Strawberry Shortcake: It's All Delicious!

When I was out for my morning jog on the trail today, I passed an unforgettable exerciser. She was a plump, silver-silver haired woman, and from far away I thought she was jogging. There was such a lively spring in her step, her body seemed to bounce up and down, with her full arms swinging rthymically as if she were a Viking assigned to row. As she marched in closer, I could actually hear her. Dressed in a T-shirt with a giant smiling sun, complete with bright blue stretch pants and a fanny pack, she was bobbing up and down, half dancing-half running, but all the while singing. Over and over again she crooned, "It's all deeeelicious, it's all deeeelicious, it's all deeelicious." I smiled to myself, and then at her, and then at the world. Who was this woman? Why was she so happy? Was she some kind of prophetess? A morning revelator with a fanny pack? Good grief-was she me in a few decades? If so, at least I know I'll be happy. And you know something else? She was right. It is all delicious. And here's further proof.

Strawberry Shortcake. Whipped Cream. Sugary Strawberries. Tender, buttery biscuits. Yep, it's all delicious. Make your own. Then go for a walk with your fanny pack and sing about it, if you dare. Recipe here. Estimated Cost: $5.00 for a five serving half batch

P.S. This is a true story.

P.S.S. I can't wait to find out if my delicious friend will be out on the trail tomorrow.

P.S.S.S. Don't you think too many PSs are annoying? Me too.

Up Next: 70s throwback-Canned Pineapple Rings in Dinner and Dessert

Itty Bitty Biscuits and Sweet Cherry Barbecue Chicken

Post Edit:
My poundcake recipe will be up and ready, bright and early tomorrow morning. Get it while it's hot!I was on hiatus from cooking this weekend, since we had two family birthdays (my niece Annie Laurie, and my mom, Barbara Ann) and two consecutive nights in restaurants. I'm one of those people that would weigh approximately 2 and 1/2 tons if I ate out every night. If someone puts food out in front of me, by golly, I feel duty bound to eat it all. For Mom's birthday, we spent about 3 hours, eating course after course, starting with mini sliders, and ending with birthday cake and sugared donuts with jam and pastry cream. But still, the highlight of the night was non edible. My Dad suprised my Mom with a new violin. She doesn't play the violin, but she likes collecting instruments to fiddle around on (ha!) and for all of her visiting grandchildren. Sailor pulled out my Mom's new violin and played the obligatory Happy Birthday and a couple of rousing rounds of "For She's a Jolly Good Fellow." Excuse us for our merry revelry, if you happened to be at a neighboring table.
The day after, I laid in bed, over satisfied. Full. Maybe even a little guilty. All that merry making has made for tight jeans and a chilling terror of swimsuit season. Time for some action! First in order, a portion size adjustment. That's my favorite easy change, since it doesn't make me feel deprived. (Although a little deprivation might be in order soon.)
In keeping with my assignment and new healthful adjustments, I made my Tuesdays With Dorie biscuits, but bite-sized, and with whole wheat and half and half, instead of cream. Those were easy little changes; especially since half and half is already a decadent indulgence. I filled them with a tangy barbecue chicken, with sweet cherry preserves and bright yellow mustard. A couple of them, with a green salad, for dinner really hit the spot. It's a lot easier to be virtuous when you cook at home. Especially when it's good old-fashioned real food. Even good old-fashioned real itty bitty food.
Itty Bitty Biscuits slightly modified from Dorie Greenspan
Estimated Cost: $1.50 for about 2 dozen itty bitties
2 cups all purpose flour (I used white whole wheat)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup half and half, plus more if needed
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment. In a medium bowl, combine flour, powde, sugar, and salt. Pour in 1 cup half and half and stir. Add half and half by the tablespoon if dough is too dry. Grab it with your hands and knead a couple of times so it can come together. Pat it down onto a floured surface, making the dough about 1/2 inch thick. Cut biscuits about 1 inch in diameter. I use an empty prescription pill bottle. Place biscuits on cookie sheet. You should get about 20-25. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool slightly and serve with butter and honey, or shredded chicken.
Crock Pot Sweet Cherry Chicken
Estimated Cost: $4.50
Quick and Easy!
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/3 cup cherry preserves
1/4 cup yellow mustard
Combine all ingredients and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours. Shred with a fork and season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Next Up:

My Secret Pound Cake Recipe

(from Friday to Sunday only-then it's going back in the Top Secret File)

Sweet Puh-tayter Hostess, that's me!

Why, Hello! What a surprise to see you here! Don't forget to wipe your feet on the way in, it's so dusty round these parts. There now, won't you come in and sit down? It's so nice to have you for a visit, dear. How is your old aunt getting on with her arthur-itis? Oh, good, good, I'm glad to hear it. I'm glad to hear about your daughter's engagement; we were wondering when it would happen. Such a nice young man she found, and only two tattoos, isn't that somethin? Now that you're seated, I have a little announcment myself, just a bit of news, now there's no need to panic. I, ahem, am officially the host-ess with the most-ess for Tuesdays with Dorie. Little old me. You'd probably heard, hadn't you? Is that why you came for a visit, to see the hostess? I hope I look the part in my freshly pressed calico house dress. I did think about wearing them hostess pants, that Ethel done gave me on my last birthday, but between you and me, they're just a might too big-for your britches high horse for me.. Maybe I'll wear'em the next time my hostess turn rolls around, in 2012. If they still fit, that is, after three more years of Tuesdays with Dorie. You know, dear, I've eaten my way through cakes, cookies, pies, eclaires, tartes, tortes, scones, muffins, and ice creams for my turn. And now my turn is finally here. I chose sweet potato biscuits; why, I've got some warm from the oven right now. You just sit tight and I'll bring you one now with a little butter and orange marmalade. There you are. Oh, I'm so glad you liked them, honey lamb. If you're still hungry, I'll bring you out a little bitty sandwich with barbecued shredded beef. You know dear heart, I liked these biscuits so much that I made some sweet potato rolls the next day. I wrapped up a good dozen and took them down to the neighbors, on account of the mother being sick with the new fangled piggy flu. Sure, I can get you that recipe. Why, it's not trouble t'all, it'd be my neighborly duty. Well, I guess it's getting a little late, and I've got to be up early to help Jedediah milk the cows; his backs never been the same since he had the chiro-prac-tic adjustment. But it's been awful good having you for a visit. I'm glad you're here and I hope you'll come back and follow me around often, especially on Tuesdays. A body gets plum lonesome for someone to come around and help eat all these treats. You tell your friend and neighbors to come around too, won't ya??? There's plenty for everyone.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

by Dorie Greenspan

Estimated Cost: $2.50 for a dozen (using fresh sweet potato)
Soft and creamy-textured, with flaky layers, these biscuits satisfy like cake.
Using canned sweet potatoes makes them easy to prepare at a moment's notice. I use canned sweet potatoes packed in light syrup -- I just drain the potatoes and mash them with a fork. If you've got leftover cooked sweet potatoes or yams, give them a good mashing, measure out 3/4 to 1 cup and you're good to go.
Makes about 18 biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
2 15-ounce cans sweet potatoes in light syrup, drained and mashed
Pinch of ground cinnamon or freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
GETTING READY: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Get out a sharp 2- to 2 1/4-inch-diameter biscuit cutter, and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and spice, if you're using it, together in a bowl. Add the brown sugar and stir to incorporate it, making sure there are no lumps. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, toss to coat it with flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips (my favorite method) or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You'll have pea-size pieces, pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pieces the size of everything in between -- and that's just right.
Add the sweet potatoes to the bowl, grab a fork, and toss and gently turn the ingredients until you've got a nice soft dough. Now reach into the bowl with your hands and give the dough a quick, gentle kneading -- 3 or 4 turns should be just enough to bring everything together.
Lightly dust a work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Dust the top of the dough very lightly with flour and pat the dough out with your hands or roll it with a pin until it is about 1/2 inch high. Don't worry if the dough isn't completely even -- a quick, light touch is more important than accuracy.
Use the biscuit cutter to cut out as many biscuits as you can. Try to cut the biscuits close to one another so you get the most you can out of this first round. By hand or with a small spatula, transfer the biscuits to the baking sheet. Gather together the scraps, working them as little as possible, pat out to a 1/2-inch thickness and cut as many additional biscuits as you can; transfer these to the sheet. (The biscuits can be made to this point and frozen on the baking sheet, then wrapped airtight and kept for up to 2 months. Bake without defrosting -- just add a couple more minutes to the oven time.)
Bake the biscuits for 14 to 18 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden brown. Transfer them to a cooling rack -- cooled a bit, they're more sweet potatoey. Give them 10 to 15 minutes on the rack before popping them into a basket and serving.
SERVING: Unlike most biscuits, these are best served after they've had a little time to cool. They are as good at brunch (they're great with salty ham and bacon) as they are at tea (try them with a light cheese spread and/or marmalade). Or have them with butter or jam, fruit butter or fruit compote.
STORING: You can keep the biscuits in a plastic bag overnight and give them a quick warm-up in the oven the next day, but you won't recapture their freshly made flakiness.

Sweet Potato Rolls

Estimated Cost: $2.50 for a dozen

Notes: Proof your yeast if you are concerned about its reliablity. Mix your yeast into the warm buttermilk and give it 10 minutes to see if it rises nicely. Continue with the rest of the recipe as follows.

3/4 cup mashed sweet potato, pumpkin, or butternut squash

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cups buttermilk, warm (think baby bottle warm)

2 teaspoons yeast (I love SAF)

1 egg, divided use

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 and 1/2 cups flour, plus more as needed

softened butter, for dough

wheat germ, if desired, for tops

In a large bowl or free standing mixer, combine potatoes, butter, and buttermilk. Add in yeast, egg YOLK, sugar, and salt. Gradually stir in the flour, about 1/2 cup at a time. Knead for 10 to 12 minutes, adding more flour as needed to produce a smooth, elastic dough. Form the dough into a ball, and rub the outside of the dough with butter. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 70 minutes. Punch dough down and shape into 12 balls. Place on greased cookie sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for an additional 45 minutes, or until light and doubled. Brush tops of doughs gently with egg white and sprinkle with wheat germ. Bake at 400 for 8-12 minutes. Serve warm.
Next Up:

My new favorite Shaved Pork with Spicy Green Beans

Classic Buttermilk Biscuits

This summer, I thought it was time to teach my sweet 8 year old charge to cook. Although, she's happiest sitting in a comfey chair with a good book, she has shown a particular interest in baking. She's been cooking at (or on) my side since her infancy, but I still thought it might be nice to have a few formal lessons in the basics. Just her and I, with no distractions from any light saber wielding younger brothers. It had to be something simple, rewarding, fast paced, and delicious. Biscuits seemed like a logical place to start. It's easy enough to measure the dry ingredients in the bowl and give them a quick stir. Although you can use your high fangled food processor, I taught my Sailor-girl to use a pie cutter to cut the butter into the flour. After moistening the mixture with buttermilk, all that is left is a quick patting down of the dough, and some cutting into circles. Easy enough, right? And it's funner than play dough because you get to eat your projects. (Although I have seen a kid or two eat playdough, but it never ends pleasantly.) Fresh out of the oven, oozing with butter, these biscuits just can't be beat. And now that Sailor knows how to make them all by her little self, I'll bet we'll be having them a lot.Money Saving Tips: If you don't have buttermilk on hand, pour 1 tablespoon vinegar into the bottom of a one cup capacity measuring cup. Fill with milk and let stand for 10 minutes.

Classic Buttermilk Biscuits

Estimated Cost: $1.00 for a dozen

2 cups all purpose flour

2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces

1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles small peas. Pour in buttermilk and stir just to form a ball of dough. Turn it out onto lightly floured surface. Pat into 1/2 inch thick oval. Cut about 12 (2 inch diameter) circles from dough. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes.

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Miniature Creamy Lime Pies