Creative Cooks

Butter Swim Biscuits
Prep 15 mins Cook 30 mins Cooling and Freezing Time 15 mins Total 60 mins Serves 9 (serving size: 1 slice)

Ingredients

226g unsalted butter (8 ounces; 2 sticks), frozen, divided
320g soft wheat all-purpose flour (11 1/4 ounces; 2 1/2 cups)
30g granulated sugar (1 ounce; 2 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
1 3/4 cups (415ml) whole buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Directions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 450°F (230ºC).
Using the large holes of a box grater, grate 1 stick frozen butter. In a medium bowl, toss together grated butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until butter is thoroughly coated in flour mixture. Chill, uncovered, in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Add remaining butter to an 8-inch square aluminum baking pan. Place in preheated oven until melted, about 4 minutes.
Meanwhile: Using a flexible rubber spatula, stir buttermilk into the flour mixture until just combined (dough will be very sticky).
Remove pan from oven. Carefully scrape dough into the prepared pan, and, using the same spatula, spread dough to the edges. Use a butter knife to cut the dough all the way through into 9 equal squares. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top.
Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 22 to 24 minutes. Let the biscuits cool slightly in the baking pan before serving, about 5 minutes.

Special Equipment
8-inch square aluminum baking pan

Make Ahead and Storage
Store in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag for up to 2 days. To reheat, warm in a 350°F oven until heated through, about 5 to 7 minutes.

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Cinnamon Crunch Bagel Loaf
Prep time: 15 MINUTES, PLUS 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES FOR RISING cook time: 50 MINUTES total time: 2 HOURS 35 MINUTES, MOST OF THIS IS INACTIVE TIME yields: 1 (9x5 Inch) BAGEL LOAF

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups warm water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups bread flour*
1 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-4 ounces white chocolate, shredded
1 teaspoon baking soda, for boiling
1 teaspoon malt syrup or brown sugar, for boiling

Cinnamon Crunch Topping
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons butter, melted

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WALNUT AND CRANBERRY SEEDY CRACKERS
Makes 40 crackers Prep time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 65 minutes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries
2 Tbsp chia seeds
2 Tbsp flax seeds
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Grease 2 mini loaf pans (5 x 3 x 2").

In a large bowl combine the first 9 ingredients.

In a small bowl combine the buttermilk, maple syrup, and brown sugar.

Add the wet to the dry and stir. Divide the batter into two mini loaf pans. Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes, until golden brown.

Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove and cool completely. Place the loaves in the freezer for 30 minutes. This will make them easier to cut.

Preheat the oven to 300ºF.

Remove the loaves from the freezer. With a sharp bread knife, slice the loaves into very thin slices. The thinner the better. Place the slices onto a baking sheet. Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, flip, and then 15 more minutes on the other side.

Remove from the oven and let cool. Can be stored in an airtight container for two weeks.

Mincemeat Soda Bread

Ingredients:

450g plain white flour
50g caster sugar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
300ml buttermilk
6 to 8 tablespoons mincemeat

Optional
30g butter

Directions:

Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 220C/425F/Gas mark 7 and grease and/or line a baking tray.
Step 2: Sift all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and rub in the butter, if using, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Step 3: Add the buttermilk and mix with your hands to form a dough – do not over mix as it will make the soda bread tough. Add the mincemeat and work it into the dough gently.
Step 4: Turn the dough out onto a floured board and shape into a round- about 4cm/1 1/2″ thick. Place the soda bread onto the prepared baking tray and cut a deep cross in the top.
Step 5: Sprinkle with extra flour and caster sugar, then bake in pre-heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until well risen and golden brown.
Step 6: Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack or wrap in a clean tea towel for a soft crust.
Step 7: Cut into wedges and serve warm with butter.

FRY BREAD
prep time 15 minutes cook time 8 minutes resting time 20 minutes total time 43 minutes servings 8 fry

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
2-1/3 cup (313g) white, all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder (NOT soda!)
2 teaspoons white, granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon instant or active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (240g) milk (we use whole)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil + more for frying

INSTRUCTIONS
DOUGH: Melt butter in the microwave. Let the butter cool back to room temperature (it's important it's not hot!). Microwave the milk until just warmed (Note 2), but not hot. Mix together melted butter and milk and set aside. In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, yeast, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
Dough should be rough, shaggy, and fairly sticky, but not so sticky you can't work with it. Lightly flour your hands and knead the dough just a few times to shape it into a ball, being careful not to overwork/over-handle the dough. In the same bowl you used for mixing, drizzle a tablespoon of vegetable oil in the bowl. Rub oil on the bottom of the bowl and slightly up the sides. Add the dough ball back into the bowl and turn the dough to coat in the oil. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel. Let it rest for about 15-20 minutes. We don't need the dough to rise, just the gluten to relax!

PREPARE FOR FRYING: Add 1 inch of oil to a large cast iron pot and heat to 350 degrees F. Divide the rested dough into 8 equal portions (cut the ball of dough in half then half again to get 4 large triangle pieces. Cut each triangle into 2 pieces to get 8 equal triangles). Lightly flour your hands and work with one piece of dough at a time (keep the rest of the dough portions covered). Holding the piece of dough with your hands, gently work the dough into a circle pressing it out with your fingers. (Don't roll out the dough with a rolling pin or flatten on the table.) The dough should make a thin 5- to 6-inch circle and doesn't need to look pretty -- it's supposed to be rustic looking! The thinner the pieces, the better; keep working the dough outwards, being careful to not rip it.

FRY: Gently drop only one piece of dough at a time into the fully heated oil. Fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute per side (if not using cast iron pot, it will be longer) -- fry pieces to a dark golden brown color, flipping the dough with 2 forks (or tongs) halfway through. Use a large slotted spoon (or tongs) to remove the dough onto a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat to fry the remaining dough.

RECIPE NOTES
Note 1: Frying equipment options:
Use a deep fryer.
If you don’t have a deep fryer, you’ll want a heavy-bottomed deep pot (I recommend using a large (5 quart) cast iron pot) and thermometer to gauge the temperature of the oil and ensure it maintains the right heat throughout frying. We want to ensure the temperature stays consistent and doesn’t get too hot (or too cool) which will affect how the bread fries. If you don't have access to a thermometer, try this trick: Stand a wooden spoon handle in the hot oil. When bubbles gather around the stick, the oil is ready to fry.
Note 2: Test milk temperature: Drizzle a few drops of the warmed milk onto the inside of your wrist. If it is warm and comfy it will be perfect for the yeast. If it feels hot, it will be too hot for the yeast. Too cold and the yeast will simply remain dormant.

Keto-Friendly Olive-Cheese Corn Bread
15 mins prep 25 mins cook 10 servings


Ingredients

1 ½ cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, melted
3 eggs
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup Medium Black Ripe Olives
1 cup shredded cheese (Cheddar and/or Monterey jack)
1/3 Manzanilla Olives Stuffed with Pimiento
Scallions, sliced


Cooking Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400º F.

Combine the almond flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

Add 3 tablespoons melted butter and eggs to the bowl and stir until combined. Set aside.

On the stove in a pan over medium-high heat, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter. Add the minced garlic and stir until fragrant and barely starting to brown, 2-4 minutes; slice both varieties of olives and add to the pan. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Spoon approximately 1/3 of the olives and garlic and ½ cup of the cheese into the bowl with the flour until combined. Then add to a cast iron skillet (or an oven safe dish). Smooth the top.

Top the batter with the remaining olives and garlic and remaining ½ cup of cheese and sliced scallions.

Bake for 18 minutes, until golden brown.

ELROND'S GARDEN HERB FLATBREAD
PREP TIME 1 hour 15 mins COOK TIME 20 mins TOTAL TIME 1 hour 35 mins Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

7g - active dry yeast
1 Tbsp - olive oil
1½ cup - all-purpose flour
1 tsp - salt
¾ cup - water, 110F
1 Tbsp - fresh thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp - fresh rosemary, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine yeast and warm water and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Add flour, olive oil, salt, thyme, and rosemary. Mix until combined.
Knead for 3 minutes until smooth. Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Let it proof for 1 hour or until double in size.
Pace the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut it into 6 equal size pieces. Roll each piece out with a rolling pin.
At this point, you can grill or cook the dough on a skillet with a bit of oil until golden on both sides.

Gluten-Free Biscuits
Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Chilling time: 30 minutes Yield: 10 (2 1/2-inch) biscuits

Ingredients
2 cups (about 300 g) gluten-free flour mix, preferably Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Blend or another flour blend with xanthan gum
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) very cold butter, cut into tablespoons and then cut in half, plus more to grease the pan
3/4 to 1 cup cold buttermilk
1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter

Special equipment:
9-inch cast iron skillet, or 8x8 baking dish
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Shortcut Amish Friendship Bread

Ingredients

For the Starter
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup lukewarm milk (90-100 degrees F)
3 teaspoons fresh yeast
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
3/4 teaspoon instant yeast

For the Bread
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 apples, cored and chopped
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup raisins

Instructions

For the starter: In a small bowl, combine ingredients for the starter. Place the bowl in a warm (not hot) location, free from drafts. Wait for about 10 minutes or until yeast activates – it will become foamy and show signs of expansion.

For the bread: Combine together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the “starter”, eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir in the sifted ingredients and mix until just blended (do not over-mix). Finally stir in the chopped apples, raisins and pecans. Divide the batter evenly between two lightly greased and floured 9×5 inch loaf pans.

Bake in a 350 F degree preheated oven for 50 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf – it should come out clean.