Long time no see. How have you been?

Well I've been away awhile, but not without good cause. I've been making biscuits! Dozens and dozens of biscuits.

I wanted a perfect southern biscuit with a recipe easy enough for my five year old to prepare (with some supervision). The way I looked at it, if they were easy to make, I wouldn't be tempted to reach for the refrigerator biscuits (which are so disappointing when you want something homemade).

In the Midwest, biscuits were never a big deal. To be perfectly honest, I never really understood why they ever became popular.

But, much like most things, once you take the time to appreciate them, you see the genius.

Biscuits are as versatile as you want to make them. They can be crumbly or fluffy like bread. Either way, they are one thing...very quick to prepare and sinfully delicious right out of the oven. Nice and warm, nothing beats a fresh biscuit with homemade fruit preserves or pure honey. And don't forget the butter!

I have two recipes for you that are both yummy and easy as opening a can of refrigerator biscuits (well, almost as easy).

The first recipe is more of a traditional southern biscuit. It's the kind that your grandmother would have made back in 1940. It is quick enough that you can make it in the morning for breakfast or right before dinner. I've even made these for a late night snack (tonight could be one of those nights!).

So, don't be afraid to give these a whirl. I've included as many pictures as possible of the steps along the way. And...as you can see...my five year old was in the mix the whole time. They really are that easy!

A few quick tips that will make your experience better.

1) Use very fresh double acting baking powder. I prefer Clabber Girl because I like the picture on the can (just being honest).

2) The type of flour makes a world of difference. I use King Arthur Bread Flour. If you can't find King Arthur, Lily White is a good substitute. Bread flour has a smoother consistency than regular all purpose flour (which you can use in a pinch).

3) When patting out the biscuit dough, measure the thickness to be sure you aren't getting it too thin. I ruined a couple of batches trying to eyeball it.

4) Do not open the oven door while the biscuits are baking!!!

5) Always have the oven preheated before the biscuits go in. The heat in the oven creates moisture that works with the baking powder to cause the biscuit to get nice and tall. If the oven is not preheated to the correct temp or the door is not closed during the baking process, you will get rock hard hockey pucks for biscuits.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Grease 2 cookie sheets. I grease cookie sheets with about 1 Tablespoon of Crisco shortening. The easiest way for me to grease a cookie sheet is to place a small plastic sandwich baggie on my hand and smear the shortening around to be sure everything is coated and then wipe off the excess with a paper towel.

Now for the biscuits....

Into your Kitchen Aid bowl add:

2 1/2 cups King Arthur Bread Flour

4 1/2 teaspoons double acting baking powder

2 1/4 teaspoons salt

3 Tablespoons white granulated sugar

Using the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients on medium speed until well mixed. This gives a sifting effect.

Add 3/4 cup Crisco shortening (I use regular flavor).

Using the paddle attachment, mix at a speed no higher than 3 until the mixture resembles cornmeal.

Now, change out the paddle attachment on the Kitchen Aid and replace with the dough hook.

At a speed of 2 (never use the dough hook at high speeds), gradually add 1 cup whole milk to the mixture.

Continue at a speed of 2 until the mixture forms a ball of dough.

Remove the ball of dough to a kneading surface (counter, wooden block, etc) and work in 1/2 c flour.

Pat the dough into a circle 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 2" round biscuits using a biscuit cutter or the bottom of a glass dipped in flour.

Transfer the biscuit circles to the greased baking sheets and bake for 14-17 minutes. Remember to not open the over during baking! Cool on a rack.

Every week I end up throwing out a banana.

Sometimes two.

I'm not really sure why it happens, but every week when I go to the market for groceries, I buy more bananas than we need.

I think it's because the small banana bunches look sad. The big bunches look plump and happy.

I'm not a big fan of banana bread. It's ok. I've always thought it was more work than it's worth.

So rather than make banana bread, I toss out the bananas. It's a horrible waste of food. I know. I always feel guilty.

A year ago I came up with an idea to push the problem out into the future. Every time I have extra bananas, I peel them, wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them.

After a month or so I had to do something with the bananas.

I went on a quest for a banana bread recipe that was worth the preparation. This coming from someone who doesn't really care for banana bread. Not an easy task.

As luck would have it, my 83 year old Scottish neighbor...Lucy...had the secret recipe.

She likes banana bread. A lot. And has been perfecting her recipe for years.

"Simple and moist. Nothing fancy dear."

This one is worth the effort!

If you're one of those people that likes to skip to the end of a book to read the last chapter first...let me save you some time. The net result is a recipe for some pretty darn good chocolate chunk cookies, that are gluten free and just happen to be made with agave nectar. If all you're looking for is the pictures and recipe then go ahead and skip to the bottom. If you want the story...here it is.

It all started last weekend (Saturday) when my son looked up at me and said "Momma. This is my super blaster and makes people want to blast things."

Me, feeling a little under the weather responded. "Yeah, well this is my super belly and it makes people want to exercise."

Sigh...Time to go on a diet. The holidays are coming; I have cute fall clothes to wear that just happen to be a size to small; we're going home for Christmas and I don't want to hear relatives comment "Looks as if you've taken this food thing a little too seriously." So...what to do.

I rummaged through Experience Magazine (Lifetime Fitness freebie with membership) and read a featured article on liver detox. This caught my eye, "Many people experience significant and immediate weight loss on this program, but the net benefits for energy and long-term health are every bit as dramatic."

I was in at "significant and immediate weight loss."

At a high level, the plan calls for eliminating caffeine, all sugars (refined, artificial and honey), gluten and trans fats. There are a number of things that you should consume (apples, oranges, leafy greens, etc) but when it comes to dieting I'm all about knowing what I need to leave out. Consuming things has never been an issue. It's the elimination that I struggle with.

I successfully participated in the plan for 4 days. And felt lousy. And lost no weight. None. Nothing. Zip.

On the evening of the fourth day I decided to do a little research on the author. And...I discovered that in addition to coming up with this detox plan she believes that using cell phones makes you fat.

Sheesh. Why don't I look before I leap? I suffered four days because I believed that someone (who just happens to think that using cell phones make you fat) knew more about nutrition than me.

So, needless to say, I'm off the detox program.

The truth of the matter is that there is no magic formula for weightloss. Eat less and exercise. If you put less into your body than you use, you will lose weight. Very simple.

BUT...something good did come from the detox plan. I learned to use Agave Nectar in more things (Agave has a lower sugar content than honey or sugars) and I developed a large amount of empathy for people that cannot tolerate gluten. Gluten is in practically everything (that I typically eat at least). It's a protein that is found in refined wheat products...think bread, pasta, even some soy products. I personally found that by cutting down the amount of sugar and gluten that I consumed, I felt better, had more consistent energy levels and less cravings.

If you'd like to give it a try...check out these cookies. They are gluten free and use Agave Nectar. I like them as much (if not more) than a traditional chocolate chip cookie. They stay moist and are quite simple to prepare. Since they are made with dark chocolate which tends to be less sweet than milk chocolate, kids don't usually find them quite as yummy. (At least mine didn't)  Dark chocolate tends to suit the taste buds of older folks, since our preference moves toward bitter from sweet.

Pulse blanched almonds in food processor until texture resembles that of flour. 2-3 minutes.

Combine almond flour, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk.

In a smaller bowl, combine melted butter, vanilla and agave nectar. Whisk.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir in the chocolate pieces.

Roll into balls the size of a golf ball. Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. 9 cookies per sheet (they spread when baking)

Bake for approximately 10 minutes until the outer edges are a nice brown color and the top of the cookies are beginning to turn golden in color.

Adapted from Paula Deen's recipe, these cupcakes offer a nice twist of flavors for fall and have become one of my personal favorites.

P.S. Why am I the only person who writes a food blog that can't photograph cupcakes? Arrrgh!

Peach Cobbler.  It's one of those things.  Either it's good or it's not.  And living in Texas...it's just one of those things you ought to know how to prepare...pretty darn well. 

For the past few years I've been trying desperately to find a recipe that worked (for me).  You see, I'm not a native Texan.  I've lived here long enough to squarely call myself a resident, but I swear the peaches can tell if you're native or not while they're baking. 

If you're a Texan, they turn themselves into the best cobbler you've ever had.  If you're not a native Texan, they get together and form a conspiracy to ruin your cobbler, each and every time you make it.  I had tried everything from Bisquick to Patty LaBelle, and I never came up with a peach cobbler recipe that was successful for me.  Until now.  :)

Enjoy!

The Muse Gourmet