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Maple Cinnamon Buttermilk Biscuits

Maple Cinnamon Buttermilk Biscuits

by | Apr 26, 2019 | Bread & Bakery, Breakfast, Food

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Loaded with cinnamon chips and brushed with melted maple butter, these tender, flaky buttermilk biscuits are a delicious treat to serve at your next brunch. Served warm and drizzled with homemade maple icing, you won’t know if you’re eating breakfast or dessert.

Back when I use to work in an office full-time, there was this amazing bakery just around the corner from my building. If I was having a particularly rough day (or it was just a random Tuesday) I would take a walk and go on a mission for carbs. Now, I love cookies and sweet treats just as much as the next person but, to be honest, I typically lean more savory when I’m looking for comfort food. For this reason, my go-to bakery treat was always a giant buttermilk biscuit.

Biscuits may be one of my very favorite baked goods. Their flaky, buttery layers, crisp exterior and tender interior are so incredibly satisfying. Whenever I try a new brunch spot, I always make a point to try their biscuits. I’ve found that if a restaurant nails their biscuit recipe, then the rest of their food is usually pretty excellent. 

These biscuits were born out my desired to create a vessel for leftover Easter ham breakfast sandwiches. A plain biscuit would have surely sufficed, but I wanted something a little sweet that would help cut through the salty ham. While these definitely make a killer breakfast sandwich piled high with leftover ham, swiss cheese, cranberry mustard and a fried egg—they’re totally delicious on their own too.

Buttery and flaky like a croissant and full of sweet spice like a cinnamon roll these biscuits are an excellent salty-sweet hybrid. I’ve also served these warm with vanilla ice cream and cinnamon apples—like a shortcake. So good!

Tips for making Biscuits

Over the years, I’ve picked up several tips for making biscuits that help enhance their texture, rise and flavor. Essentially making great biscuits boils down to three main things: ingredient quality, temperature and shaping.

When it comes to ingredients, the foundation of any basic biscuit is simple: flour, butter, leavening agent, sugar, salt and liquid. However, I’ve found it’s important to not take their simplicity for granted. Choosing a high-quality flour and butter makes a big difference in a biscuit’s overall flavor, texture and rise. My motto: if you’re going to eat butter-ladened biscuits do it right and use the good stuff.

Temperature is another critical component to biscuit making. I like to freeze my butter overnight before making my biscuit dough. Then, I grate it using a cheese grater. This method ensures little (nearly) uniform shreds of butter get distributed throughout the dough for ultimate flakiness. One other trick is to use a chilled rolling pin to roll out the dough.  I find that anything I can do to keep the butter cold before baking will help enhance their flaky texture.

Last, shaping. Remember when I said these biscuits almost resemble croissants? That’s because I like to “faux” laminate my biscuit dough. I say “faux” because I don’t use a butter block and chill in between folds as one would when they make croissants. First, I roll out the dough into a square that’s about 1/2-inch thick. Then, I sprinkle the cinnamon chips and press them gently into the dough. Next, I fold the dough into thirds (like a brochure) and then in half again (hamburger fold). Then I give it a 90-degree turn and repeat these steps once. Finally, I roll out the dough a final time into a square that is just about 1-inch thick and cut out my biscuits. I usually get about 9 large biscuits out of this recipe and once cut, you can see all the pretty layers in the dough.

Once my biscuits are cut out, I place them on a baking sheet and brush them with melted homemade maple butter. The maple butter not only gives the biscuits a lovely, subtle maple flavor, but they also give them great color as the sugar in the syrup caramelizes in the oven. 

Finally, for an extra special treat, I like to drizzle these biscuits with a little maple icing just before serving. I mix a few tablespoons of milk and powdered sugar into any remaining melted maple butter and then pour it over the warm biscuits. Some may call this overkill, but I call it delicious.

If you’re not a fan of cinnamon, you can totally omit the cinnamon and cinnamon chips from this recipe and just make some stellar plain buttermilk biscuits as well. I’ve also mixed in fresh jalapeños and cheddar cheese, blueberries or chocolate chips before too with amazing results. The options are limitless so get creative and play around with different sweet or savory mix-ins. 

Are you a fellow biscuit lover like me? Do you have any tips or tricks that you’ve found help you make the perfect biscuits? Share them with me below in the comments. I love sharing my knowledge but I love learning from fellow foodies too!

If you try out this recipe, please give it a rating and don’t forget to tag me on social media. It’s @frydaeblog or #frydae absolutely everywhere. As always, thank you so much for stopping by my little corner of the internet and I hope you take a moment to see what else I’ve been cooking up in my kitchen. Have a wonderful weekend and happy Frydae!

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Maple Cinnamon Buttermilk Biscuits

Loaded with cinnamon chips and brushed with melted maple butter, these tender, flaky buttermilk biscuits are a delicious treat to serve at your next brunch. Served warm and drizzled with homemade maple icing, you won’t know if you’re eating breakfast or dessert.

Course Bread & Bakery
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 9 Large Biscuits

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter (frozen)
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (divided)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup Hershey's Cinnamon Chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Then, in a large mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and ground cinnamon. Stir to combine.

    Next, using a cheese grater, grate two sticks of frozen unsalted butter. Add to the mixing bowl along with the honey and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Gently stir to coat the butter sheds in the dry ingredients and then add 1 cup of buttermilk.

    Using a wooden spoon, gently fold the dough together until all the dry ingredients are just combined. Take care not to over mix.

    Next, turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently shape into a square and then, using a chilled rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 1/2-inch thick square.

    Sprinkle the cinnamon chips evenly over the dough and gently press to adhere. Then, fold the dough into thirds (like a brochure) and then in half again to shape into a square. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and then repeat these steps once.  

    Roll out the dough a final time into a square that's 1-inch thick. Using a sharp knife trim away any rough edges of the dough so you are left with a clean square of dough. Doing this will also help your biscuits rise evenly. Next, cut into nine equal squares and transfer onto a parchment lined baking sheet. 

    Now in a small ramekin, melt two tablespoons of butter with 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup. About 15 seconds in the microwave should suffice. Stir to combine and then brush the top of each biscuit with the melted maple butter.

    Place the biscuits into the oven on the center rack and bake for 15-18 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. Brush with more melted maple butter and serve warm.

    For an extra special treat, you could also add a few tablespoons of powdered sugar and milk to any remaining melted maple butter and drizzle that over the biscuits just before serving too.

Slow Cooker Root Beer Ham

Slow Cooker Root Beer Ham

by | Apr 12, 2019 | Beef & Pork, Food

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Perfect for holidays, parties and large gatherings, this simple, 3-ingredient ham is made right in your slow cooker. Unlike traditional ham that’s sliced thin, this ham cooks in root beer and brown sugar until tender and then shredded like pulled pork.

Today, I’m sharing one of my all-time favorite entertaining recipes. I make this ham every year for Christmas and Easter. It’s the perfect recipe for a crowd because it’s simple, hands-off and makes a ton of food.

This ham was inspired by one of my local favorite Milwaukee brunch spots, Blue’s Egg. Their ham is unlike anything I’ve ever eaten before because it’s shredded like pulled pork. It’s so tender and juicy and is the shining star on their egg’s benedict. It wasn’t long after my first visit, that I made it my mission to create my own pulled ham recipe.

Several years and many versions later, this is the recipe that stuck. Not only is it delicious, but it’s simple too. You start with an 8-10lb bone-in ham. I personally prefer the butt portion, but the shank portion also works great.

Then, you just need about 1/4 cup of brown sugar and a 2-liter bottle of your favorite root beer. The root beer and brown sugar add a nice sweetness to this ham that’s almost maple-like. To cook, add everything to a large slow cooker and cover. Then, let it hang out for 6-8 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.

If your ham doesn’t fit in your slow cooker, you can cut it into a few chunks and let it cook in 2-3 larger pieces. The key is making sure your lid can securely fit to keep the moisture inside the slow cooker. You don’t want your ham baby drying out!

At about the 4-hour mark, I like to turn the ham. Depending on the size of your slow cooker, the whole ham likely won’t be able to be submerged. Turning it halfway through cooking ensures every inch of the ham has the opportunity to cook in the root beer.

After 8 hours, the ham should be falling apart. Remove the meat from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks. From here, you can either return the ham to the root beer and keep it warm until serving or you can pile it high onto a platter.

I often make this ham a day ahead. One thing I like to do, once the ham is cooked, is to store the shredded ham separate from cooking liquid overnight in the fridge. Then, in the morning, I can easily skim and remove some of the excess fat solids from the cooking liquid. I don’t know how much this truly helps from a health standpoint, but it makes me feel less guilty about eating three pounds of this ham!

After skimming the fat, I put the chilled ham and skimmed cooking liquid back into the slow cooker and let it warm back up on my slow cooker’s lowest setting.

The best part about this ham is the leftovers! I make this recipe periodically for just my husband and I. We eat it for dinner and then freeze smaller portions of it to use later. We use it to make toasted ham sandwiches, add it to omelets, make split pea and ham soup, and put it on top of our eggs benedict. The possibilities are endless. 

This ham is always a hit at the holidays and parties. People always ask for the recipe and are always surprised to hear how simple this flavorful ham is. So, if you’re looking for a no-fuss recipe to serve this Easter, try out this slow cooker root beer ham.

If you try out this recipe, don’t forget to give it a rating and leave me a comment below. You can also tag me on social media. It’s @frydaeblog or #frydae absolutely everywhere. I’d love to see this on your family’s Easter dinner table! As always, thank you so much for visiting and I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Happy Frydae!

shredded pulled root beer ham from a slow cooker
5 from 1 vote
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Slow Cooker Root Beer Ham

Perfect for holidays, parties and large gatherings, this simple, 3-ingredient ham is made right in your slow cooker. Unlike traditional ham that’s sliced thin, this ham cooks in root beer and brown sugar until tender and then shredded like pulled pork. 

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 5 minutes
Servings 12

Ingredients

  • 8-10 pound semi-boneless half ham (butt portion recommended)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 4-6 cups root beer (about half of a 2-liter)

Instructions

  1. Place ham and brown sugar into a large slow cooker (6 or 8-quart size is best). If your ham will not fit, trim into 2-3 larger pieces.

    Next, pour the root beer over the ham. You want the root beer to go about halfway up the sides of the ham.

    Cover securely with your slow cooker's lid and cook on high for 6-8 hours or on low for 8-10 hours.

    After 4 hours, remove the lid and turn the ham over to allow the exposed portion of the ham to cook in the root beer. Return lid and continue to cook.

    After 8 hours, the ham should be falling apart. Remove meat and place onto a carving board. Shred using two forks, discarding the bones and any larger pieces of fat.

    Return shredded meat to slow cooker and keep warm until ready to serve. 

Notes

Tip: If you want to make this ham a day ahead, cook and shred as directed above. Then, store the shredded ham separate from the cooking liquid overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, before reheating, skim the top layer of fat solids from the chilled cooking liquid and discard. Then, recombine the shredded ham and cooking liquid in a slow cooker. Warm on low or your slow cooker's "keep warm" setting.

Truffle Parmesan Chicken Wings with Creamy Garlic Dip

Truffle Parmesan Chicken Wings with Creamy Garlic Dip

by | Apr 5, 2019 | Apps & Snacks, Chicken & Poultry, Food

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These fancy-pants chicken wings are seasoned with garlic, Sabatino Tartufi truffle salt, and other spices before they’re fried and spun in black truffle oil, parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes. Served with a creamy garlic dipping sauce made with black garlic hummus, these wings won’t last long at your next party.

Is anyone else a sports fan first, and foremost, for the food? With the exception of NFL football, I don’t follow sports very much. I’m probably the only Marquette University alumni who has never been to a college basketball game. It’s not that I didn’t want to go to a game. Somehow, it just didn’t happen while I was in school. Sorry, Golden Eagles! I know, it’s embarrassing.

Despite my lack of attendance at sporting events in college, I do love going to live sporting events. However, it’s not because I have a love for the game. It’s because I have a love for the food. I’m definitely that person sitting in the stands, scarfing down nachos and completely oblivious to who just scored. Sorry, sports fans, I’m that person. 

This week, I’m sharing these parmesan truffle chicken wings. They really should be called “I’m only here for the food” chicken wings though. They’re perfect for foodies, like me, who don’t know the name of the pitcher but are on a first-name basis with Jerry (the cashier at the hot dog stand next to section 227). 

This weekend is the 2019 NCAA Tournament Final Four and Championship. If you have plans for a party, these wings need to be there. Made with Sabatino Tartufi truffle salt and black truffle oil these wings are an definitely an indulgence. I found my truffle salt at World Market, but I’ve seen it on Amazon and at other specialty retailers too. Don’t be afraid of the price tag. A little goes a long way, so one jar will last you a long time. I add truffle salt to potatoes, roasted vegetables, fries, steaks and pasta dishes so there’s lots of ways to incorporate into your cooking.

While the ingredients may be a bit of a splurge, the wings are super simple to make. It begins by taking two dozen chicken wings and tossing them in a mixture of flour, truffle salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Then, they’re deep fried in hot oil until golden and crispy.

Once cooked through, the wings are drained to remove excess oil and then spun in a mixture of melted butter, black truffle oil,  crushed red pepper flakes and a little more truffle salt. The wings are finished with a generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley. 

Making these wings is absolute torture because the truffle smell is so divine while cooking. If you love truffle as much as I do, you’re going to have a hard time letting these wings cool off before digging into one…of twelve. I think I burned my tongue twice when I was doing my recipe testing. It was worth it!

What’s great about these wings, is they are not too spicy. I know a lot of people who don’t like traditional buffalo wings because they’re just too spicy for them. These wings get just a touch of heat from the crushed red pepper flakes so they’re a crowd-pleaser for sure. I purposely didn’t want to go too spicy with these wings since truffle can get overpowered pretty easily if it has to compete with other strong flavors. 

For those of you who like to dip your wings in ranch or blue cheese, I also made a creamy garlic dip to go with these. This simple dip only requires six ingredients and comes together in seconds. Mix together equal parts of sour cream and garlic hummus. Then add a few teaspoons of milk to thin everything out. Add just a pinch of truffle salt, a tablespoon of parmesan cheese and a little chopped parsley and you’re done.

This sauce does a great job of cooling of the little bit of heat these wings have and also adds a nice garlic punch too. My favorite hummus to use is Hope Black Garlic Hummus—it has an intense garlic flavor and extra creamy texture. Yum!

Did you fill out a bracket for March Madness? At what point did it complete fall apart? Do you even care? Or are you, like me, just here for the food? Let me know in the comments below. If you try out this recipe, be sure to give it a rating and tag me on social media—it’s @frydaeblog or #frydae absolutely everywhere. As always, thanks you so much for stopping by and I hope you enjoy. Happy Frydae!

parmesan truffle chicken wings on a plate with garlic dip and a jar of truffle salt
5 from 1 vote
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Truffle Parmesan Chicken Wings with Creamy Garlic Dip

These fancy-pants chicken wings are seasoned with garlic, Sabatino Tartufi truffle salt, and other spices before they're fried and then spun in butter, black truffle oil, parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes. 

Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 24 wings

Ingredients

  • 24 chicken wing sections
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 teaspoons Sabatino Tartufi Truffle & Salt (divided)
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons black truffle oil
  • 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (finely grated)
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup roasted garlic hummus
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1/8 teaspoon Sabatino Tartufi Truffle & Salt
  • 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese (finely grated)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh parsley (chopped)

Instructions

  1. Preheat canola oil in a deep fryer, dutch oven or extra deep skillet to 375°F. You want about 1-2 inches of oil in your pan if you're not using a deep fryer

    Meanwhile, pat chicken wing sections dry using paper towels. In a gallon-size plastic bag, combine flour, 3 teaspoons of the truffle salt, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Gently stir to combine and then add the chicken wing sections to the bag. Toss the chicken in the flour mixture until all wings are evenly coated.

    Next, in batches, place several wings into the hot, pre-heated oil. Take care not to overcrowd the pan or the frying basket. Cook wings for 10-12 minutes, or until wings are golden and cooked through. Remove the wings and drain on paper towels to remove excess oil. 

    As you finish cooking the wings, melt the butter in a large container with a lid. Add truffle oil, remaining 1 teaspoon of truffle salt and crushed red pepper flakes. As each batch of wings is ready, add them to the container and seal with the lid. Spin each batch of wings in the truffle-butter mixture until coated. Then remove the wings onto a platter. Repeat until all the wings are cooked and have been spun in the truffle-butter mixture.

    Once all wings are on the platter, generously sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Serve warm alongside the creamy garlic dip. Enjoy

  1. Creamy Garlic Dip

    In a bowl, combine hummus and sour cream. Stir till combined. Next, add milk, a teaspoon at a time, until desired thickness is reached. Add a pinch of truffle salt, parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley to the bowl. Mix until blended together and then serve alongside the wings.

Notes

To bake the wings in the oven:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place seasoned wings on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cook for 40-45 minutes until golden. Turn wings once about halfway through baking. Remove from oven, and then spin in the butter-truffle oil mixture.

Vintage Creamy Tuna Tomato Aspic

Vintage Creamy Tuna Tomato Aspic

by | Apr 1, 2019 | Food

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From my mother’s vintage 1976 edition of Better Homes & Gardens “New Cook Book,” this savory jello mold is made with canned tuna, tomato soup, cream cheese, mayonnaise, celery, green pepper, pickle relish and gelatin?! Yes, this is tuna and jello all congealed together. Do not eat this. It’s terrible. Happy April Fools’ Day!

Feast your eyes on this little beauty, ladies and gentlemen! Scrumptious canned tuna is enveloped in a creamy (and pungent) gelatin-based delight of mayonnaise, cream cheese and condensed tomato soup. A little crunch is added to the jiggle with green peppers, onions, pickle relish and celery. It’s a symphony of flavors that….PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DO NOT EAT THIS!

Happy April Fool’s Day, everyone! The story behind this recipe starts back after one of my favorite YouTubers, LeighannSays, shared a video on her channel featuring a similar recipe. Then, over the holidays, I was at my parent’s house and discovered my mom has quite the collection of vintage cookbooks. She even has a few that are completely handwritten with the BEST little illustrations accompanying each recipe. Which makes me wonder if I should start drawing my recipes instead of photographing them? How fun would that be? 

Anyhow, as I was going through her cookbooks, I realized my mom had the same Better Homes & Gardens cookbook that Leigh Ann had used on her channel. I immediately had to see if Leigh Ann’s recipe was in my mom’s copy too. To my horror, not only did it have the same chicken, pimento, pineapple and gelatin concoction Leigh Ann shared, but it had a whole slew of savory gelatin salads. My only question was: why?!

Answer: it was the 60s and 70s. Jello was the hot new food trend. It was also going to be the food of the future that prepared us for our lives in space with the moon people. I get it. But sweet baby Jesus, tuna jello!? I know, this blog is all about unique flavor combinations and trying new things but there is a line. A LINE!

It was at that moment I knew I needed to do the public service of sharing one of these monstrosities with the world on Frydae. I chose this “delightful” creamy tuna tomato aspic because it was, by far, the most terrifying. My second option was a “frosted cheese mold” made with gelatin, cottage cheese, blue cheese crumbles, pecans, whipped cream and frozen limeade concentrate. That one I could see not being as terrible as it sounds, however, so this jiggly tuna mold prevailed.

Now, you’re probably wondering if I actually ate this after I made it? Yes, I did. So did my husband. Surprisingly, my husband didn’t think this was as terrible as the recipe made it sound. I, on the other hand, could barely eat a bite. If you watch friends, it was definitely just like the Thanksgiving episode where Rachel accidentally combines recipes for shepherd’s pie and English Trifle. Joey says, “I like it!” While Ross is sitting there in agony saying, “It tastes like FEET!” To each his own—right?

So, unless you want to play a prank on someone today for April Fools’ Day, don’t eat this recipe. What’s the best prank you’ve ever pulled on someone? On the flip side, what’s the biggest prank you ever fell for? Let me know in the comments below or tell me on social media—it’s @frydaeblog (#frydae) absolutely everywhere. I hope everyone makes it through the day unscathed and thanks for visiting!

Vintage Recipe Tuna Tomato Aspic April Fools
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Creamy Tuna Tomato Aspic

From my mother’s vintage 1976 edition of Better Homes & Gardens “New Cook Book,” this savory jello mold is made with canned tuna, tomato soup, cream cheese, mayonnaise, celery, green pepper, pickle relish and gelatin?! Yes, this is tuna and jello all congealed together. Do not eat this. It’s terrible. Happy April Fools' Day!

Course Salad
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Resting Time 1 hour
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin (1 packet)
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 11 ounces condensed tomato soup (1 can)
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup green pepper (diced)
  • 1/2 cup celery (diced)
  • 1/3 cup onion (diced)
  • 1/4 cup pickle relish (drained)
  • 7 ounces canned tuna (drained and flaked)

Instructions

  1. Soften 1 tablespoon (1 envelope) unflavored gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water. In a saucepan, bring one 11-ounce can of tomato soup to boil; add gelatin; stir to dissolve.

    Add cream cheese, in chunks; beat with a rotary beater until smooth. Add 1 cup of mayonnaise. Chill mixture until it is partially set.

    Next, fold in diced green pepper, celery, onions, pickle relish, and tuna. Mix well and then transfer to a ring-shaped jello mold. Chill until firm and then serve (preferably in the garbage).

    Please don't enjoy.

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