Hungry!

Lately I have found myself baking more..... maybe it is the Spring weather....maybe I am just sick of the same old food. So I have returned to some easy to make family traditions that the family LOVE. Crumpets or pancakes as my US friends call them, Corn bread, Scones or Biscuts as my US friends call them. Being pretty allergic to processed wheat these days, I make the recipes wheat free by substituting regular flour with a combo of rye, oats & rice flours. Just as YUM!

Here are some of my fave recipes:


Charles E. Walton IV

Prep: 10 minutes, Stand: 10 minutes, Cook: 6 minutes per batch.

Yield: Makes about 10 pancakes

Ingredients

• 1  cup  all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons  baking powder
• 1  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1  teaspoon  sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 3/4  cup  buttermilk
• 1/2  cup  milk
• 1  large egg
• 2  tablespoons  butter, melted and cooled

Preparation

1. Whisk together first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine buttermilk, milk, egg, and butter in a separate bowl; add to flour mixture, and whisk just until blended. Transfer to a large measuring cup, and let stand 10 minutes.

2. Pour 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or nonstick pan. Cook until pancakes are covered with bubbles and edges turn brown. Turn and cook other side 2 minutes or until golden brown.

Fresh Berry Buttermilk Pancakes: Add 1/2 cup fresh blueberries or strawberries to batter, and fold in gently. (Raspberries and blackberries tend to break down and produce very wet pancakes.) Note: Frozen berries are picked when ripe and hold up wonderfully if you're craving berry pancakes out of season.

Apple-Walnut Buttermilk Pancakes: Add 1 peeled and sliced firm apple (such as Granny Smith), 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon to batter.

Orange-Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes: Add 1 tablespoon grated orange zest and 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips to batter. Serve with your favorite maple syrup. Garnish with more zest and chocolate.

Karry Hosford

Moist, tender corn bread is traditionally crumbled into a bowl of soup beans. If you have trouble turning out the baked bread, just serve it from the pan.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons  canola oil
• 2  cups  yellow cornmeal
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  baking powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1 3/4  cups  fat-free buttermilk
• 1/8  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1  large egg, lightly beaten

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°.

Pour oil into a 9-inch cast-iron skillet. Place skillet in oven for 10 minutes.

Combine the cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Combine buttermilk, pepper, and egg, stirring with a whisk. Add egg mixture to cornmeal mixture, stirring just until moist. Remove pan from oven. Tip pan to coat bottom and sides with oil; carefully pour excess oil into batter, stirring to combine. Pour the batter into pan, spreading evenly. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Stylist: Buffy Hargett

Prep: 20 min., Chill: 10 min., Bake: 15 min.

Yield: Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients

• 1/2  cup  cold butter
• 2 1/4  cups  self-rising soft-wheat flour
• 1 1/4  cups  buttermilk
• Self-rising soft-wheat flour
• 2  tablespoons  melted butter

Preparation

1. Cut butter with a sharp knife or pastry blender into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Sprinkle butter slices over flour in a large bowl. Toss butter with flour. Cut butter into flour with a pastry blender until crumbly and mixture resembles small peas. Cover and chill 10 minutes. Add buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 3 or 4 times, gradually adding additional flour as needed. With floured hands, press or pat dough into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle (about 9 x 5 inches). Sprinkle top of dough with additional flour. Fold dough over onto itself in 3 sections, starting with 1 short end. (Fold dough rectangle as if folding a letter-size piece of paper.) Repeat entire process 2 more times, beginning with pressing into a 3/4-inch-thick dough rectangle (about 9 x 5 inches).

3. Press or pat dough to 1/2-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface; cut with a 2-inch round cutter, and place, side by side, on a parchment paper-lined or lightly greased jelly-roll pan. (Dough rounds should touch.)

4. Bake at 450° for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; brush with 2 Tbsp. melted butter.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used White Lily Self-Rising Soft Wheat Flour.

Cinnamon-Raisin Biscuits: Omit 2 Tbsp. melted butter. Combine 1/2 cup golden raisins, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1/3 cup chopped pecans with flour in a large bowl. Proceed with recipe as directed. Stir together 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp. buttermilk until smooth. Drizzle over warm biscuits. Makes 2 1/2 dozen.

Black Pepper-Bacon Biscuits: Combine 1/3 cup cooked and crumbled bacon slices (about 5 slices) and 1 tsp. black pepper with flour in a large bowl. Proceed with recipe as directed. Makes 2 1/2 dozen.

Feta-Oregano Biscuits: Combine 1 (4-oz.) package crumbled feta cheese and 1/2 tsp. dried oregano with flour in a large bowl. Proceed with recipe as directed. Makes 2 1/2 dozen.

Pimiento Cheese Biscuits: Combine 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese with flour in a large bowl. Reduce buttermilk to 1 cup. Stir together buttermilk and 1 (4-oz.) jar diced pimiento, undrained. Proceed with recipe as directed. Makes 2 1/2 dozen.

ENJOY!