Read The Sweet Magnolias Cookbook Online
Authors: Sherryl Woods
The Sweet Magnolias Cookbook (31 page)
Note: Serve warm with butter or as a base for Sullivan's crab cakes topped with Carolina rémoulade sauce.
MAKES 24 CHEF'S TIP:
To make your own baking mix, combine 4½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons baking powder, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 cup all-vegetable shortening, then process in a food processor until it becomes the texture of cornmeal. If you don't have a food processor, you can simply blend together using a handheld pastry blender. Store this baking mix airtight at room temperature up to 3 months. If you have the space to store it in the refrigerator, it will last up to 6 months.
Sweet Potato Biscuits
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1½ teaspoons salt
½ cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato, room temperature
1 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk together. Using a handheld pastry blender or food processor, cut butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is the size of peas.
Blend together the sweet potato and sour cream until smooth. Stir into the dry ingredients, just until the dough comes together; do not overmix.
On a lightly floured surface, knead the biscuit dough a few times. Roll dough to ¾" thick. Cut into rounds, and place 2" apart on prepared pan.
Bake 10â15 minutes until golden brown.
MAKES 12 MEDIUM OR 24 PETITE BISCUITS
Note: To turn these yummy Southern jewels into a more savory dish, add some minced fresh herbs, such as rosemary, sage or thyme, and serve with country ham, baked ham, breakfast sausage patties or pork tenderloin.
Whipping Cream Drop Biscuits
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy whipping cream
Preheat oven to 425°F.
In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients, and stir to blend. Make a well in center of ingredients. Pour whipping cream into well. Stir just until the dough is well blended.
Onto a baking sheet, drop dough into 12 mounds of equal size, allowing about 2" in between.
Bake in center of oven for about 20 minutes, until tops of biscuits are light golden brown and bottoms are golden brown.
MAKES 12
Strawberry Preserves with Rose Geranium & Vanilla Essence
This recipe is a favorite creation of mine. My mother is a purist and believes perfection (like traditional strawberry preserves) shouldn't be messed with. Well, the chef in me (or is it the rebel?!) screams out to try new things. I grow my own scented geraniums and use them to flavor these preserves. Also, I love to make scented sugars by placing the scented geranium leaves in sugar. Leave alone a month and then discard the leaves. Use the sugar in baked goods like sugar cookies and pound cakes. The taste is subtle but memorable.
8 half-pint canning jars, lids and screw-on bands
7 cups sugar
5 cups very thinly sliced, hulled ripe strawberries
8 rose-scented geranium leaves
1 teaspoon butter
1 (3-ounce) pouch liquid fruit pectin
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Sterilize jars, lids and screw-on bands in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Drain well just before filling jars with prepared preserves.
In a saucepan, combine sugar, strawberries, geranium leaves and butter (the little bit of butter helps reduce foaming). Bring to a boil, stirring often. Remove geranium leaves, and discard.
When you reach a rolling boil (one that you can't stir down), add pectin all at once. Stir well. Return to a boil, and boil exactly 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Stir in vanilla extract. Pour into hot, sterilized jars. Wipe rims of jars clean. Secure lids with screw-on bands.
Process jars of preserves in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Carefully remove from water bath, and let stand at room temperature to cool.
In a few hours, check to be certain all jars are vacuum sealed. Store at room temperature up to 1 year. If you have a jar that didn't vacuum seal, refrigerate, and use within 1â2 weeks.