Cheesy Biscuits

 Cheesy Biscuits 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I woke up this morning after dreaming about biscuits.  Yes that’s right…I dreamed I was sitting on the sofa eating some warm, fresh out of the oven cheddar biscuits with tons of butter that was running down my arms with every bite I took.  I woke up looking for a napkin and wondering if butter was a good moisturizer for dry skin. Crazy dream but the craving for biscuits was so strong I decided to get up and make some and they were everything I had dreamed of.

 

Cheesy Biscuits

 

2 cups flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold butter cut into small pieces

1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg beaten

2 teaspoons whole milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the COLD butter and with a pastry blender or your fingers, mix the butter into the dry ingredients until it is crumbly and the largest pieces of butter are no bigger than the size of peas.

Add the shredded cheese and mix, then mix in the buttermilk. Mix just until combined.

Turn out onto a floured surface, or a large piece of parchment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Press the dough out until it is about 1/2 inch thick, then fold into thirds and press out again to ½ inch thick.

Cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter and place on a parchment lined baking sheet so the edges are just touching.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gather up any remaining dough and repeat the process of pressing, folding and cutting until no dough remains.

Whisk together the egg and 2 tsp milk and brush over biscuit tops.

Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes until risen and golden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Notes

Make sure you use cold butter when adding into the flour mixture, this helps with the texture of the biscuit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Freshly grated cheese works best when baking with this recipe, it has less preservatives than bagged shredded cheese.

If you do not own a biscuit cutter, a round cookie cutter will work too, or just cut into squares.

Do not over mix, this will make your biscuits rubbery and dry.

 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.

Bacon Encrusted Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin

 Bacon Encrusted Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin

I love pork tenderloin…. I love how tender and juicy it is when you roast or grill it.  I love all the things you can do with it to create different flavors. But what I love most is the fact that it takes 30 minutes or less to prepare it start to finish! This recipe is killer!  Not your typical bacon wrapped pork tenderloin…. Nope.  It is encrusted with bacon and so good! 

Bacon Encrusted Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin

1 lb of crunchy bacon, crumbled
2 lbs pork tenderloin
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar 

1/3 cup Dijon mustard 

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder 

1 teaspoon thyme 

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional) 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet and rack with non-stick cooking spray. 

Using scissors or a sharp knife, chop the bacon very fine and set aside. Lay the tenderloin on a cutting board and pat dry with paper towels. Next, lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper and thyme. 

 

In a small bowl, stir together the mustard, brown sugar, garlic powder and cayenne, if using. Brush this mixture all over the tenderloin. Lay tenderloin in bacon and press down so that it will stick to the coating. Then carefully lay the tenderloin on the baking rack.  Add additional pieces of chopped bacon on top to cover.  

 

Spray a sheet of aluminum foil and lay on top of tenderloin. You just want to tent it so that bacon doesn't get to crisp.  Roast for about 20 minutes or thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 140 degrees. 

 

  

Remove foil and put back in the oven for another 10 minutes for bacon to get crisp.

Let rest 5 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board using a spatula and tongs. 

 Slice into rounds and serve. 

  

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.

Tres Leches Cake with Dulce de Leche Glaze

 Tres Leches Cake with Dulce de Leche Glaze

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the EASIEST homemade Tres Leches Cake you can make. A light and airy cake soaked in a sweet milk mixture and topped with fresh whipped cream and caramel sauce. Try this simple version for an afternoon treat or coffee. Enjoy! 

 Tres Leches Cake with Dulce de Leche Glaze

3 large egg yolks

⅓ cup vegetable oil

½ cup water

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife

1 cup sugar, divided

2 teaspoons baking powder

5 large egg whites

⅛ teaspoon salt

For the Soaking Mixture

 

1 (12-oz) can evaporated milk

1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

 

For the Glaze

1 (13-oz) can dulce de leche, preferably Nestle Brand

¼ cup water

 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and set oven rack to the middle position.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, oil, water and vanilla.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to blend flour, only ¾ cups of the sugar, and baking powder. Mix on low speed for 20 seconds. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and beat on medium-high for one minute to aerate it slightly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for just a few seconds more. Set aside.

In another clean mixing bowl, combine the egg whites and salt. Whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until they are white, foamy, and beginning to hold a very soft peak, 40 to 60 seconds. Increase the speed to high and gradually add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar in a slow stream. Continue whipping the mixture until it is shiny and holds stiff peaks, 2 to 3 minutes.

 

Using a large rubber spatula, add ¼ of the egg white mixture into the batter and mix thoroughly. Add the remaining egg whites to the lightened batter and gently fold until the batter is uniform. Do not over-mix. Scrape the batter into an ungreased 9x13-in glass or ceramic baking dish (do not use metal) and smooth the top. NOTE:  (it's very important NOT to grease the pan). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until it is set and golden. Let the cake sit on the stovetop for 1 to 2 minutes, until the cake settles (you want it to deflate just slightly, so that the top of the cake is level with rim of the pan).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Place four glasses on counter and put the can pan on them…One glass at each corner. Let cool for 1 hour. Once the cake has cooled, flip it over and run a sharp, thin-bladed knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake from the sides. Poke holes in the cake with a skewer or point of a small, sharp knife at ½-in intervals. 

Next, in a large bowl, whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream. Slowly pour or spoon the mixture over the cake, tilting the pan every so often to help it absorb evenly. 

Be patient: this process takes about 10 minutes. If the cake is slow to absorb, run a knife around the edges of the cake again and poke a few more holes. Don't worry if it looks like a mess; it all gets covered with the glaze anyway. Place the cake in the refrigerator, uncovered, to chill for at least 8 hours or overnight. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the cake has chilled, make the glaze:

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the dulce de leche and water. Heat for 30 to 60 seconds in the microwave to soften the dulce de leche, then whisk until completely smooth. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then spread over the cake with an offset spatula or butter knife. Place the cake back in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Garnish however you like. 

 

 

 

Outback Chicken aka Alice Springs Chicken

Outback Chicken aka Alice Springs Chicken

 

I used to love going to Outback Steak House for their delicious steak dinners. I always ordered the “Victoria's Filet Mignon” because it was melt-in-your-mouth-delicious. But also, expensive and going to Outback was for special occasions.  But one night I decided to try something different and I am so glad I did. One bite and I knew this would be what I ordered from now on.  One bite and I said to myself, “Self, you can make this at home.”  And I did and now I save it for when I have someone I want to impress. Friends that will take that one bite and know this is the best thing on Outback’s menu.  Or from my kitchen! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The secret?  You begin by marinating chicken breasts in a delightful honey mustard sauce. Then you top them with mushrooms, crispy bacon, and a generous helping of Monterey Jack cheese. It’s absolutely delicious! 

 

Outback Chicken aka Alice Springs Chicken

 

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup mayonnaise

salt and pepper

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

8 slices bacon, cooked until crispy and cut in half

2 cups button mushrooms

1 tablespoon butter for frying mushrooms

1 cup Monterrey Jack Cheese, grated

Fresh Parsley, chopped

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First make your simple marinade. This recipe will not turn out if you skip this step.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whisk together honey, Dijon mustard, and mayonnaise in a small bowl until smooth. Reserve ½ cup of sauce and set aside. Pour remaining honey marinade into a gallon-sized Zip lock bag and add chicken. Make sure all the chicken is coated in the sauce and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

Remove chicken from refrigerator.  Allow the excess sauce to drip off the chicken and then place each piece on a plate. Dispose of the marinade after you remove the chicken. Remember, you reserved some of the sauce for later. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  It is important to line the pan with parchment paper because the sauce is sticky and might stick and burn.

 

In a heavy-bottomed skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and one tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Season each breast (both sides) with salt and pepper and place in hot skillet. Sear both sides until golden brown but not cooked through, working in batches as not to over-crowd the pan.  Remove browned chicken from skillet and place on prepared baking sheet. Set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the same skillet, add butter and melt over medium heat. Stir in mushrooms and a pinch of salt, and cook until tender and starting to brown. Remove from heat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Divide and spoon mushrooms over the chicken breasts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Followed by half slices of bacon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And finally, the Monterrey Jack cheese.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Lightly cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. The cheese should be melted by this point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top with fresh parsley and serve with reserved honey mustard sauce for dipping.

 

So delicious!  So impressive. So easy to make!

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.