Biscuits & Sausage Gravy

May 1, 2017 10:54 AM 0

 

A week ago my friend and ministry partner Jan Hamil and I hosted the Spring Session of our Tasting Grace Mentoring Ministry. We went Southern all the way with homemade biscuits and delicious sausage gravy.  Tasting Grace is a “mentoring-in-the-kitchen” ministry of encouragement. It is our passion, and we have loved every single moment we’ve spent in the kitchen with the women who attend. Women of all ages attend and that is part of the joy!

This past Saturday I was blessed to serve by teaching two sessions on Tasting Grace at the 2017 Georgia Baptist Women’s Spring Event.  I had the absolute best time! My husband Gary came and supported me and I am so thankful for him. He was so much help and the sweet attendees purchased 70 Tasting Grace books. I pray each and every one of them caught the JOY of Tasting Grace “kitchen mentoring,” and will use it as a ministry outreach in her church and community.

I wanted to share the recipes here with anyone who happens to stop by.  As I shared with the girls last week, this is a moderation meal. Not something you eat often, but definitely enjoy on those occasions you prepare this delightful Southern delicacy.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS – Doubles easily!
(This makes about 10-12 medium sized biscuits.)
2 1/2 cups of White Lily self-rising flour
1 stick of frozen (or very very cold) butter (salted)
1 cup of buttermilk
1/2 stick of melted butter to brush biscuit tops when done

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Lightly grease a cast iron skillet or baking sheet pan w/Crisco. I prefer cast iron all the way!
  3. Measure 2 1/2 cups of self-rising flour into a large bowl. Now, using a grater, grate the cold butter into 2 1/2 cups of self-rising flour. Use the bigger “side” of the grater, not the coarse grind side. Toss flour and butter together. 
  4. Next, pour the 1 cup of buttermilk into the flour/butter and mix well. Using a spatula, stir about 15-17 times. Don’t overmix.
  5. Now wash and dry your hands well and then “dust” your hands with more flour.
  6. Dump the dough onto a floured surface and pat it all into a nice rectangle shape about the size of a piece of notebook paper, about 1/2″ thick. Fold the dough up and over so it’s in half, and then turn it clockwise, fold in half again, and turn again. Do this about 4-5 times. This creates all the layers in your biscuits.
  7. Using a 2 1/2 to 3″ biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits. Refold the dough as needed. Place them on a greased cast iron skillet and bake at 450 degrees until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Brush the hot biscuits with melted butter.

    NOW FOR THE “PINCH & PAT” HAND-ROLLED METHOD: 
    1.  With floured hands, pinch off some dough, enough to fit in your palm  (you’ll get the size down as you make more and more biscuits) and roll it by cupping your hands with your palms sufficiently floured. Don’t handle the dough too much – my Grandmother always told me the biscuits would be tough if you overwork the dough. Just a quick knead is all you need! You will get better each time you make biscuits.
    2.  Place the biscuits on the pan so they touch each other – this makes them softer. There’s a lesson here in staying close and working together! Amen!
    3. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter and serve.

The Fine Art of Biscuit-Making ~ “Roll & Cut Out” Biscuits OR “Pinching & Patting”

  • I can make biscuits both ways – rolling out the dough and cutting them with a biscuit cutter, or as a pincher-patter-placer biscuit maker, which is how my Granny taught me. I prefer to roll the dough and cut the biscuits out with a biscuit cutter. I have a nice collection of biscuit cutters.

    EITHER WAY YOU CHOOSE: Always do the following!

  • Accurately measure ingredients. Flour is measured by the “SPOON & LEVEL” method – spooning into a measuring cup and leveling off with a straight edge (like a butter knife). Sifting is not needed.
  • Butter should be cold, very cold.  Cold enough to grate. I keep butter in the freezer all the time to be ready to make biscuits. 
  • Always use whole buttermilk,  not low-fat! And the buttermilk should be very cold!
  • Mixing the liquid ingredients into the dry ones can be done effectively with a fork or a spatula. Either way, just don’t overmix.
  • If using a biscuit cutter, just cut straight down without twisting the cutter to ensure tall, straight biscuits.
  • Place on a baking sheet 1-inch apart for crusty sides or touching for soft sides.

SAUSAGE GRAVY – doubles easily!
(Serves 4-6)
1 lb. Jimmy Dean pork sausage (mild, hot, sage flavored or a mixture)
[I like to mix the hot and sage sausage together, and then double the recipe by using a pound of each.]
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup White Lily all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
1/3 stick of salted butter

  1. Crumble sausage and brown over medium heat until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper. You will be amazed at how lean this Jimmy Dean sausage is – no grease to drain!
  2. Reduce the heat to medium-low and then sprinkle on the 1/3 cup of flour and mix well so that the sausage soaks up the flour. Keep stirring the sausage and flour together for another couple of minutes until the raw flour is cooked through.
  3. Now slowly pour in about 4 cups of the milk, stirring constantly.
  4. Continue to cook the gravy, stirring frequently, until it thickens. (This may take a good 5 minutes or so.)
  5. Now go ahead and add the butter and stir well. You are done!
  6. Spoon the sausage gravy over warm buttermilk biscuits and serve immediately. It is sooooooooooooooo good!

My friend, you will love serving your family this comfort food.  I plan to make this for breakfast when my family is together for our beach vacation this summer. I know my boys will love it and I hope to teach it to my daughters-in-law.  I’ve taught them both how to make biscuits, sausage gravy is next!

Happy May Day to all,

Gran Jan

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May 1, 2017 10:54 AM 0

The Dressing Blessing ~ Thanksgiving 2016

November 25, 2016 11:19 PM 2

THANKSGIVING is my favorite holiday for the simple joys of faith, grateful hearts, good food, and family. We make time to be together around the table and make time to count our blessings. This year my parents, Tom & Lois Maloy (who just celebrated SIXTY YEARS of marriage yesterday) shared stories of their courtship and early marriage. It was a good, good day.

Today I am sharing yet another favorite recipe and this one is extra special to me because it’s my dad’s recipe. He taught me how to make CORNBREAD DRESSING several years ago. I loved spending that Thanksgiving morning in the kitchen with him and wrote down everything he did. Since I was given the “dressing blessing,” I wanted to share the recipe with you today. It’s simple, Southern, and very traditional. I don’t know how to make just a little bit – but you could half everything to make just one pan of dressing. We have 20-22 people at our table, so I make plenty!

INGREDIENTS for DRESSING – CORNBREAD Ingredients listed separately below!
8 cups crumbled cornbread (My cornbread recipe is below if you need one).
4 pieces of white bread (dried out or toast if you need to)
2 cups of Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned crumbs (packaged mix)
1 can Herbed Cream of Chicken Soup – YES!
2 medium onions, diced small
3-4 stalks of celery, diced small
1 stick of butter (I use salted) to saute onions and celery
2 tsp. (more or less to taste) Poultry Seasoning
4 eggs, beaten
8-9 cups of chicken broth 

Instructions:
1. Make cornbread first – I usually do it the day before, and this is a 12′ skillet.cornbreadCornbread Recipe
2 cups White Lily Self-Rising Buttermilk Cornmeal
1 stick of melted butter (I use salted)
1 1/2 cups of buttermilk
1/4 cup of corn oil plus more to coat the skillet
1 egg beaten

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and then pour 1/4 cup of corn oil (or vegetable oil) into your cast iron skillet, swirl it around to cover sides. You can then slide into hot oven to heat oiled skillet, or heat on your stovetop (my preference).

In a mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients: melted butter, oil, beaten egg and buttermilk. Stir in the cornmeal and whisk well. Now pour the cornbread batter into the hot greased skillet and place skillet in oven. Bake 20-25 minutes until nicely browned.

2. Make your chicken stock early so it can simmer a couple of hours, unless you are using store-bought chicken stock. I fill a stock pot with 3-4 quarts of water. I prefer to use a whole hen, but you can use 3-4 chicken thighs  (and if you’re roasting a turkey, add the turkey neck), 2 onions quartered, 2-3 stalks of celery with leaves, 1/2 stick of butter, salt/pepper. Simmer.1

3. To begin making the dressing, you need a large bowl or pot. First combine the crumbled cornbread, dry white bread and the Pepperidge Farm herbed seasoning crumbs together in a large bowl. Set aside.
34. Melt a stick of butter in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the diced onion and celery together until it is soft, transparent – but do not let it brown! Pour the onions/celery over the cornbread mixture.
25. Next, add in the can of Herbed Cream of Chicken Soup and the 2 teaspoons of poultry seasoning (add more to taste if you like a stronger flavor). Some people really like ground sage, but we are divided on that, so I leave it out.

6. Now strain your chicken stock (broth) so you just have the liquid (not the meat, celery, onions). Pour 7-8 cups of the hot broth over the whole mixture and stir well. You want the dressing to be the consistency of oatmeal, not too soupy, not too thick. TASTE NOW BEFORE ADDING RAW EGGS!  This is where you can taste the dressing and add salt/pepper or more seasoning if you’d like.  We say Less Is More when it comes to sage/poultry seasoning.
47. Add the 4 beaten eggs and mix again.

8. Pour the dressing into 2 buttered/greased 9×13 casserole dishes (or two large cast iron skillets that have been well-greased), and bake at 400-425 degrees until browned on top, 30-45 minutes.

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I forgot to take a picture of the “browned/baked” dressing, but I found two pictures that show it among the Thanksgiving spread (and my delightful grandchildren) our family enjoyed. It is in the oval dish on the far right and in the partially consumed dish below!

SONY DSC

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Cornbread dressing is a staple at Southern tables. We don’t say stuffing, we say dressing. We are usually stuffed after a delicious Thanksgiving meal, but we don’t stuff the turkey! 🙂

One last thing! I make the dressing the day before Thanksgiving and leave it in the fridge in a big bowl. The next day I put it in my casseroles (or skillets) for baking. I think it helps the flavors all meld together – but actually it also gives me time to do all the other cooking I have to do for Thanksgiving!

Counting my blessings this Thanksgiving Day!

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November 25, 2016 11:19 PM 2

Whipping Cream Pound Cake

October 27, 2016 10:48 AM 4

My friend Jan Hamil and I recently held the Fall 2016 Session of “Tasting Grace,” our church’s mentoring-in-the-kitchen ministry. We love our Saturdays in the church kitchen so much.

I made a whipping cream pound cake. This recipe was given to me a long time ago by a woman in Perry, Georgia. She called it “Mrs. Talton’s Pound Cake.” I can’t remember her name, but I actually know members of the Talton Family.  I wanted to share the recipe here. 

Every Southern woman needs a go-to pound cake recipe and if you don’t have one, this one can now be yours! [Pound cakes are very old – dating back to publication in a book in 1796! Originally called pound cakes because they contained 1 pound each of butter, flour, sugar, and eggs. All still have those basic ingredients, most include additions of either buttermilk, sour cream, cream cheese, whipping cream, or milk.] I promise this whipping cream version will not disappoint.

wc-pound-cake

I made another one when I got home Saturday because my husband had “FOMO” [Fear of Missing Out] when I brought home that empty cake plate! He also likes my buttermilk pound cake, but says he will need a taste test to pick his favorite. I think he just wants ANOTHER pound cake! He’s not fooling me. We’ve been married 39 years, I know these things…

Ingredients:

  • 2 sticks of butter (room temperature)
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 6 eggs (room temp)
  • 3 cups White Lily all-purpose flour 
  • 1 cup whipping cream (also known as heavy cream)
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla

Instructions:

  • Grease and flour tube pan – I love Baker’s Joy spray, it works for me. Also, you may use a hand mixer or a stand mixer. Most important is getting the butter and sugar blended well!
  • Cream butter and sugar on a medium to high speed until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add eggs one at a time, blending after each egg.
  • Now use a low speed and add the flour to creamed mixture alternating with adding in the whipping cream. Begin and end with flour. 
  • Stir in the 1 tablespoon of vanilla.
  • Pour into prepared pan and place in a cold oven.
  • Turn oven to 325° and bake for 1 hour and 15-25 minutes. Check for doneness. All ovens vary, and I usually bake mine for 1 hour and 20 minutes. 
  • Cool completely before removing from pan.

Trust me about the cold oven…just do it!

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October 27, 2016 10:48 AM 4

Old-Fashioned Chocolate-Oats Stovetop Cookie

September 27, 2016 4:30 PM 1

I’ve made two batches of these old-fashioned no-bake cookies the past 2 weeks. These cookies are my husband’s all-time favorite. He reminded me of that just last week when I made them at his request. I remember my mother making these for me and my sisters when we were growing up. They are quick and I usually have all the ingredients on hand. I tell my people they are healthy with the raw oats and cocoa in them…and just don’t mention the butter and sugar. Balance anyone?cookie

 

  • 1 and 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup of milk
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
  • 3 cups oatmeal
1. Go ahead and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large pan on the stovetop, bring the butter, milk, sugar and cocoa to a gentle boil, stirring until smooth.
    [Don’t boil too long – just until mixed well,  30-40 seconds.]
3. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla flavoring. Mix well again.
4. Now fold in the 3 cups of oatmeal. I love this part!
5. Drop by heaping tablespoons on to the parchment paper to cool.
6. Allow them to cool and harden for about 30 minutes.
7. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days (if they last that long)!
Go make some!
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September 27, 2016 4:30 PM 1

Pickled Okra or Okra Pickles!

August 10, 2016 9:43 AM 1

When you are blessed with friends who have both gardens and sharing hearts, this time of year you get okra, lots of okra. (Or as my Granny said, o-kree.) My friend Rhoda and I attend the same church, her family has been there way longer than we have and we’ve been at Second Baptist going on 29 years. She called me last week and said “you want some okra? I will bring it to you!” Now you know that’s a friend indeed! Because if you’ve never cut okra from a garden…well, it will make your hands and arms so itchy. But you forget all that when you are blessed to eat okra any way you can prepare it – fried, boiled, sautéed, or pickled! I’m sharing from my kitchen again with this post on how to make pickled okra.

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Gran Jan’s Pickled Okra
(double or triple as needed, this recipe makes 4 pint jars)
1 ½ pounds fresh small tender okra pods
2 teaspoons dried dill
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 teaspoons sugar
1-2 tablespoons red pepper flakes (or to taste, or may omit)
(or use fresh cayenne or jalapeño peppers – 1 per jar)
3 tablespoons canning/pickling salt
2 cups water
2 cups vinegar
4 one-pint canning jars and lids, sterilized

1. Prepare jars by washing, sterilizing and simmering bands/lids/jars.
2. Prepare okra by rinsing well under cold running water. Trim just stem ends of okra, leaving the cap intact. Soak okra in cool water for about an hour then drain and pat dry.

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3. Place the spices (dill, celery seed, garlic, sugar, pepper flakes) in a bowl and mix well. Divide evenly among the jars.3
3. Put okra in the sterilized canning jars, placing some of the pods up and some down, packing tightly.4
4. Bring water, vinegar, and salt to a good rolling boil.
5. Ladle the hot vinegar into the jars of okra and spices, filling to within ¼” of the top.
6. Make sure there are no air bubbles in jars, wipe rims clean, and cover jars with lids and screw bands firmly in place. Turn jar gently back and forth in your hand a time or two to mix the spices.
7. Process jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Remove jars from water and cool on a dish towel on your kitchen counter. Jars should seal as they cool. I love to hear the pops!

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Allow pickles to mature at least 2 weeks before consuming, if you can’t wait…go ahead and eat some!

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August 10, 2016 9:43 AM 1

Gran Jan’s Tomato Pie

August 1, 2016 11:11 AM 4

Yes, TOMATO PIE! This savory pie recipe is one my husband requests often. He loves it! In fact I made two just yesterday afternoon. With all the wonderful fresh tomatoes available this time of year, it is a summer staple for us. Add a nice green salad, or even a vegetable side and you have a great meal. Tom Pie

INGREDIENTS
• 1 9” pie shell, I buy the Pillsbury ones that come 2 to a package in the refrigerated section of the grocery store , and I use my own pie plates.
• 1 sweet onion (Vidalia if available), chopped & cooked in microwave for 2-3 minutes with a splash of olive or canola oil
• 3-4 medium size ripe tomatoes, diced and drained to remove juice (I let them sit in a colander for a few minutes)
• 2 cups grated cheese (sharp cheddar & mozzarella mix, could use pepper jack)
• 2 strips of bacon, cooked crisply and crumbled
• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• 3 to 4 dashes hot sauce (optional, but actually I use about 7 good dashes)
• salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, place room temperature pie shell in pie plate, and then place in oven to allow to lightly brown for 7-10 minutes.
2. Remove pie shell from oven and set aside. 
3. Place the microwaved chopped onions first in the bottom of pie shell.
4. Next spread tomatoes over the onions, salt/pepper to taste, then top the tomato layer with crumbled bacon
5. Mix cheese, mayo, & hot sauce together
6. Spread cheese/mayo mixture over tomatoes and bacon
7. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until browned, and be sure to let pie cool for 10-15 minutes before serving/slicing

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August 1, 2016 11:11 AM 4

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe!

May 2, 2016 11:28 AM 0

Cookie

Like many Southern women, I love to cook with cast iron and have a nice collection in my kitchen. I have two cherished skillets that were given to me 30 years ago by an elderly woman at our church back in Athens, Georgia. They are very old (Birmingham Stove & Range) and very special to me…seasoned to perfection. I love old cast iron and that just confirms I’m Southern to my bones.

Most of the time I use my cast iron pans and skillets for cornbread and biscuits. This deep-dish cookie recipe is sweet and good and I just had to share. When my boys were growing up, we rarely had birthday cakes for them. Instead we always ordered giant chocolate chip cookies from the Cookie Store at our local mall. The boys just preferred those cookies and we did too. They were delicious!  The Cookie Store closed and I’ve tried without success to duplicate the recipe…until now!  I hope y’all enjoy this Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie as much as we did when I made it last week! [I used my stand mixer.]

No, grandson Abe had not just eaten Gran Jan’s chocolate chip skillet cookie, but the sweet chocolate smile on his face made me so happy. I will make one for him the next time he comes to visit!FullSizeRender

Ingredients

  • 2  1/2 sticks of melted butter (unsalted)
  • 1  1/4 cups of dark brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup of white granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups White Lily all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional but not optional)
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. and then grease a skillet (I use a 12″ skillet or this square 10″ skillet) with either softened butter or vegetable shortening. 
  2. Place the melted butter and both white and brown sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer. May also use a hand mixer! Mix butter and sugars together on medium-high speed until they’re light and fluffy. 
  3. Now add the 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract and mix again until combined.
  4. Add the dry ingredients and blend at a lower speed. Mix it just until the flour disappears into the batter. Stop the mixer as soon as you get to this point so the cookie won’t be tough.
  5. Add the chocolate chips and fold them in by hand. Give the sides and bottom of the bowl a good scrape to get all that delicious dough!
  6. I greased my skillet with butter, then scraped the cookie dough into the pan and smoothed it out to an even layer.
  7. Bake the skillet cookie at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, until it is golden, and the edges have nicely browned. I always look to see if it has started to pull away from the sides like in my picture. It is better to undercook a wee bit than overcook!
  8. Let the skillet cookie cool for 20 minutes. Use a knife to cut it into wedges or squares like I did with this square skillet.
  9. Serve with ice cream!

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May 2, 2016 11:28 AM 0
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