Cheddar Bay Biscuits

CHEDDAR BAY BISCUITS

yield: About 10 biscuits

prep time: 15 minutes

cook time: 12 minutes

total time: 30 minutes

A homemade version of the popular Cheddar Bay Biscuits served at Red Lobster restaurants.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup shredded)
1 cup buttermilk, cold
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled for 5 minutes
For the Topping:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley (or ¼ teaspoon dried)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, garlic powder and cayenne. Stir in the cheddar cheese; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the buttermilk and melted butter until the butter forms small clumps.
4. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix gently with a rubber spatula just until a dough forms and no dry ingredients remain. Use a greased ¼-cup measuring cup to scoop out portions of dough. Place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little more than an inch between biscuits.
5. Bake until the biscuits are golden brown, about 12 minutes. While the biscuits are in the oven, stir together the 2 tablespoons melted butter, garlic powder and parsley. Remove the biscuits from the oven and immediately brush with the topping mixture. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container or zip-top back at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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This delicious recipe brought to you by Brown Eyed Baker
http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2013/04/18/red-lobster-cheddar-bay-biscuits-recipe/

Purple Plum Torte

By Smitten Kitchen

-1 cup all-purpose flour

-
1 teaspoon baking powder

 -Large pinch of salt


-1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 to 2 tablespoon (depending on sweetness of plums)

-1/2 cup (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened


-2 large eggs


-12 smallish purple Italian purple plums, halved and pitted


-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice


-1 teaspoon or tablespoon ground cinnamon (depends on preference)

-Heat over to 350°F. Sift or whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In a larger bowl, cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until fluffy and light in color. Add the eggs, one at a time and scraping down the bowl, then the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.

-Spoon batter into an ungreased 9-inch springform pan (but if you’re worried, you can always lightly coat it first with butter or a nonstick spray) and smooth the top. Arrange the plums, skin side up, all over the batter, covering it. Sprinkle the top with lemon juice, then cinnamon, then remaining sugar.

-Bake until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into a center part of the cake comes out free of batter, about 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on rack.

-Once cool, if you can stand it, and I highly recommend trying, leave it covered at room temperature overnight as this cake is even better on the second day, when those plum juices further release into the the cake around it.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin CC Cookies 
Recipe courtesy George Duran

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 to 15 minutes
Serves: 60 cookies

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips, not semisweet
Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper


Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.

Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.

Peach and Mascarpone Tart in a Gingersnap Crust

Crust


-2 ½ cups plus 2 Tbs. gingersnap cookies, coarsely broken

-4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling


-1 8-ounce container mascarpone cheese


-6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature


-1/4 cup sour cream


-1/4 cup sugar


-1 teaspoon grated lemon peel


-1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract


Topping


-4 to 5 small peaches, halved, pitted, cut into thin slices


-1/4 cup peach jam, warmed


For crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind gingersnaps in processor. Add butter and blend until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press mixture over bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. (I like to use a cold metal measuring cup to get a nice, clear demarcation between the base and sides.) Bake crust until color darkens, pressing sides with back of spoon if beginning to slide, about 8 minutes. Cool completely.

For filling: Beat first 6 ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Spread filling in prepared crust. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

For topping: Overlap nectarine slices atop filling in concentric circles. Brush with jam. Serve, or refrigerate up to 6 hours.

Caramel Apple Scones

Yield: 11 or 12 scones

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

APPLES:


-1 tablespoon salted butter


-1 large Gala or Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped finely


-1 teaspoon cinnamon

SCONE DOUGH:


-3 cups Gold Medal® All-Purpose Flour


-1/3 cup granulated white sugar


-2 tablespoons baking powder


-1 teaspoon baking soda


-1/2 cup (1 stick) cold salted butter, cut into chunks


-1 cup Greek vanilla yogurt (choose a creamy variety- nonfat is fine)

CARAMEL ICING:


-4 Tablespoons salted butter


-1/2 cup packed light brown sugar


-2 Tablespoons milk


-1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract


-1/2 to 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat or parchment paper.

2. Prepare the apples: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the apples- stir and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until apples are softened. Stir in the cinnamon and set the apples aside to cool (or to speed up the cooling process, remove them from the heated pan and into a bowl).

3. Prepare the scone dough: In the bowl of a mixer, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the butter and mix again until coarse crumbs form (you can also do this step in a food processor). Stir in the yogurt and apples until the dough comes together (it will be dry, so you may need to eventually use your hands). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form roughly a 14 x 4-inch flattened log. Use a sharp knife to cut triangle-shaped scones (11 or 12). Gently pull the triangles apart and set them on your prepared baking sheet in the same rectangular shape, leaving about 1/2-inch between scones. When they bake, they'll have some room to spread and crowd into each other.

4. Bake the scones: Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are cooked through and no longer doughy in the middle. Let the scones cool for a few minutes, then gently coax them apart with a knife and move them to a rack over a baking sheet.

5. Ice the scones: In small saucepan, heat butter until melted. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Cook over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Transfer to a mixing bowl and cool the mixture slightly. Stir in the vanilla and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until well blended. If necessary, add up to 1/4 cup more powdered sugar for desired consistency. Drizzle icing over warm scones.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs 1/2 cup ground pecans 2 tablespoons white sugar 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1/4 cup butter 3/4 cup white sugar 3/4 cup canned pumpkin 3 egg yolks (room temp) 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground mace

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon salt 3-8 oz packages cream cheese (room temp) 3/8 cup white sugar 1 egg 1 egg yolk 2 tablespoons whipping cream 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	Combine the graham cracker crumbs, ground pecans, 2 tablespoons white sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and the melted butter or margarine and mix well. Firmly press mixture into one 9 inch springform pan.
3.	Combine 3/4 cup of the white sugar, the pumpkin, 3 egg yolks, ground cinnamon, ground mace, ground ginger and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well, and set aside.
4.	Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy; gradually add 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar and mix well. Add the whole egg, remaining egg yolk and the whipping cream, beating well. Add cornstarch and vanilla and lemon flavorings, beat batter until smooth. Add pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
5.	Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 to 55 minutes. Do not overbake. Center may be soft but it will firm up when chilled. Let cheesecake cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate. Optional: Top with whipping cream and/or this glaze- Simmer 1 cup whipping cream with 3/4 cup maple syrup for about 20 min; stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans and chill. Tips: Cooking it with a 9x13 pan of water under the cake can help prevent cracks.