Flaky Biscuits!

2 ¼ Cups of Flour

¾ Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Sugar

4 Tsp Baking Powder

1/3 Cup of Butter(Cold!)

1/3 Cup of Shortening

2/3 Cup of Milk

1. Preheat oven to 450°
2. Place flour, salt, sugar and baking powder in food processor and pulse for a few seconds to combine.
3. Cut butter into small pieces and add to food processor. Pulse half a dozen times and check for the size of the butter pieces. Repeat if necessary until the butter is in pieces roughly the size of peas. Add Shortnening, and mix in well.
4. Put flour mixture in a mixing bowl and add the cold milk. Toss together gently until barely combined. I use the little white plastic tool in the picture to lift the dough from the side of the bowl and dump it on top of the rest of the dough.
5. As soon as the dough holds together, turn it out on a lightly floured counter. Gently "knead" the dough a few strokes until it is a mostly a cohesive ball. (Click here for a close-up of what the dough looks like before kneading. Here's the after shot.)
6. Roll the dough into a rectangle 1/2-3/4 inch thick, depending on how tall you like your biscuits. Cut into 2 inch circles, you should get ~6, and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. (See note about leftover dough.)
7. Bake at 450° for 8-10 minutes. Butter and eat while still warm.

Basic Buttercream Frosting

 Ingredients

• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream

 

Directions

In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.

Note: If using in a piping bag, be aware that this icing melts easily and the heat from your hands can let this occur. Also, be cautious to not set desserts with this frosting outside in the heat of the sun. 

Basic Cream Cheese Frosting

This is our basic Cream Cheese Frosting recipe that we use for most recipes.

Ingredients

3/4 Cup of Butter, softened

6 oz Cream Cheese, softened

1 Tsp Vanilla extract

3 Cups Confectioners Sugar

Directions
1. In a mixing bowl whip Cream Cheese until light and fluffy.
2. Add Butter. Beat well.
3. Add Vanilla. Gradually beat in Sugar.

Use immediately or store in fridge

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

1 cup of blanched Spinach, chopped
1 cup (heaping) marinated Artichokes, chopped
1 cup Philly Cream Cheese
1 cup Sour Cream
3/4 c. shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 Onion finely chopped
1/2 cup Butter
red pepper flakes to taste

Directions
1. Sauté onions in butter till clear, remove from heat. set aside.
2. Using a mixer, whip Cream Cheese till fluffy. Add Sour Cream and Cheeses. Mix well.
3. Slowly add Onion and Butter mixture into mixer.
4. Add Artichokes and Spinach by slowly folding them into mixture (Do not mix with beaters for you want there to be little hunks in your dip)
5. Pour mixture in an 8x11 inch pan and spread evenly through pan.
6. Place in oven at 375 degrees, bake for 20-30 minutes (Or until slightly browned on top)

Makes approx. 12 servings

Serve hot with chips, crackers, or bread

Bon Appétit!

Aunt Caroles' Famous Potato Cassarole

Ingredients:

12 Medium Potatoes (Do not Peel or Cut!)

1 1/2 Cups of Butter, Melted and divided

1 (4oz) Jar of chopped Pimentos, drained

1 Cup chopped Green Pepper

2 Cups Evaporated Milk

1 Tsp Salt

1 1/2 Cups of shredded Cheddar Cheese

48 Saltine Crackers, crushed

Directions;

1. In a large pot with water, boil whole potatoes until a fork can be inserted easily.

2. Remove Skins. Cut potatoes into bite-size pieces.

3. In a large bowl (Or if the pot you used is big enough) combine potatoes, 3/4 C of butter, Pimentos, Green Pepper, Milk, Salt, and Cheese. Mix Thoroughly (Do not mash potatoes!)

4. Place mixture in a large 13x9 pan. Sprinkle with crackers and then pour remaining butter on top.

5. Bake at 350, for 45 minutes

Savory Shredded Chicken

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Oil

1 onion chopped
3 diced tomatoes
2 Whole cooked chicken breasts shredded
1 Tbsp Salt
3 Cups Broth, fat skimmed off top

Directions
1. Place dutch oven on medium-high heat on your stovetop. Add oil to pan, let oil get hot. 
2. Add onions, cook until clear. The onion will finish cooking in this process and will also become fragrant. 
3. Add tomato and shredded chicken. Stir. Add salt, and then broth. Stir. 
4. Place lid on top, and simmer for 15 min.  Do not take lid off and stir, because you need the steam in there. When timer goes off, let sit for 10 minutes, keeping lid on. 


You can eat this in burritos, Sandwiches, on top of tostadas, or anything else you can think of! =)

Cooking Chicken 101

Need to know how to cook a raw chicken? Well here is a lesson in cooking chicken so you can use it for other recipes that call for pre-cooked poultry.


Ingredients:

Clean and skin the raw chicken(s). You can leave whole or cut into pieces (e,g. Legs, Wings, Thighs, ect...)

Stove Top:
Place Chicken(s) in Dutch oven pot with all the ingredients above, bring to a boil on high heat and then lower temperature down to a low heat and let simmer with lid on top. Cook for 1 hour, then remove from heat. Chicken should be thoroughly cooked through.

Crock Pot:
Place Chickens and all ingredients in a crock pot. Place temperature on low heat and cook for 6 hours, chicken should be cooked thoroughly.

Note: Water does not have to cover chicken, it just needs to be enough so that the chicken is moist and can create steam.

Remove Clove of Garlic after cooking