt
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 stick cold butter (I find it easier to work with and cut into the flour mixture if it's cold)
3/4 c. buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 c. water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder in a medium sized bowl. Cut the butter into about 8 pieces and put into the bowl with the flour.  Using a pastry blender (2 knives or a fork would work as well), cut the butter into the flour until it's crumbly, with the pieces of butter no larger than a small pea. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk and egg.  Mix adding just enough water to make a workable dough. Mix the dough until it is just barely combined (don't over mix). Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Either cut into 2 inch squares (I cut into the squares to avoid wasting any of the dough), or into 2 inch circles.  Place biscuits on a greased baking sheet just touching each other.  Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe from Deals to Meals

Dreamy Chocolate Mousse

You know what I love about this Dreamy Chocolate Mousse?  I love that there are so many things I can do with it.  I usually use it for a filling in cup cakes or a cake (like Moist Chocolate Cake), but it's also a great filling for Crepes, cream puffs, or just as a plain dessert.  It's rich, creamy, chocolatey, and just plain good!  The entire family loves it.  You just can't go too wrong with chocolate. :)

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon cold water
2 tablespoons boiling water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup (1/2 pt.) cold whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in small cup or bowl and let stand 1 minute to soften. Add boiling water to gelatin and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Let gelatin cool slightly. Stir together sugar and cocoa in medium bowl and add whipping cream and vanilla. Beat on medium speed of mixer, scraping bottom of bowl occasionally, until mixture is stiff. Pour in gelatin mixture and beat until well blended. 

Recipe from Hershey's.


 Linked on Sweets for a Saturday.

Beverage Teacher Gift

This is another one of the little prizes my little girl took to her teacher this week for Teacher Appreciation week at the school.  One of her teacher's favorite drinks is water, so we attached these little notes to some water bottles for her.  When I asked my little girl how many bottles of water she wanted to take to her teacher, she told me 2 cases.  I asked her if she though it would all fit in her back pack and she let me know she has big muscles. :)

I just typed up, and printed out the little note, the attached the note to some colored card stock.  To attach to the bottle, I punched a hole in the corner and tied them on with curling ribbon.  Super easy!

Amazing Homemade Hamburger Buns

I am SO excited about this recipe!  I don't remember being this excited about a recipe in a long time.  These Amazing Homemade Hamburger Buns are, well, AMAZING!!  We love our hamburgers, but these buns put our already loved hamburgers over the top.  I love how there is actually something to these hamburger bun instead of a weak, floppy piece of air.  These Amazing Homemade Hamburger Buns are tender, moist and full of delicious flavor.  They are so good, in fact, that my sweet little 3 year old kept sneaking them.  She even sneaked one after being threatened with a timeout!  That threat alone is usually a miracle worker.

2 tablespoons active-dry yeast
1 cup  warm water
1 cup  milk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter

In a large bowl combine the yeast and water and let sit until it is foamy. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, oil, sugar, and salt. Add milk mixture to the yeast mixture and stir until combined. Add all the flour and stir until it forms a shaggy dough. Knead for 10 minutes. The finished dough should be smooth, feel slightly tacky, and spring back when poked. Return the dough to the mixing bowl and cover and let rise until doubled - about 1 hour in a warm spot. Place the dough onto a lightly floured counter and divide the dough into 8 pieces for large buns, or 16 for smaller buns.  Shape each piece of dough into a ball and place on a baking sheet.  Let rise again until they are about the size of a hamburger bun - about 30 to 40 minutes. Melt the butter and brush it over the risen hamburger buns. Bake at 375 for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.

Recipe from theKitchn.

M&M Teacher Gift

My little girl is in kindergarten this year and absolutely adores her teacher.  Not only does she adore her teacher, she also loves taking little gifts to her teacher.  This week is teacher appreciation week at the school and her teachers favorite candy is chocolate.   My favorite chocolate is M&M's, so that's what she got. :)

With the end of the school year rapidly approaching, I thought I would share this even though it isn't exactly a recipe.

I just filled a cello bag with come M&M's and tied a little note on with tulle.  My little princess sure was proud of it!

Linked on Tatertots & Jello.

Sugar Free Strawberry Freezer Jam

Not only is this Sugar Free Strawberry Jam sugar free, it's also sugar substitute free!  It's not as sweet as traditional sugared jam, but is every bit as delicious.  It's perfect on a slices of fresh, hot bread like French Bread or Great Harvest Honey Whole Wheat Bread.

4 pounds sweet, ripe strawberries, stems removed
2 1/3 cups apple juice
2 packages less sugar or sugar free jam pectin

Place strawberries in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher (I cheated and put mine in a food processor).  Pour apple juice in a small sauce pan and whisk in pectin.  Bring to a boil, stirring often, and boil 1 minute.  Pour hot syrup over strawberries and mix well.  Pour into 1 cup freezer containers (make sure to leave 1/2 inch at the top to allow for expansion when freezing).  Place in the refrigerator over night, then store in the freezer.  Keep opened containers in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks.

Recipe adapted from 5 Dollar Dinners.

Single Serving Brownie in a Mug

Brownies and I have a love/hate relationship.  I love the first brownie I eat out of a freshly baked batch.  The second brownie is pretty darn good, too.  But when they keep calling my name (bet you never knew brownies could talk.  Well, they can!) until the entire pan is gone, well, that's when I just hate them.   These Single Serving Brownies in a Mug bring back the love only relationship with brownies.  I can eat an entire batch and still only eat one brownie. :)  The brownies are rich and chocolatey and would be perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon canola oil
a pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a microwave safe mug and mix until well combined.  Place in the microwave and cook for 30 seconds.

Recipe from Real Mom Kitchen.