the very best whole wheat buttermilk biscuits

 

yields 10 biscuits

ingredients

1 – 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1 tablespoon + 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut in 1/4” pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk

directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.  Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut cold butter into the mixture until it resembles pea-sized coarse crumbs.  It is imperative that the butter is cold and that the pieces of butter are visible.  These pieces create pockets of air during baking, resulting in lighter, flakier biscuits.

Make a well in the center of the mixture.  Pour in the buttermilk, stirring with a large fork until it just clings together.  Do not over mix.  Dump the dough onto a flour surface.  With floured hands, gently pat and press the dough together.  Roll or pat the the dough to one inch thick.  Cut with a biscuit cutter or a glass that is 2 1/2” inches in diameter. 

Place biscuits one inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.  For more rustic biscuits, place the cutouts close together in a nine inch cake pan.  This may increase baking time slightly.

Bake for 12 – 15 minutes, checking at 10 minutes to determine progress.  Tops will be light golden brown when the biscuits are ready.  I like to pull one biscuit apart to be sure it’s no longer doughy in the center.  Serve hot with plenty of butter and honey.

 

whole wheat ham and cheddar biscuits

These are a huge hit with children and adults, alike.  Simply fold in 3 ounces chopped ham and 3 ounces chopped cheddar cheese before adding the buttermilk.  Increase buttermilk to one cup.  Additional flour may be needed when patting or rolling out the dough.  Be careful not to overwork the dough or your biscuits will be tough.  Cut into 2 - 1/2 inch rounds and bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes.  These tend to bake faster than the regular biscuits. 

Serve with fruit for a light lunch or hearty snack. 

spiced banana bars with lemon icing

 

serves 8 – 10

ingredients

bars
1 cup flour (I use 2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour + 1/3 cup white flour) 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup ripe banana (about 1 large banana), mashed
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk (2% or whole)

lemon icing
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 – 1/2 tablespoons hot water
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
3 cups powdered sugar

 

directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

bars
Sift the dry ingredients.  You can use a sieve or wire whisk in place of a sifter.  Set aside.  With a wooden spoon or handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a medium bowl.  Add the mashed banana and blend thoroughly.  Now add the egg and beat well.  Next, add the dry ingredients and milk.  Blend thoroughly.  Spread the mixture evenly in a well-greased, floured 9 x 11 x 2 inch pan.

Bake for 20 –25 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Place the bars, in the pan, on a wire rack to cool.  Using a toothpick, prick the entire surface of the bars, at one inch intervals.  Frost the bars generously while still warm.

lemon icing
In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, hot water, lemon juice and zest.  Using a handheld electric mixer, blend in the powdered sugar until smooth.  If the icing seems thin, add additional powdered sugar, as needed.  Be sure to work speedily when frosting the bars as the icing glazes over quickly.

whole wheat buttermilk corn muffins with luscious maple butter

yields 12 muffins

 

ingredients

muffins
1 cup fine cornmeal or corn flour(such as Bob’s Red Mill)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (Bob’s Red Mill) 
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

maple butter
1 stick butter, softened
2-3 tablespoons pure grade B maple syrup (such as Coombs)

directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

muffins
Grease 12 regular muffin cups.  Whisk the cornmeal with flour, sugar, and baking powder.  In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg.  Once fully combined, whisk in the melted butter.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, stirring until incorporated.  Do not over mix.  Batter will be thick.  Add up to 1/4 additional buttermilk, as needed.

Divide batter among the 12 muffin cups, about 1/2 full.  Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Rotate once during baking.  Muffin tops will be light in color.  For golden crowns, lightly broil for about a minute on low broil.  Watch very closely so as not to burn.  Cool in pan for 5 minutes.  Serve hot.



maple butter
With an electric mixer, beat the softened butter until creamy.  Gradually add maple syrup in a steady stream, beating until smooth.  

Serve muffins while still hot, slathered in maple butter.

whole wheat buttermilk yeast rolls

 
yields approximately 24 rolls

ingredients

1 package active dry yeast (fleischman’s)
1/4 cup warm water
3 cups room temperature buttermilk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter, cooled
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
5-6 cups whole wheat pastry flour*
2 cups unbleached white flour 

directions

Put yeast and water in a mixing bowl.  Stir until dissolved.  Add room temp buttermilk and sugar.  Let the mixture stand (to proof) for 15 minutes.

Add the melted butter and beaten eggs to the buttermilk mixture.  Whisk to combine.  At this point, my mom prefers to use her KitchenAid.  I like to do it by hand.  If using a stand mixer, begin with the paddle attachment. 

In another bowl, sift the soda, salt and 4 cups of whole wheat pastry flour.  Add the flour mixture to the liquid until a smooth batter forms.  If you are using an electric mixer, switch out the paddle for the dough hook at this time.  Add the white flour, beating well until incorporated.  Add the remaining wheat flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a fairly smooth dough begins to form.  It may not be necessary to use all of the flour.  Stop adding flour if the dough starts to lose its sheen.  Knead the dough with a dough hook or by hand for about 8 minutes, until smooth and satiny (dough made with wheat flour will be less satiny than dough made with white flour).

Place dough in a buttered bowl and butter the top of the dough, as well.  Cover with a towel and rise in a warm place for one hour.  Pinch off sections of dough roughly the size of golf balls.  Place balls of dough on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Rise for an additional 30 minutes.  Bake rolls at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes, until tops are light golden brown.  About 10 minutes into baking, I like to brush the tops with butter but this is optional. 

Unbaked, these rolls freeze quite well.  Place them in the freezer on a baking sheet, for about half an hour.  Once they are firm, transfer to sealable freezer bags.  Thaw frozen rolls at room temperature.  Remove  them from the freezer a few hours ahead of time and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet 30 minutes before baking.

* I use Bob’s Red Mill organically grown whole wheat pastry flour.  They also make a non-organic version.  Either is fine.  White wheat flour is not the same as whole wheat pastry flour.  I have tried both and much prefer the pastry flour.

whole wheat ham and cheddar pockets

 

yields 10 petite pockets or 5 meal-sized portions

Ingredients

whole wheat pizza dough*

1 cup wrist-temperature water
1 package active dry yeast (such as Fleischmann's)
1 T honey
1 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp salt
2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
1/2 – 1 cup organic unbleached flour (Gold Medal) 

filling

20 slices nitrite-free ham
1 1/2 cups shredded medium cheddar
1 cup cup shredded romano or parmesan cheese
olive oil for basting

DIRECTIONs

for crust

Combine yeast with water, olive oil, honey and salt.  Stir until dissolved.  Let the mixture sit for five minutes to proof.

Whisk in flour until it is too thick to whisk.  Use one hand to knead the dough in the bowl for about five minutes.  Add flour until it is no longer sticky.

Drizzle a little olive oil in the bowl and turn the dough once to coat.  Cover the bowl and place in a warm, draft-free place for about one hour or until dough has doubled in bulk.

assembly

Once dough has risen, cut in half and divide each half into five equal portions.  Roll each portion into round discs, about 6 inches across.  

Divide 3/4 cup shredded cheddar amongst the discs, leaving a 1/2” border and reserving half of the dough for folding over the filling.  Next, add one slice ham, folded or torn to fit.  Divide and sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup cheddar over ham.  Finish with the shredded romano or parmesan.
Gently stretch 1/2 of the dough over the filling, sealing the edges by folding over and crimping.  If dough begins to dry, lightly brush edges with lukewarm water before sealing.  Brush pockets with olive oil.  Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet at 500 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and lightly golden on top. 
 
Serve hot or at room temperature.

*The pizza dough is quite versatile and works well for pizzas and calzones with any variation of toppings or filling.

organic whole wheat banana muffins or bread

 

yields 5-6 dozen miniature muffins or 6 petite loaves 

ingredients

7 organic ripe bananas, mashed with a potato masher or fork
3/4 C melted organic butter
3 organic eggs, beaten with fork
1 1/2 C dark brown sugar
generous splash of good vanilla
3 C organic whole wheat pastry flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
1/2 C organic unbleached wheat flour (Gold Medal)
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 – 12 oz. bag chocolate chips (mini, dark, etc…), optional

directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


In a large bowl, mix together the first 5 ingredients.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients until incorporated but do not over mix.  Add one bag of mini or regular chocolate chips, if desired. 

   
For miniature muffins*, fill paper lined tins 3/4 full and bake  for 15-20 minutes.  For regular muffins, fill lined tins 2/3 full and bake for 25-30 minutes.  For mini loaves, grease and flour six miniature loaf pans and fill each about 2/3 full.  Bake for 30-40 minutes.  Place pans on a rimmed baking sheet for easier transport in and out of the oven.  The loaves freeze well, wrapped in waxed paper and foil.  Bread is as good when still slightly frozen. 

 
*An easy way to fill the muffin tins:  spoon batter into a clear plastic sandwich bag, seal and snip off one corner.