Gluten Free Angel Biscuits!

I have made lots of gluten free biscuits before and they have always left me missing the good old fashioned biscuits my Nana made. The ones I have made with Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free flour were heavy and grainy and dried out too fast. I was reminded of Angel Biscuits and how much a little yeast can do to a plain baking powder biscuit. I thought I'd give it a try.

I came across a gluten free flour mixture from Art of Gluten Free Cooking. This mixture makes light and fluffy baked goods! It's now my go to mix for all my gluten free baked goods.

Jeanne’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix (mix together and store in fridge):
1 1/4 C. brown rice flour
1 1/4 C. white rice flour
1 C. tapioca flour
1 C. sweet rice flour (also known as Mochiko)
2 scant tsp. xanthan gum

Gluten Free Angel Biscuits

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups Jeanna's Gluten free flour mix
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup buttermilk or almond milk

1 stick butter, cut into pieces

Dissolve yeast in the warm water, set aside. Mix together dry ingredients then cut in the butter until small pea sized pieces form. Pour the yeast mixture and milk into the flour mixture all at once then stir until just combined. Turn the dough out on to a GF floured surface. Knead dough 3-4 times then roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out and place on a lined baking sheet. Makes about 12 biscuits. Preheat oven to 400*. Cover and let rise slightly in a warm place for at least 30 minutes to 1 hr. The warmer the room the quicker the rise. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Serve warm.

Apple Turnovers

Oh the iconic apple turnover. As popular as the apple pie. So country, so humble and oh so good. Both of my grandmothers used to make these with their own personal touch. Nana Shirley would toss the turnover in cinnamon sugar after pulling it out of the cooking oil but Mamaw Ola Mae did not.  I remember Mamaw making them more than Nana. My aunt Carol said it was her job as a child to place slices of apples on top of the chicken coop(on newspaper) to dry. I think that using dried apples to make apple turnovers made my Mamaw's turnovers so flavorful. They are the perfect little dessert or snack for picnics or people on the go.  I had some dough left over from quiches that I made for my cousin's bridal shower so I used that.  I used the Better Home and Garden pie crust recipe.  It makes two pie crusts.

After letting the dough rest I rolled it out pretty thin. Then I cut out 3 inch rounds. I then rolled the rounds even thinner.

I cooked down about 5-6 large apples with 1 stick butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar to taste.  This is all about personal preference. Some apples may need more sugar than others.  Once it cooked down to a chunky apple sauce texture it was ready. I filled each round with about 2 tablespoons of filling. I folded over an edge and "glued" the edges together with a little water. Press edge with fork to seal.

 

Heat up oil of your choice.  I prefer using a cast iron pan. Brown on both sides.  They cook pretty quickly.  I haven't tried to bake these but that is an option.

I tossed them in cinnamon and sugar. I ate way too many.

Candied Popcorn

My Papa Hastings loves popcorn balls but for the life of me I don't know how my Great Grandmother was able to make popcorn balls without burning her hands. I tried. I really did but there was no way I was going to make the whole batch into balls before it cooled completely. So I came up with plain ole candied popcorn. My Papa Hastings liked it anyway. I added a little food coloring to make it festive.

Candied Popcorn

Makes 12

• 12 cups popped, unsalted popcorn (1/2 cup kernels)
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 5 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 or 2 drops food coloring

Directions

1. Combine popcorn into a large greased mixing bowl, and set aside.
2. Combine sugar, 3/4 cup water, corn syrup, salt, and vinegar in a small, heavy saucepan. Set the saucepan over high heat, and bring the mixture to a boil. Insert a candy thermometer, and cook until the mixture reaches 290 degrees, about 14 minutes. Add food coloring, stirring, until desired color is reached. Remove pan from heat.
3. Pour the hot syrup over the reserved popcorn mixture; stir together with a wooden spoon until all the kernels have been well coated. Pour candied popcorn onto a greased sheet pan to cool. Store the popcorn balls in an airtight container up to 2 days.

I adapted the recipe from Martha Stewart's Popcorn Ball recipe.

Simple Strawberry Jam

Simple Strawberry Jam

2 quarts strawberries, crushed
6 cups sugar

Combine berries and sugar in a large sauce pot.

Bring slowly to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly until thick, about 40 minutes. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking.

Pour hot into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Adjust caps. Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath. Yield: about 4 pints.

Tip of the Week
Save the box that your jars came in to store your canned items and your empty jars as you use them. The boxes can easily be stack on top of one another.

My Treasures

The showcase piece for this week's "My Treasures" is this well used cookbook that belonged to my Great-Grandma Taffer. While my Nana was sick with cancer she took time with me to pass down a few precious pieces that belonged to her. I felt so honored to be given this cookbook that belonged to her mother. It, no doubt, was a staple cookbook in my great-grandmother's home as she cooked many meals for her large family. As I look through it, searching for a recipe, I instinctively treat it as if it were made of glass. One recipe in particular that I love from this book is the spoon bread! So light and fluffy.


Spoon Bread

1 cup corn meal
2 cups sweet milk
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites whipped up
1/4 cup melted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Bring milk to a boil and the add salt and slowly stir in corn meal. Cook to mush while stirring constantly. Cool mixture. Add egg yolks, melted butter and baking powder to cooled corn meal mixture. Fold in whipped egg whites. Bake in buttered baking dish (it takes a rather small dish) about 30 minutes on 375'. Serve hot.

Dilly Beans!!!

Here is a Southern treat. Dilly Beans! These yummy treats are sour, spicy and crispy. A great summer snack or side dish to a picnic or BBQ.



Dilly Beans

2 pounds trimmed green beans
4 heads dill or 4 teaspoons dried dill
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional)
4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 1/2 cups vinegar
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup canning salt or non iodize salt

Pack beans lengthwise into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. (wide mouth jars work best) To each pint, add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 clove garlic and 1 head or 1 teaspoon dill (1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes if you want them really hot). Combine remaining ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Pour hot liquid over beans leaving 1/4 inch head space. Remove air bubbles. I use a wooden chopstick to get air bubbles out. Top with prepared lids and rings. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Let the Dilly Beans pickle for at least 4 weeks.

For guidelines and canning tips go here.