Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients: 

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tblsp. aluminum-free baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed and very cold

1 cup + 2 Tblsp. cold buttermilk, divided

2 tsp honey

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Place flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl or food processor. Whisk or pulse until combined. 

3. Add cubed butter and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or by pulsing several times in the processor. Continue until coarse crumbs form.

4. Put mixture in a large bowl, and make a well in the center of the mixture.

5. Pour 1 cup of the buttermilk into the well, and drizzle the honey on top.

6. Fold everything together with a large spoon until it begins to come together. Do not overwork the dough, which should be shaggy and crumbly with some wet spots.

7. Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface, and gently bring it together with floured hands. The dough will be sticky as you bring it together; have extra flour nearby, and use it often to flour hands and work surface.

8. Using floured hands or a rolling pin, flatten into a 3/4" thick rectangle, as best as possible. 

9. Fold one side into the center, then the other side.

10. Turn the dough horizontally.

11. Gently flatten into a 3/4" thick rectangle again, and repeat the folding.

12. Turn the dough horizontally one more time, and gently flatten again.

13. Repeat folding one more time (3 times total).

14. Flatten into a final 3/4" rectangle -- do not get the rectangle too thin, or your biscuits will be too thin!

15. Cut into circles with a biscuit cutter. Do not twist the biscuit cutter when pressing down, as that will seal off the edges of the biscuit and keep it from fully rising.

16. Re-roll scraps and cut until all dough is used. Recipe should yield 8-10 biscuits.

17. Arrange biscuits in a 10" cast iron skillet, with sides touching.

18. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the remaining buttermilk.

19. Bake for 15-20 minutes until tops are golden brown.

20. Remove from oven, and top with melted butter, if desired.

Bacon Cheddar Honey Mustard Chicken (sous vide)

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

8 strips thick cut bacon, cooked

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup spicy mustard

2 Tblsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

Dash of hot sauce

1 Tblsp. olive oil

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation:

1. Mix together honey, mustard, lemon juice, paprika, salt and hot sauce to make marinade.

2. Place chicken in ziplock bag, plastic container, or in FoodSaver vacuum bag, and pour marinade over chicken.

3. Refrigerate chicken for 3 hours, or overnight.

4. Transfer chicken and marinade to FoodSaver vacuum bag/seal bag.

5. Place bagged chicken in sous vide at 143 degrees. Cook for 2 hours if thawed (4 hours if frozen).

6. Heat olive oil in cast iron skillet over high heat.

7. Add chicken and sear three minutes per side.

8. Turn off heat, then top chicken with cheese and bacon. Cover for 2 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

9. If desired, make a second batch of the marinade, and serve it as a dressing/dipping sauce for chicken or over a salad topped with the chicken.

Coffee Cake Banana Bread

Ingredients:

Bread:

3-4 medium or large bananas

2 Tblsp. brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tblsp. sour cream

Topping:

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

6 Tblsp. butter, cold

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease 2 4x8 loaf pans.

3. In a small bowl, mash bananas, brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.

4. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

5. Add eggs, and beat until mixed.

6. Add flout, baking soda and salt to sugar and butter mixture. Stir until just combined.

7. Add sour cream and stir.

8. Stir in banana mixture, and mix until just combined. Pour into two pans.

9. Combine cinnamon, flour and brown sugar for topping.

10. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter, and mix until the topping looks like coarse crumbs.

11. Sprinkle coating evenly over the batter in both pans.

12. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Mocha Coffee Syrup

Ingredients:

1 cup coffee-flavored creamer (dark roast/espresso is best)

1 cup dark cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

Preparation:

1. Gradually heat creamer in microwave until warm.

2. Add cocoa powder and salt, and stir slowly with a whisk until mixture begins to come together.

3. Continue heating in 30-second increments, whisking after each time, until mixture is smooth.

4. Store in refrigerator. 

Boiled Eggs on an Induction Cooktop

 1. Place eggs (directly from the fridge) into a saucepan in a single layer, making sure there is space between the eggs. Do not overcrowd the pan.

2. Fill the pan with cool water, making sure the eggs are covered with at least 1" of water.

3. Place pan on stove turned to medium heat (on a stove that has 1-9+P settings, try a 6+ or 7). Do not cover.

4. Watch the eggs. As soon as the water starts to boil, add 1/2 tsp salt, turn off the burner, cover the pan, and set a timer for 10 minutes. The boiling process may take 10+ minutes, depending on how much water you have in the pan, how many eggs are in the pan, and how large your pan is. DO NOT RUSH THIS STEP BY TURNING YOUR BURNER UP TO A HIGHER SETTING.

5. After the 10 minutes is up, drain the hot water, and fill the saucepan with ice cubes or ice water.

6. Once the eggs have cooled down, you can remove them from the ice bath and store them in the fridge until ready to use.