Homemade 20-Minute Biscuits - A Quick and Easy Recipe

I've been looking for a good homemade biscuit recipe for a while.  I used to use refrigerated biscuit dough from a can, but some brands don't rise well, and others have an odd "off" flavor, so I wanted to get away from that.  I have nothing against using a mix to make biscuits, both drop biscuits and rolled and cut biscuits, but I'd rather not have to depend on it.  

I've tried other biscuit recipes, and they were okay, but nothing to write home about.  The first time I made these, they were a HUGE success.  Even though they are on the big side, there weren't any leftovers, unlike the ones from a refrigerated tube.  So, it looks like this is my new go-to for biscuits!

20-Minute Biscuits (makes 8)

2 1/4 c all-purpose flour

1 T baking powder

1 t salt

1 T sugar

1/3 c butter

1 c milk

1 T butter, melted (for brushing biscuit tops)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet.  In a bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.  Using a pastry blender, two knives, or a fork, cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs.  Add half of milk and mix, then add the remaining milk and mix.  Do not overmix!  Overmixing will result in tough biscuits.

Transfer dough to a well-floured surface and knead GENTLY 15 - 20 times.  Roll or pat out 1 1/2" to 2" thick, and cut biscuits.  If you use a biscuit cutter, DON'T twist; just pressing straight down will let the biscuits rise taller.  If you don't use a biscuit cutter, you can cut the dough into squares with a knife or pastry/pizza cutter.

Place on baking sheet.  Bake at 425 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes.  Brush top of biscuits with melted butter as they come out of the oven.

7-Up Pound Cake (from Jeanne Robertson) - A New-to-Me Recipe

I love listening to Jeanne Robertson on YouTube.  She tells stories on herself that are downright hilarious!  Some of my favorites are "Don't Bungee Jump Naked," "Don't Mess with Broom People," "Sleeping in Tubes," and "Don't Send a Man to the Grocery Store," which is where I first heard about 7-Up Pound Cake.

This is kind of a crazy cake recipe.  There is NO leavening agent in it to make it rise - no baking powder, no baking soda.  I kept looking at it to see what was going on.  It turns out that it's the carbonation in the 7-Up that makes it rise!  I did a little research and found a claim that you MUST use 7-Up because it supposedly has more carbonation than most lemon-lime sodas.  I don't know whether that's true, but after making the cake, all I can tell you is it works!  The cake rose just fine, has the right density for a pound cake, is moist, and it tastes great!  And no complaints from the guys, so it's a success.

7-Up Pound Cake

1 c butter

1/2 c shortening

3 c granulated sugar

1/4 t salt

5 eggs

1 1/2 t lemon extract

1 1/2 t vanilla extract

3 c all-purpose flour

7 oz 7-Up (almost one small can)

Glaze (optional)

1 c confectioner's sugar

1 T 7-Up

2 T lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (you'll turn it down when the cake goes in).  Grease and flour (or spray heavily with Baker's Joy or similar baking spray) a 10-inch Bundt pan.

Cream together the butter, shortening, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy (using a stand mixer will make this a LOT easier).  Add eggs, one at a time, and then the extracts.  Mix in the flour, alternating with the 7-Up.

Put the pan in the oven, turn the temperature down to 325 degrees (300 degrees in a convection oven), and bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 65-75 minutes.

Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack (this is important to keep the cake from sticking to the pan!) for 20 minutes (NO MORE), then invert it onto a serving plate.

If glaze is desired, mix the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl.  Let the cake cool completely before drizzling the glaze over it. 

Tomatoes Out Our Ears - I'm canning like mad!!!

This spring I planted tomatoes and bell peppers because it seemed like the thing to do.  I planted Big Boy, Black Krim, Super Sauce, Steakhouse, and Super Steak tomatoes.  The Big Boys have been a little disappointing compared to other years, but the others are about to bury me, so I've been canning them.  

At 18 ounces, my Super Sauce tomatoes are too big to fit into a pint canning jar, as are my Steakhouse tomatoes, at over 1 1/2 pounds!

Here's a Super Sauce.

Here's a Steakhouse.

I usually can my tomatoes in a boiling water bath canner, but I also process them in a pressure canner.  It just depends on what I feel like using.  I processed my first two batches this year using the water bath canner, but I think I'll be using the pressure canner for the rest of them; it's a little faster and uses less water.

How I Can Tomatoes (Hot Pack)

Always select PERFECT tomatoes.  Slightly underripe is fine.  Overripe is a big no-no.  Don't worry about washing them really well, because you're going to remove the skins.  I rinse them off quickly to remove dirt.

If you don't have time to process your tomatoes right away, you can just freeze them whole in bags or containers.  When you thaw them, the skins will slip off easily - no blanching!  I usually don't do that because I keep my freezer pretty full of Other Things.

To remove the skins by blanching, fill a pot (about 6 quarts) with water and bring it to boiling.  Cut a 2-inch X on the blossom end of each tomato.  Using a fry basket, spider skimmer, or slotted spoon, dip tomatoes into the water for about 30 seconds.  Remove from the boiling water and immerse in ice water (I use a BIG bowl or the well-cleaned sink).  The skins should come right off.

I cut the tomatoes into quarters or halves and remove the seeds.  Put the first three or four tomatoes in the bottom of a pot and "squish 'em good" with a potato masher.  Heat them to a simmer.  As you cut up, core, and seed the rest of the tomatoes, put them in the pot.  Heat them all up to a boil and simmer 5 minutes.

Immediately ladle the tomatoes into canning jars to within 1 inch of the rim, wipe off the jar rim, place a lid and ring (two-piece lids) on the jars, place into the canner and process.  It will be easier if you use a canning funnel when you fill the jars.  Only use NEW lids - don't reuse them.

For a water bath canner, place the canner rack in the bottom of the canner.  Cover the jars with boiling water to at least 1 inch above their tops.  Bring the water to a moderate boil and keep it there for 20 minutes (pints) or 25 minutes (quarts).  When the processing time is over, turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

For a pressure canner, place the canner rack in the bottom of the canner, add 3 quarts (or the amount specified by your canner's instructions) of boiling water to the canner, place the jars in the canner, lock the lid.  Look for a steady stream of steam out of the vent.  Exhaust the air from the canner by allowing the steam to flow for 10 minutes.  Place the regulator weight on the vent.  Bring the pressure up to 10 pounds (using a three-piece regulator weight) or 11 pounds (using a gauge) for 10 minutes (pints or quarts) OR 15 pounds for 1 minute.  Check your canner's instructions.  After processing time is finished, turn off the burner or remove the canner (CAREFULLY - it's heavy!) from the heat.  The pressure will reduce until the air vent/cover lock drops.  Remove the weighted regulator and let sit for 2 minutes.  Remove the lid and let sit for 10 minutes.

Remove jars from the canner with a jar lifter and place on a dry dish towel on the counter.  Cover the jars with a second dish towel to keep the jars out of any drafts while they cool.  You may hear the lids click when they seal.  Let them sit overnight.  Check the lids for a seal.  The centers of the lids should stay down when you press on them.  Remove the rings, wipe down the jars, label, and store.  If a jar doesn't seal, either reprocess it or put it in the refrigerator and use as soon as possible.

Use within 18 months to two years.  They'll be just fine that long.  

That Darned Knee! And Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies - A New-to-Me Recipe

I haven't been posting regularly the past couple of weeks because we've had yet ANOTHER setback with The Knee That Won't Cooperate.  

After the first replacement, infection, debridement, wound vac, once-a-day IV antibiotics (administered by yours truly, about five minutes each time), removal of the knee implant, installation of an antimicrobial spacer, twice-a-day IV antibiotics (again, administered by yours truly, taking about 1 1/2 hours each time), and finally a new replacement, more infection was discovered three weeks ago.  So, out came the nice new implant and another spacer took its place.  

Now I'm giving yet another IV antibiotic, this time by the old-fashioned drip method, three times a day, over four hours each time, which means I have to do something with the IV every four hours, around the clock.  Can you imagine being hooked up to an IV bag twelve hours a day?  UGH.  I don't know whether I'd have the patience.

Anyway, it's getting really, really OLD.

And on top of that, my tomato plants are PRODUCING, so I'm also trying to fit in canning sessions.  I have a couple dozen of the monster tomatoes waiting for me on the kitchen counter, and a bunch more staring at me from the garden through the back windows.  The plants look more and more disreputable, and the tomatoes look more and more red, ripe, and HUGE every day.

But for something different, I decided to try a new cookie recipe.  After all, cookies are pretty quick and easy, and these just sounded interesting.  That Man has been scarfing them down, so I guess that's a pretty good endorsement!

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/8 c (1 c plus 2 T) all-purpose flour

1/2 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 c refrigerated butter, diced

1/4 c granulated sugar

1/2 c dark brown sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1/2 t vanilla extract

1 1/2 c (7-oz bag) Decas Farms Julienne Cut Baking Cranberries

1 c white chocolate chips (the original recipe called for 1/2 c, but, hey, chocolate!)

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter, then add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat well.  Slowly add the flour mixture and blend.  Stir in the cranberries and white chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheets, leaving about an inch between them.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes.  Allow to cool on the cookies sheets before removing.

Taco Pie - An Instant Pot Recipe (A Pot-in-Pot Experience)

 I've been experimenting with my Instant Pot some more.  One of the techniques I hadn't tried yet is "pot-in-pot," which is pretty much what it sounds like - you put what you're cooking in a pot or a pan, which you then put in the Instant Pot's insert - hence, "pot-in-pot."

This recipe is supposedly a big favorite of Instant Pot fanatics.  The original comes from a cookbook written by Ruth "Rootitoot" McCusker, who passed away earlier this year.  I tweaked it very slightly to use up some leftover rice and decided to keep it as a regular ingredient.  

This recipe calls for a springform pan.  For my 8-quart Instant Pot, I use an 8 1/2-inch springform pan, which just fits.  You have to make sure whatever pan you use has about a 1/4-inch space between it and the insert so steam can circulate.

I tried it out on Those Guys and there weren't any complaints - success!  (Actually, they both said it was pretty good.)

Instant Pot Taco Pie

1 lb ground beef

1 package taco seasoning (I used Ortega)

1/3 c water

4 flour or soft corn tortillas

1 can (16-oz) refried beans (I used Rosarita fat-free traditional style)

1 1/2 c cooked rice (I used leftover cilantro lime rice)

1/2 c enchilada sauce (optional)

2 c shredded cheddar or jack cheese

In a skillet, brown the ground beef and break it up.  When the beef is completely cooked, add the water and taco seasoning and stir until it has thickened.  Put the minimum amount of water required for your Instant Pot (1 1/2 c for a 6-quart pot; 2 c for an 8-quart pot) into the insert.

Spray your springform pan with non-stick spray and put a tortilla in the bottom (if using smaller tortillas, tear additional tortillas to cover the pan bottom).  Build three layers by spreading in this order after the first tortilla:  1/3 of the refried beans, 1/3 of the meat mixture, 1/3 of the rice, 1/3 of the enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup of cheese, and one tortilla.  Reserve the last 1/2 cup of cheese for later.

Press down gently on the last tortilla to smooth it all out, then cover the pan with foil and place on a silicone trivet with long handles.  Place the trivet and pan into the pot insert.  Close the lid and set the valve to Sealing.  Press the Pressure Cook (or Manual) button.  Make sure the pressure is set to High.  Adjust the cooking time to 20 minutes.  After the cooking time ends, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then switch the valve to Venting to release the rest of the pressure.

Set the top oven rack about 8 inches from the broiler element.  Remove the pan from the pot, remove the foil, and spread the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese across the top.  Place on the top oven rack and broil a few minutes, watching closely so it doesn't burn.  Remove the pan from the oven when nicely browned and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before removing the pan's outer ring and serving.

Slice into 8 wedges and serve with your favorite taco fixings:  lettuce, tomato, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, etc., or leave it alone!