Sunday, October 31, 2010

Meaty Eyeballs on a Bed of Guts

Happy Halloween!!  I wanted to make a fun, gross-out dinner tonight, so we had these eyeball meatballs on a bed of large, hollow pasta (guts), with pasta sauce (blood).  This was a huge hit with the kids, although one preferred his without blood. 

For the meatballs, I used my fave meatball recipe, Fast & Friendly Meatballs, from Allrecipes.  Google Meatball Eyeballs and you'll find different versions and pictures of these everywhere.  After I formed each meatball, I stuck a pimento-stuffed green olive into each one.  Make sure you get it kind of deep in there, or it'll pop out during cooking.  If you're not intrested in the gross-out version of these meatballs, I still encourage you to try the meatball recipe without the olives, because it is really good, and so easy. 

I only had a 16 oz. package of ground turkey on hand, so I used that, along with one egg, and a heaping 1/4 cup of Italian bread crumbs.  It worked out wonderfully, and it made exactly 12 meatballs that fit in my 9x13 glass baking dish.  I used my cookie scoop to scoop the meat mixture, and perfected the ball by shaping it with my hands. 

Fave Meatballs, or Meaty Eyeballs
adapted from Allrecipes

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (20 ounce) package ground turkey
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
12-18 green olives stuffed with pimentos, if making Meaty Eyeballs

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with the olive oil, and place it in the oven while preheating.

2.In a medium bowl, mix together the ground turkey, egg, and bread crumbs using a large spoon or your hands. Using an ice cream scoop if possible, form the meat into golf ball sized meatballs. If making Meaty Eyeballs, insert one green olive into each meatball now.  Place about 1 inch apart in the hot baking dish. Press down to flatten the bottom just slightly.

3.Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn them over, and continue baking for about 5 more minutes, or until somewhat crispy on the outside. Serve with pasta and sauce or however you'd like.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com **

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Halloween Ghost Cookies

These Halloween Ghosts are a fun and easy Halloween project for kids to help make.  You can use M&M's or mini chocolate chips for the eyes.  I used leftover white chocolate from dipping my Halloween Eyeballs.     I didn't bother spreading white chocolate on the back of these guys.... just the front and sides. 

Halloween Ghost Cookies
from Food. com

24 Nutter Butter sandwich cookies (Peanut shaped, peanut butter cookies)
8 ounces white chocolate chips, melted
1/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips (or M&M's)

1.  Dip or spread cookies with white chocolate.  Set on wax paper; immediately place the "eyes" on.  Let dry until white chocolate is hardened. 

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com **

Friday, October 29, 2010

Halloween Eyeballs

I recieved this recipe through an Email from Food.com.  Sometimes I don't even bother opening and reading newsletters, but I did this time, and I'm glad.  :)  These adorable Halloween eyeballs were in there, and I would not have wanted to miss these. 

My white chocolate melted kind of lumpy, so some of these are "Lumpy Halloween Eyeballs", but that's ok, because they are even more creepy that way.  I had trouble with the red decorating gel; my bloodshot marks look kind of thick and funky, but oh well.  I left some eyes "plain" because of that.  My 4-year old son had a blast helping make these.  When my husband got home, my son led him to the fridge (where they are being stored), opened it, gestured with a flourish, and said "Eyeballs!!!  Ta-da!!" 

Halloween Eyeballs
from Food .com

1 cup creamy peanut butter
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 1/8 ounces Butterfinger bar, finely chopped
12 ounces white chocolate or 12 ounces vanilla candy coating
40 M&M's plain chocolate candy
red decorating gel
black decorating gel

 1.  In a mixing bowl stir together peanut butter and butter until creamy.  Gradually add powdered sugar, stirring until combined.  Stir in Butterfinger candy.  Shape into 1-inch balls; place on waxed paper.  Freeze about 45 minutes.

2.  Melt white chocolate in a double boiler or, make your own double boiler.  Set an heat-proof bowl above a sauce pan of hot, or not-quite-simmering water.  Add chocolate to bowl or pan, and stir constantly until melted and smooth.  Dip balls, one at a time, into coating. Let excess coating drip off.  I use a toothpick to spear each ball and then dip it.  Tap the side of the toothpick against the chocolate bowl to help the excess get off. 

3.  Place on waxed paper, immediately press an M&M onto center of each peanut butter ball.  Refrigerate until coating is firm.

4.  Using red decorating gel, draw bloodshot marks on each eyeball.  Add a dot of black gel to the center of M&M pieces for pupils.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com **

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Pesto & Feta Pasta

Last night, I needed something quick for dinner and I was also wanting to use up the last of the fresh 'maters from our generous friend.  I threw together this main-dish pasta, using bowties, feta, the tomatoes, olives, and pesto.  We had steamed broccoli on the side.  The whole fam just LOVED this and the leftovers were good too, right out of the fridge.

Pesto & Feta Pasta
by What a Dish!

10 oz. bowtie pasta
6 oz. can black (or kalamata) olives, coarsley chopped
2 or more large fresh tomatoes, coarsley chopped
1/4- 1/2 cup prepared basil pesto
drizzle of good olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled or coarsley chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

1.  Boil pasta according to package directions; drain. 

2.  Meanwhile, in a large serving bowl, combine olives, tomatoes, pesto, and olive oil.  When pasta is done draining, add to bowl and toss gently together.  Add the Parm-Reg and feta cheese, and toss gently.  Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.  Good as-is or cold.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com **

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Halloween Cat Cookies

Happy Halloween!!  I've been wanting to make these cute cookies for a few years, and finally made them a few days ago.  The recipe comes from Taste of Home, and is written as a "cookie pop" recipe; baking the cookies onto popsicle sticks, but I didn't really want to do that.  I just made regular, non-pop cooies.  The cookies are very good and chewy and almost brownie-like.  My cat faces turned out a little bit... interesting, but I think the jist of the idea is still there.  I did give plates of these away to a few friends, and never heard back, so maybe they were too scared of them to say anything.  Or they couldnt' tell exactly what they were supposed to be.  Lol!

You make dough balls, flatten them slightly, and then pinch the dough in two places to form ears.  Then you use a fork to form whiskers and bake.  After baking, you quickly use candies to form the eyes and nose. 
Halloween Cat Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
48 candy corn candies
24 red-hot candies

1.  In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Roll dough into 1-1/2-in. balls. Place 3 in. apart on lightly greased baking sheets.

2.  Flatten with a glass dipped in sugar. Pinch top of cookie to form ears. For whiskers, press a fork twice into each cookie. Bake at 350° for 8-12 minutes or until cookies are set. Remove from the oven; immediately press on candy corn for eyes and red-hots for noses. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2 dozen.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com **

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Cinnamon Bread

I've always wanted to try making cinnamon bread, so a few days ago, I did just that.  I chose a recipe I had bookmarked a while ago, by Pioneer Woman.  It looked good- using good ingredients like buttah and milk.  :)  We liked the finished product- I would just cut down on the rising time next time.  Pioneer Woman has the bread rising 2 hours for the second rise, and that was too much for me- it badly overflowed my loaf pan (I was at Zumba so I couldn't monitor it.... it worked out though).  Next time I'd check at 1 hour and see where it is. 

My son LOVED this.  He actually said it was the best food he'd EVER had!!  Lol!  He even cried when it was all gone.  We had this coming out of the oven.... it was too soon, because like any bread, this needed a chance to cool down a little.  It was perfect the next day, toasted w/softened butter spred on top.  I'd like to make 2 loaves next time and save one for French Toast. 

Cinnamon Bread
adapted from PW Cooks

 1 cup Milk
6 Tablespoons Butter
2-½ teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
2 whole Eggs
⅓ cups Sugar
3-½ cups All-purpose Flour (I subbed one cup white whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon Salt
⅓ cups Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
2 Tablespoons melted butter
Egg And Milk, Mixed Together, For Brushing (optional)
Softened Butter, For Greasing


1.  Melt butter with milk. Heat until very warm, but don’t boil. Allow to cool until still warm to the touch, but not hot. Sprinkle yeast over the top, stir gently, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

2.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix sugar and eggs with the paddle attachment until combined. Pour in milk/butter/yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add salt.  Add half the flour and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the other half and beat until combined.

3.  Switch to the dough hook attachment and beat/knead dough on medium speed for ten minutes. If dough is overly sticky, add 1/4 cup flour and beat again for 5 minutes.

4.  Drizzle a little canola oil into a large bowl, then toss the dough in the oil to coat. Cover bowl in plastic wrap and set it in a warm, hospitable place for at least 2 hours.

5.  Turn dough out onto the work surface. Roll into a neat rectangle no wider than the loaf pan you’re going to use, and about 18 to 24 inches long. Smear with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon together, then sprinkle evenly over the butter-smeared dough. Starting at the far end, roll dough toward you, keeping it tight and contained. Pinch seam to seal.

6.  Smear loaf pan with softened butter. Place dough, seam down, in the pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 to 1.5 hours.

7.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix a little egg with milk, and smear over the top of the loaf. Bake for 30-40 minutes on a middle/lower rack in the oven.


8.  Remove from the pan and allow bread to cool. Slice and serve, or make cinnamon toast or French toast with it.
**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com **

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Hungarian Goulash Soup

I got this delish and flavorful recipe from my sister.  I did have to cut it down some to fit in my crockpot (which is quite large, by the way!) and adapt it to slow-cooking, but it worked out very well and was so tasty.  Excuse the picture; it's hard to glop sour cream onto soup just right.  The recipe doesn't call for dill but I added just a little and then used some as a garnish. 

Hungarian Goulash Soup
adapted from my sister's recipe

1+ lb. beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. caraway seed
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
2 (14.5 oz) cans reduced-sodium beef broth
2 cups cubed, peeled potatoes
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups cubed, peeled rutabagas (if not available, just increase carrots & potatoes)
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
dash of dill weed
1 large sweet red bell pepper, chopped
Sour Cream (optional)

Slow Cooker Method: 
1.  In a large skillet, brown beef in oil.  Remove beef and add to crockpot.  Saute onions and garlic until light brown (add extra oil if needed) and add to crockpot. 

2.  To the crockpot, add spices, salt, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, rutabagas, the canned diced tomatoes and dill weed.  Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or until veggies and meat are tender.  Add the red bell pepper for the last 30-45 minutes of cooking.  Serve with the sour cream, if desired.

Stove-Top Method:
1.  In a Dutch oven, brown beef in oil.  Remove beef and saute onions and garlic until light brown.  Add spices, cook and stir one minute.  Return beef to pan and add potatoes, carrots, rutabagas, and broth; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

2.  Add tomatoes and red pepper; return to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30-40 minutes or until meat and veggies are tender.  Serve with sour cream, if desired. 

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com **

Monday, October 18, 2010

Chai Tea Mix

I finally tried making Chai Tea, and loved it!  I love the warm spicy flavors.  I have a lot of Ginger Herbal tea bags in my house, so I mixed the Chai tea mix with a warm cup of Ginger tea, and sweetened it with Lyle's Golden Syrup.  (Love that stuff!)  I added some warm milk too- it was SO good!  I made this on a rainy morning last week when I had a slight cold, and the warm drink really made me feel better.  A few nights later, I made this for my whole family and they all loved it too. 

Unfortunatley, I don't have a spice grinder.  I thought I could use my mortar and pestle, but that was not cutting it.  Finally I settled on all pre-ground spices from my spice collection, and it was still so good.  I can't imagine how much better this would be if I were able to grind all of my own spices.  If you do have a spice grinder though, use it for this recipe!  I halved this recipe when I made it last week, but I'll post the full recipe below.

Chai Tea Mix

1 Tbs. whole black peppercorns (or 1 Tbs. fine-ground black pepper)
1 Tbs. cardamom seeds (or 1 Tbs. ground cardamom)
1 Tbs. whole cloves (or 1 Tbs. ground cloves)
2-3 cinnamon sticks (or 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon)
1/3 c ground ginger
favorite hot tea
milk & sugar or honey, to taste

1) Place peppercorns, cardamom seeds, whole cloves, & cinnamon stick in grinder and grind until very fine.

2) Stir in ground ginger.  (If you don't own a spice grinder, just mix all of the pre-ground spices together).

3) Store in tightly sealed container.

4) Place about 1/4 tsp of mixture in cup of hot tea; allow to steep for a few minutes.

5) Add milk & sweetener, as desired.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com **

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Mexican Corn Chowder

Thanks to Eating, Etc. again for turning me onto a great recipe.  This is a Mexican-inspired corn chowder, and the flavors all together are great.  I used chipotle chili powder for the first time and liked it- although it is spicy!  I'm a spice wimp, though.  I doubled this recipe for our fam but didn't increase the chili powder, onion, all of the cumin, or the salt.  I didn't have fresh corn on the cob on hand, so I just used frozen.  This thickened up more once I took it off the stove, so dont' worry if it isn't super thick right away.  Eating, Etc. got this from Closet Cooking, who got it from another blog.  This one has been around, and it's easy to see why!  ;)  (I'm SUCH a cheese ball). 

Mexican Corn Chowder
adapted from Eating, Etc.

6-8 slices bacon, cooked & broken into bite-size pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 fresh red or green jalapeno pepper, chopped (I left this out)
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
ground black pepper, to taste
2-3 potatoes, peeled & diced
4 Tbs. corn meal
4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken broth
2 cup skim or 1% milk
1 tsp dried oregano
2-4 ears of corn, kernels cut from the cob & 1 cob reserved OR
3 cups frozen corn
2 handfuls cilantro, chopped, plus extra for garnish
shredded colby-jack cheese, for garnish, optional

1) Cook the bacon in a large pot; remove from pot and set aside.

2) In the bacon grease, sautƩ onions, celery, jalapeno, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper until onion is soft, about 5-7 minutes.

3) Add the potato and cook for 5 minutes.

4) Sprinkle the corn meal over onion-potato mixture.

5) Add the broth, milk, oregano, corn kernels, and corn cob.

6) Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes.

7) Remove from heat and stir in the bacon & cilantro and remove the cob.

8) Serve immediately.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com **

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Roast Pumpkin Seeds

I know I've been talking pumpkin for a while now, but I can't leave these little gems out!  If you're going to go all out and make your own pumpkin puree, you might as well roast the seeds.  Or, if you're going to carve a pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern this year, you might as well roast the seeds as well!  My European oven is so tiny that I couldn't roast the seeds on the same day I made puree and then pumpkin muffins, so I let the seeds dry overnight and then roasted them the next day.  Letting them dry out is a good idea anyway, as pumpkin seeds are very slippery and almost slimy right when coming out of the pumpkin.

I've never had luck roasting seeds before trying this recipe.  The seasonings to this recipe are delish, reminding me of homemade original Chex Mix, but I think there's another reason these worked out for me so well this year.  I spent a lot of time rinsing the seeds, under full-powered tap water, in a colander to get rid of all of the clinging pulp and slime.  It took a while, but I could gradually tell they were getting clean.  I think before, I didn't rinse my seeds well enough, and then I roasted them before they had dried properly. 

I cut down on the salt by a little, because I had just under 2 cups of seeds, and the W. sauce is very salty.  I used salted butter, too.  I didn't cut down on the butter or anything else though!  :) 

Roast Pumpkin Seeds

2T butter, melted
1/2-3/4 tsp salt- to taste
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cups raw pumpkin seeds

1)  Preheat oven to 275F.

2)  Cover cookie sheet (with sides) with foil.

3)  In medium bowl, stir all ingredients together.

4)  Spread ingredients on prepared cookie sheet.

5)  Bake at 275F for 75-90 minutes, stirring about every 20-30 minutes.


**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com **

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Pumpkin Bread & Muffins

With my fresh pumpkin puree, I made both pumpkin bread and muffins.  I used an Allrecipes recipe that I like and have used before, because it calls for a fresh sugar pumpkin.  I think this recipe was what got me started making my own puree, since directions for that are included in the orginal recipe.

This recipe makes quite a large amount of batter.  I am able to make 12 muffins and one loaf (8x4 or 8x5, I believe) out of this recipe.  I added chocolate chips to the batter, but feel free to leave them out.  I'm going to try chopped white chocolate next time!  Feel free to sub some whole wheat, or whole wheat pastry flour, in for some of the white flour. 

These weren't terribly popular with my kids, but the friends they had over LOVED them!  ;)
Note:  I made these again a week later, and this time, I used chopped white chocolate instead of chocolate chips (200g).  They were SO good- I'd definitely do them again with the white chocolate instead.  I liked them a lot more, and my kids did too.  I gave some away and they were a big hit too, people said they had never thought of using white chocolate in pumpkin muffins before. 


Pumpkin Bread and/or Muffins
adapted from Allrecipes

2 cups fresh pumpkin puree (can used canned)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice (optional... I never have this)
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 eggs
chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate, optional (most of a 10 oz. bag or 200 grams chopped)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners (or, prepare 12 muffin cups and one 8x5 loaf pan).

2.  In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together 2 cups pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, applesauce, and eggs. Stir pumpkin mixture into flour mixture until smooth. Add optional chocolate chips.  Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.

3.  .Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com **

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Making Your Own Pumpkin Puree

Why make your own pumpkin puree?  Because you can!  It's easy (if you have access to sugar, or cooking pumpkins), produces great-flavored puree to use in your favorite recipes, and it's just so fulfilling to make it all from scratch!  I'm not a fan of too many step-by-step photos in a blog (ala PW), but I do believe that (limited) photos are great in a how-to post. 

Why use a sugar pumpkin instead of a jack-o-lantern pumpkin?  Sugar pumpkins are meant for consumption; jack-o-lanterns are not.  Jack's are bred to be firm for carving.  Their flesh is less tasty and more stringy than sugars.  I was SO happy to find sugar pumpkins in my local store this year!  I bought two.  :)  Sugar pumpkins are much smaller than jack-o-lantern pumpkins, but they are not as small as those little decorative varieties. 

The best way, in my opinion, to cook the pumpkin flesh before pureeing, is to bake it.  You bake for 60-90 minutes, or until tender, and then let it cool slightly before pureeing it.
Preheat your even to 350 F.  Cut your pumpkin in half- any way is fine.  Be careful with this part; you do not want to cut yourself.  Now, scrape out the seeds and strings.  Using a spoon and your hands is the best way to do this; some of those strings are stubborn. 
Don't wory if you don't get every little string out.  These can be removed much easier after baking, when the flesh is soft.  Just run a fork gently over the flesh to lift out these surface strings (after baking). 
Place your pumpkins, cut-side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet.  (Use one with sides).  Cover each pumpkin half with foil.  (This is also a good way to bake other squashes, like acorn squash). 
Bake for 60-90 minutes, or until pumpkin flesh is tender and can be pieced with a fork.  Let cool slightly or as long as you want. 
Scoop out the softened flesh, using a large serving spoon, and transfer to your food processor or blender.  Process (or blend) until flesh is smooth and pureed to your liking. 

Now, you have pumpkin puree to use in your favorite recipes!  Each sugar pumpkin yields about two cups of puree.  Yesterday, I used my fresh puree in some delish pumpkin bread.  (Photo below- recipe to come later!)

You can also use your fresh pumpkin puree in the following recipes:  Pumpkin Mac & Cheese, Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes, and Pumpkin Chili.
Fresh Pumpkin Puree

1 fresh sugar pumpkin


1.  Preheat your even to 350 F.  Cut your pumpkin in half- any way is fine.  Be careful with this part; you do not want to cut yourself.  Now, scrape out the seeds and strings.  Using a spoon and your hands is the best way to do this; some of those strings are stubborn. 

2.  Place your pumpkins, cut-side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet.  (Use one with sides).  Cover each pumpkin half with foil. 

3.  Bake for 60-90 minutes, or until pumpkin flesh is tender and can be pieced with a fork.  Remove from oven and cool.

4.  Scoop out the softened flesh, using a large serving spoon, and transfer to your food processor or blender. Process (or blend) until flesh is smooth and pureed to your liking.  If not using right away, store in a airtight container in the fridge.  Use within a few days.  If not using that soon, I've heard pumpkin puree freezes well.  Some people strain out the excess liquid, but I don't believe that is necessary. 

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com **

Sunday, October 3, 2010

I Made Biscuits!!!

I've never made biscuits before.  They've always kind of scared me, with the cutting in of butter, rolling out dough, etc.  This is Homesick Texan's recipe, adapted slightly by a cooking friend (of the blog For Goodness Sake).  I love the directions provided by my cooking friend; they were SO easy to follow and made perfect biscuits for me.  For Goodness Sake also added Manchego cheese to these biscuits.  I was going to do the same, but looking in my fridge, I realized that I had some Sao Jorge cheese that needed to be used, so I threw that in instead.  Sao Jorge is kind of similar to Manchego, especially in texture.  Parmesan would be a great substitute. 

I loved the biscuits with the cheese, but next time I want to leave it out, just so I can spread my homemade strawberry freezer jam over a fresh-from-the-oven biscuit... mmmm.......... 

I didn't try using any whole wheat pastry flour this time around, but maybe next time I'll use a small amount, like 1/4 cup or so. 
 
Note: I made these again 8/29/2012 using sharp cheddar and they were very, very delicious!!


Sao Jorge Cheese Biscuits
adapted from Homesick Texan

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar (can add more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, cold (8 tablespoons)
3/4 cup buttermilk, cream or half-and-half
½ cup Sao Jorge or Manchego cheese, shredded (can substitute sharp cheddar or Parmesan)

1.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. (I did 425)

2.  Mix dry ingredients together. Cut stick of butter into pieces, and work into flour mixture with your hands or a pastry blender until it resembles pea-sized crumbs. Add liquid, mixing until a bit loose and sticky.  Add in shredded cheese.

3.  Pour dough out onto floured surface and knead for a minute. Dough should be smooth and no longer wet. Sprinkle more flour on the surface if it sticks. Roll out to ¼ to ½ inch thick and cut into biscuits (I used a drinking glass). Place on baking sheet ( I used parchment paper on it) close together (so they rise up not out), and bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Makes 10-12 biscuits.


**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com **