Showing posts with label Biscuits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Biscuits. Show all posts

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Homemade Doggy Biscuits

I regularly bake homemade doggy biscuits, and people always want to know how I make them...

In all honesty, I make them differently every single time. I always make the joke that Everything But the Kitchen Sink goes into them.

If you're a person that doesn't mind "experimenting" and cooking without a concise recipe, then you'll love this project!!! Really, you can't go wrong...You're making really dry, crunchy, little treats for your dogs that love to eat just about anything...Don't be scared!!!

We regularly have very healthy ingredients, in bulk, that I can use for the base of the biscuits, such as organic rolled oats, wheat germ & bran, unsweetened coconut, whole what flour, etc.

Firstly, I check out what we have in the way of healthy leftovers, such as meat without a lot of fat or seasonings. I will cut it up and throw it in the bowl.

Next...is there leftover rice, bulgur, beans??? Anything like that? If so, I throw it in. How about vegetables that you are not going to eat? Throw that in too. Leftover soup? Mash it all up and add that too (provided there is little salt and fat).

Stay away from anything with sugar, excessive amounts of salt or fats. Follow your common sense, meaning, if you shouldn't be eating it in a healthy diet, don't feed it to your dogs...

* CHOCOLATE of any kind is like a POISON to your dog! NEVER EVER add this to your dog's diet!

Do not add baking soda or baking powder...We're not looking for the treats to rise or puff up when baked...We're trying to dry out the ingredients!

Now that you have the base of your leftovers, haul out your rolled oats, bran, seeds, nuts, coconut, wheat germ...whatever you have. DO NOT use white flour to bind the mixture! Use whole wheat flour or another type of whole flour.

Organic ingredients are best, of course.

Some Interesting Additions:

* I ALWAYS add at least 3-4 tbsp of parsley into the mixture for bad breath.

* I add either cinnamon or mint extract/oil for bad breath as well.

* Cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg (to calm a hyper dog)...use your imagination!

* There are times I add olive oil, simply to add liquid to the mixture and for health reasons.

* Try apple sauce, yogurt or salsa...My dogs love salsa (we bought a salsa that was organic, etc, that we didn't like at all...No worries, you didn't waste your money, add it to the recipe!)

* Apple Cider Vinegar is good for dogs too, just like it is for you!

* Eggs with egg shells...That's what I said...Crush them up of course, but it will provide your dogs with another good source of calcium. The hard shells become more brittle when baked and therefore, they crumble easier. I always add at least 2 eggs to bind the mixture altogether.

* Natural rice puffs or corn puffs cereal.

* Cut up or grated fruits and vegetables.

Tips:

* You want a "cookie-type" mixture...Meaning not too liquid, not dry either...You want it to have the right moisture content in it to spoon the mixture into little mounds, like cookies, on a cookie sheet.

...So, if you need more liquid, add water, vegetable juice...something wet...If you need it less watery, add oatmeal/rolled oats or bran and wait for a few minutes until the liquid is soaked up.

* Bake on 325 degrees for approximately 1 hr...more or less...Now, you want the cookies to be very very dry for storage...If you need to bake longer, turn oven down to 300 degrees for 30 min - 1 hr.

...If you have any type of meat in the biscuits, ensure the cookies are completely dry before finishing baking them. Crunchy treats clean your dog's teeth too!

* These biscuits have no preservatives and because of this, they do not keep a very long time. You will often make in excess of 100 cookies, so store them in open air...DO NOT enclose, as they tend to mold quickly if you do.

I have never met ONE dog that didn't love these biscuits. In fact, even finicky dogs like my mother's Westie-Poo beg for them. They're good for them...No worries!

More often than not, the biscuits you make at home will be much healthier, cheaper, safer and more nutritious than anything you'll get on the market for your pooch!

We make a batch of these every couple of weeks and our dogs just know it when we start mixing!

by Kimberly Edwards

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Buttermilk biscuits flaky How Tall

Make flaky, cookies can be a great challenge. There are some important rules you need to succeed. First, we must work with cold butter and buttermilk. Secondly, you do not have the dough. And finally, you must put them close together on the baking sheet so they do not have a crisp edge. Here's what you need for 12 wonderful buttermilk biscuits flaky:

4 cups flour
2 TB baking powder
2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking powder
12 TBScold butter
2 cups cold buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Blend all dry ingredients together. The mixture of flour in a food processor and add the butter cut into 6 TBS 12 pieces. If the processor is not big enough to work in batches. Pulse the flour a few times, until the flour resembles coarse crumbs. If you do not have a processor with 2 knives or pastry blender. Work with cold butter and stop when your flour resembles coarse crumbs.

Form a well inthe center of the flour. Add the buttermilk. Make sure it is cold and shake the box well. Very gently, transfer the liquid to dry ingredients. Not to manage! You want to combine all the dry ingredients with wet. If you are a little 'more than buttermilk, go ahead and add one at a time ½ TBS. The mixture is and should be - sticky.

Flour a board or large counter. Put the dough on the table and spread it with your fingers. Do not knead, just flatup to about ½ inch thick. Cut biscuits with a biscuit cutter, cookie cutter or large glass. Do not turn your cutting tool in the dough. Aim for a straight cut. They meet all of your remaining dough and repeat the process until you have cut off all cookies.

Place the biscuits on a baking sheet very close together. This will keep them crisp edge and let it get bigger. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until a little 'browned. Remove from oven and enjoy warm or at room temperature.

For a step-by-step instructional video click here.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Why Would You Need to Use Wood Biscuits?

When working on a woodwork project you should probably try to use glue in order to hold everything together. Glue makes a good finished product, however there is an even better way. Wood biscuits can be used to hold everything together better than just glue alone.

Wood biscuits are small pieces of wood which are oval shaped. These are inserted into the wood using a biscuit joiner. Biscuits are a fairly new invention, previous options included wooden pegs.

Wooden biscuits are a great way of fixing two pieces of wood together when something more than glue is required. These can prevent the unsightly seams. You can't just use glue for fine woodworking projects.

Biscuits are quite simple to use, you need to purchase a biscuit joiner which is a tool to help you to insert the biscuit by cutting the hole into both pieces of wood. You then need to apply some glue to the biscuit and then put it in the slot which has been cut. Hold the two pieces of wood together until the glue dries.

Biscuits are a very strong and durable way of holding pieces of wood together. Sometimes glue doesn't hold strong enough, in which case you should consider using a biscuit joint. Biscuits are normally made out of wood dust which is then compressed into shape. The biscuit actually expands when the glue dries which tightens up the joint and reduces any gap.

Most biscuits are very thin, most around 1/14 of an inch. These are available in different thicknesses depending on the purpose you are buying them for. There are three main types of wood biscuit in different sizes:

- Size zero is 5/8 inch wide and one and ¾ inches long

- Size ten is ¾ of an inch wide

- Size twenty is one inch wide

The sizes of biscuits vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. If you want a certain size then you should look around until you can find it.

Quite simply the size of biscuit which you choose to use will depend on what you are using it for. You should ideally try to use the biggest size of biscuit which your project will allow. By using large biscuits it will make your wood working project much more durable. It is possible to use a biscuit for any type of joint, however there are certain joints which are well suited to them. If you are fixing an edge to edge joint such as in dining room tables then biscuits can be great ways to achieve this. If you are cutting a miter joint then biscuits are another really good way to fix these together.

In corner joints such as in drawers biscuits have been used for years. Biscuits can also be used for T-Joints as they provide extra stability.

When you want to start using wood biscuits to join pieces of wood together there are certain things which you must bear in mind. Firstly you should store biscuits carefully. The biscuits should be stored so that they remain clean and dry. Wood biscuits can easily become damaged by water and moisture, this can cause them to swell up which means they cannot be used. You need to make sure that all of your joints fit together properly before you start your woodworking project. Check that they fit together before applying glue.

You can normally buy wood biscuits in bulk at your local hardware stores. It's also possible to purchase these from the internet if you enjoy shopping on the net!

Saturday, June 11, 2011

My Homemade Dog Treat Recipes - Bowzer Wowzer Biscuits!

Most dog owners begin there dog ownership buying commercial dog foods and treats for their new pals. But many of us have realized that you can't trust the big dog food companies to provide you with healthy, or even safe treats and dog food, regardless of the hefty prices they charge you.

You see profit is more important to them than our dog's health. They have proved that in so many ways lately.

But that's alright, cause we can fight back. There are plenty of really good homemade dog treat recipes and homemade dog food recipes available...

Take this one as an example. It's easy and fun to make and your pup is going to love 'em, guaranteed...

Homemade Bowzer Wowzer Biscuits: Easy step by step dog treat recipe!

Bowzer Wowzer Biscuits!

Ingredients

** 1/2 cup powdered milk
** 1/2 teaspoon salt
** 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
** 1/2 cup wheat germ
** 1 egg -- beaten
** 1 teaspoon brown sugar
** 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
** 8 tablespoons bacon grease -- or margarine
** 2 tablespoons beef broth -- or chicken
** 6 slices Bacon -- crumbled
** 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
** 1/2 cup ice water

In a big mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients thoroughly to form a dough. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin and use a cookie cutter to make shapes for cookies, Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 min.

Now watch your furry little best friend go bonkers!

See, it's really not hard at all to make sure your best friend gets a really great homemade dog treat, made from an original recipe from an online source. Isn't technology great!

And what's really great, is that you can find great recipes endlessly online and download immediately.

But be warned: Not everything you find online is truly what it's said to be. Not only can you come across homemade dog treat recipes that are worthless... Some people may actually be plagiarizing, (stealing), other peoples recipes to give away, or sell to the unwary.and that just isn't cool in my opinion.

There are however, homemade dog treat recipes and dog food recipes books that are original and sell for a really decent price online... And if gotten from a dependable source, can be trusted to do what they are said to do.

Friday, June 10, 2011

The art of making biscuits

In the south, to learn to make cookies is an art form rather than a recipe. Many people in the South are proud of the fact that we humans make the fluffiest, biscuits known cowboys - and guard their secret recipes with their lives.

Although the great taste of this classic staple could do a southern person to believe that cookies are a very complicated thing they are actually quite easy to prepare. The ingredients arewithout hiding anything. On average a person lives somewhere in the world can have the flour, vegetable fats and milk on hand.

So what's the problem? Because the taste of the cookies varies widely depending on who makes them? Even if the ingredients are similar, that does not interfere each the same way. Some people sift the flour at first, while others simply dump into the bowl. Some people try to reduce their flour mixture with a pastry wheel, whileothers, perhaps with a fork or mix with your fingers.

deviations in terms of how they are made ​​cookies Moreover, not all are the same types of kitchen utensils or for the same period. Some people use aluminum or steel pans, while others use iron. Many cooks have their bake cookies at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, while others prefer to cook minutes at 400 degrees for 20 people.

The various methods used to learn to be thick biscuitsThe differences in taste like cookies. Regardless of the methods that most of the people of the South and perhaps in other parts of the world, I do not agree that a component of the perfect perfect breakfast, especially when combined with sausage, jam, juice fruit o.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Homemade Biscuits Made Easy!

This incredible woman was 80 years old and still as possible from the work of most men. It would be entirely covered the table more. It was an old peasant, and had kept, apple sauce and a lot of things on the table, which happen to be the subject of an old time picnic table with a tablecloth. When we arrived in the morning, had to wash their hands and sit at the big table. E 'was about 8 to 12 people in the house most of the time. My grandfather sat at the endof the table with his special plate waiting for her to say lets eat. She would fix the best breaded pork chops, sausage, fried potatoes, eggs, and of course her homemade biscuits. This recipe really brings back some good memories for me and I hope that it brings you and your family some good memories too.

Ingredients

2 cups self-rising flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup shortening or cooking oil

1 cup milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium size bowl, mix the dry ingredients then cut in the shortening, then add the milk When everything is mixed together it should look like one big doughball. Poor onto a floured surface, and knead the dough. Be careful not to over knead the dough, then pinch off a small handful of dough and knead into a small round biscuit and place into a greased baking pan. Continue doing this till all the dough has been made into biscuits. Then place into the preheated oven. (cooking time is approximately 18 to 20 min.) cook until tops are golden brown. If you don't want to knead the dough, you can do what I call drop biscuits! Once you have your dough mixed in the bowl, grease a muffing tin and spoon the dough into each of the cups until level with the top. Then put in the oven and bake. After the biscuits are done you can even spread some butter on the tops. Enjoy!

More Free Recipes at www.puckettsplace.freevar.com

Saturday, January 29, 2011

3 Free Dog Biscuits Recipes You Can Make At Home

Here are 3 free dog biscuits recipes you can make at home for a lot less money than you think. Treating your dog to something special has never been this quick, easy and inexpensive.

You may never have taken him to a doggie day spa (too prissy), doggie day care (too many other dogs), or even had a doggie walker (too impersonal), but now's the chance to put on your tallest chef hat, lace up that apron, and get to work on some of the best doggie cuisine you've ever seen.

So the next time you want to pamper that pup why not give these recipes a shot.:

1. ------------ Beefy Biscuits ------------

Category: Meaty Treats

Serves: 2dozen

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Experience: **

Ingredients

1.5 L (6 1/2 cups) buckwheat flour

360 ml (1 1/2 cups) water

15 ml (1 T) garlic

50 ml (4 T) basil

480 ml (2 cups) low sodium beef broth

Quick Tip - Use these cookies as rewards during training sessions and watch your dog's progress vault ahead.

Preparation & Cooking

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processors. Add flour/water to compensate for liquidity/thickness. Once dough can form a ball, roll into a 1" thick log and ½" thick cookies from end. Arrange on a cookie sheet

2. -------- Baby Biscuits --------

Category: Meaty Treats

Serves: 2dozen

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Experience: **

Ingredients

150 ml (1/2 cup) dry milk powder1 egg

590 ml (2 1/2 cups) whole wheat flour

1/2 tablespoon garlic

30 ml (2 T) molasses

150 ml (1/2 cup) water

90 ml (6 T) beef broth

1 jar baby food meat puree

Preparation & Cooking

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and roll out to ¼" thickness on a lightly floured surface. Use a pizza cutter to cut small rectangles from dough and arrange on a cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes at 180ºC (350ºF) and allow to cool overnight.

Variations - Because these biscuits have both sweet and savoury flavours, you can vary the baby food flavour to your pup's liking.

3. -------- Nuke Biscuits --------

Category: Meaty Treats

Serves: 12 treats

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Experience: **

Ingredients

250 ml (1 cup) whole wheat flour

175 ml (3/4 cup) dry milk

60 ml (1/4 cup) cornmeal

100 ml (1/3 cup) bacon drippings

1 beef bouillon cube, smashed

120 ml (1/2 cup) buckwheat flour

120 ml (1/2 cup) instant oatmeal

1 egg

120 ml (1/2 cup) hot water

Preparation & Cooking

Combine flour, cornmeal, milk, and oats in a large bowl. Cut in bacon drippings and mix in egg, bouillon, and hot water. Knead until a ball forms. Roll to ½? thickness on a lightly floured surface and cut into doggie-themed shapes. Microwave at half power for 10 minutes and allow to cool overnight.

Variations - Use Biscuit mix if you don't have cornmeal handy.

Quick Tip - Try experimenting with different cutout shapes and thicknesses, just be certain to keep a close eye on them while baking.

So you See? Cooking for your dog is much easier and less expensive than you think. If you just want to experiment in making your own dog food, you'll find a wide variety of dog recipes in my ebook "180 Delicious Gourmet Dog Recipes - Even You Can Enjoy!"

Just remember to have fun and you and your dog will enjoy these free dog biscuits recipes!

Friday, January 28, 2011

A Cookie Sheet For Home Made Biscuits

Simple foods can be some of the most delicious to eat and this is certainly true of the traditional cookie. These small baked biscuits are easy to make and good to eat. They can be eaten on their own or paired with a cup of tea or coffee to make a quick and easy snack.

Baking cookies is something that most people try at one time or another. It is a relatively simple task and can be good fun if you have children. Teaching the art of cookie making is an enjoyable experience and will be fun for both you and your children. There are many different flavors available with some of these including the classic chocolate chip or peanut butter.

If you want to bake your own cookies, you will need cookie dough. Many people like to prepare their own homemade dough using raw ingredients. However others prefer the simplicity of pre-mixed cookie dough which is available for purchase in many grocery stores. This typically comes in logs or buckets and using it cuts down on the preparation required to make a batch of cookies.

Baking cookies is made easiest if you have a cookie sheet available. These are most typically flat metal baking trays with a slight lip around the edge. However other materials can also be used to make these. Other names for this type of product include baking sheets or oven trays.

Cookie sheets come in a range of materials and styles. The various types that are available on the market include aluminum, silicon, insulated and stainless steel baking sheets. Most people will have a preference as to which they consider the most effective for baking cookies. However each of them has their own benefits and drawbacks of use.

Insulated cookie sheets can be a good option if you are planning to bake cookies. These are constructed using two sheets of metal with an air gap between them. When using an insulated sheet the air pocket heats up to the same temperature as the oven and this can provide more even cooking. It can also help to stop the bottom of the cookie becoming burnt as can happen with a more traditional single sheet metal baking tray. Costs for an insulated baking sheet can be around $20.

Many people prefer silicon baking sheets for making cookies. These have the advantage of being more durable and can also be easier to clean as cookie dough is less likely to stick to them and burn. These are affordable products with the cost of a silicon baking sheet typically being around $10 to $20.

Cookies are a treat that everyone can enjoy and making them with cookie sheets is a relatively simple process. If you make your own dough then you will have a requirement for kitchen scales and some of the most attractive around are made by Dualit. They also make the Dualit toaster and coffee, toast and cookies is an easy and quick snack to eat when hunger strikes.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Making Biscuits - Why do cats that do something

Cats need to knead. Nobody knows much about why cats do anything. There are many notions but few dependable facts. The usual suspects are: The cat is reverting to kitten behavior in which the mother is not producing an immediate supply of milk and the kneading opens the gates. Seems reasonable and likely. I have many cats. Actually I have two, they just seem like many. One kneads often, the other-never.

Some suggest that the cat who kneads in adulthood was weaned too early. Maybe so. (I guess I should explain that 'making biscuits' is a colloquialism for kneading. Sounds good to me).

Some say that the cat who kneads in adulthood was weaned too late. For this we need scientists?

Who can say? Purring is even worse. It seems that cats purr as they are dying. How does that relate to all the happy purring? The kiss of death? No, that's a whole other scenario. Purr them an offer they can't refuse. I don't know.

The Rising Rump Syndrome is another Matter and can not be discussed without the supervision of an adult.

Some of my two cats are chicken and some are bold. I say something, because they switch sides, and one day chicken fat 1 day. They smell to death of what they have sensed for years as they had not before her nose. I bring in a new object, they did not know existed. Two days later, is the exclusive property of one or the other should drop dead before they touch him.

I bring home a stylish cat toys filled with catnip and bells.You play with the bag. I'm looking out for a week and a neighbor feeds them. I go home, have never heard of me.

A stranger comes to the door, run in the mountains. A friend they have met hundreds of times approaches the door, run in the mountains. I come home from shopping. He yawns.

I'm trying to watch TV, plop, right before my eyes. I'll go make dinner, plop, right on the counter. I go to the toilet plop,, everything about me.

Now I want companionship and affection, I'm sorry, sleepingtime. I run the vacuum, I'm Frankenstein. I get a piece fish; oy! What can I tell you?

People write books about cats. What do they know? All they got is facts. You want to know about cats? You don't want to know.

You can look at my cats on my website below.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Grandma's Cinnamon Biscuits For Breakfast, Brunch Or Dessert

Grandma's Cinnamon Biscuits are a great breakfast treat. They are especially good on weekends and holidays when you want to enjoy the smell of them baking then linger with a good cup of coffee, tea, hot chocolate or even milk and the tasty treats. They would also be great for a special brunch, just remember to keep them warm until time to serve. And what could be better after dinner than a warm biscuit with the touch of cinnamon. This versatile recipe is sure to find a place in your home.

Grandma's Cinnamon Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 cup milk, optional

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; mix well. Stir in the vegetable oil. Add buttermilk and stir just until blended. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Roll dough into a 15 x 8-inch rectangle. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan.

Spread the butter over the dough. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom and mix well. Sprinkle this mixture over the butter. Roll up the rectangle, jelly roll style, starting from one of the long sides. Pinch the seam to seal. Cut the roll into 1 1/2-inch slices. Arrange the slices, cut side up, in prepared cake pan. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and pour the milk over the top, if desired. Serve hot.

Note: You may omit the cardamom if you wish. The cardamom adds a Swedish touch to these tasty breakfast treats.

Enjoy!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

How to Make Perfect Buttermilk biscuits

As a small child, I can remember sitting at the kitchen table and watching my grandmother make homemade buttermilk biscuits every Sunday morning. I loved to sit there and listen to her sing, as she would lovingly roll out her dough.

I could hardly wait until I was old enough to help her and that day finally came when I was about 7 years old. Finally, I could get in on the baking action. Over the years, I learned to make the perfect buttermilk biscuits which to this day, brings back wonderful memories of my now deceased grandmother.

Here are some important tips that I learnt along the way.

Biscuits will be crisp on the outside and flaky in the center if you roll the dough thin and fold it over once before cutting them out. They'll also split open easily when you're ready to butter them. I think they taste best with pure butter and not margarine on them.

To reheat biscuits, put them in a well-dampened paper bag, twist it closed and put in a 300º oven for several minutes or until warm.

When it comes to baking, if you bake them in a pan with sides and put them close together, you will get soft-sided biscuits. If you bake them on a flat cookie sheet and space them apart, you will get crustier biscuits.

Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup solid shortening
1 envelope dry yeast
1/4 cup warm tap water
1 cup buttermilk

In a glass measuring cup, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and then cut-in the shortening. Stir in the buttermilk and yeast/water mixture. Refrigerate dough for 10-15 minutes. Roll dough out on a floured cloth or dough board and cut with a round biscuit cutter. Place dough on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned on the tops.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Short Crust Pastry and Biscuits

The light, crispness of short crust pastry depends very largely on how it is made and baked. Coolness of ingredients and very light handling with the fingertips are necessary for good results. The fat must be rubbed in until no lumps remain and the flour looks like fine breadcrumbs. The hands should lift the flour up well above the mixing bowl so that air is incorporated into the mixture.

The addition of the liquid is very important. It should be added all at once and mixed in very quickly with a knife or table knife. The gradual addition of water is a pastry irregular texture. In rich pastries or cookies where egg yolks added, if the egg yolk with water before meals, otherwise they are mixed evenly, and this will be mixed with strips of dough into hard results.

Dough should hold together freely and leave the bowl clean. It must be turned on and knead very lightly. This is done by bending the edgesthe center very lightly, using only the fingertips, to get a smooth, even dough. The dough should then be rolled with short, light strokes. Poor rolling will give hard pastry. Very little flour is needed for dredging the pastry board and rolling pin to prevent sticking. If too much flour is used for dredging, the proportion of fat to flour will be altered and this will cause the pastry to be dry and hard. Always roll with straight forward strokes, rolling straight away from you and straight towards you. To keep the pastry a good shape and also to prevent sticking, lift the pastry on the rolling pin and turn it a quarter ways round, i.e. turn the pastry so that the sides become the top and bottom. Never turn pastry upside down to roll it on both sides. This will make the pastry tough.

Pastry can be cut with a sharp, floured knife, cutting with clean strokes without dragging the pastry, or with floured cutters. Use plain cutters for savories and fluted cutters for sweet dishes. After cutting and shaping, let the pastry relax for at least 10 minutes in a cool place before cooking it. This allows the gluten which has been stretched in the making and rolling of the pastry to relax. If this is not done, the stretched pastry will shrink badly during cooking.

Bake pastry in ungreased trays. Greasing is unnecessary as pastry is firm dough containing a fair amount of fat which will prevent sticking. Pastry to be baked should be glazed with beaten egg or beaten egg mixed with water or milk. Glaze only the top part of pastry, never the cut edges. Bake in the top part of a hot oven (425ºF for 15 minutes) to allow the pastry to set. The temperature is then reduced to 375ºF so that the pastry will cook thoroughly without over browning.

Pastry to be fried should be rolled thinner than pastry to be used for baking. The frying must be done slowly in lightly smoking oil so that the pastry will cook thoroughly. Quick cooking of pastry will cause the pastry to brown too quickly before the pastry is cooked thoroughly.

Reason for Unsuccessful Pastry:

1. Tough and hard pastry
(a) The fat was melted while rubbing in.
(b) The pastry had too much water added to it with the result that more flour had to be added, so the proportion of fat to flour was upset.
(c) The pastry was kneaded and handled too much.
(d) The rolling was too heavily done.
(e) The pastry was rolled on both sides.
(f) The pastry was cooked for too long in an oven that was not hot enough.

2. Crumbly pastry
(a) The pastry was made with the wrong proportion of fat to flour. Too much fat was used, resulting in a pastry that is too rich.
(b) The pastry was mixed with insufficient water to bind it well.
(c) The pastry was over handled and had oiled.
(d) The pastry was rolled out with too much flour used for dredging.

3. Blistered pastry
(a) The fat was not well rubbed in.
(b) The water was added too gradually.
(c) The pastry was not kneaded sufficiently to blend the ingredients sufficiently and to distribute the air evenly.
(d) The pastry was cooked too near the top of the oven which was too hot.
(e) The pastry was fried in oil which was too hot.

4. Shrunken and badly shaped pastry
(a) The pastry dough was too soft.
(b) The pastry was stretched during rolling.
(c) The pastry was stretched during shaping or lining.
(d) The pastry was badly handled and poorly shaped.
(e) The pastry was not left to relax before cooking.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Cream Biscuits - a recipe for 200 years, still knows well

Cream biscuits back to the founding of our country and I'm really a food landmark. One reason for their existence was that the variety of food in those days was extremely limited compared to what we have today. People were too many different things with what they had and they had to do more milk and cream in her family cow.

These are especially good as a sauce for chicken pot pie and when it's time to take a sausage very well make the sauce,biscuits and gravy to make a new recipe plateau.This makes about 18 biscuits, depending on how many messages you can save up to make more biscuits.

4 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 cups plus 3 tablespoons cream

Sift all dry ingredients in a large bowl and a depression in the center. Add two cups of cream at once and stir with a large spoon until the dough is smooth.Scratch on a floured surface, flour your hands and knead for a minute. Pat the dough into about 1 / 2 inch thick.

With a two and a half cookie cutter thumb (make a glass with a similar measure), cut round biscuits and place on a baking sheet. If the hand-stick, cover with aluminum foil first. You have scraps of dough left, so get together, roll into a ball and pat down and start all over again.

Brush the tops of theThe cookies with the remaining 3 tablespoons of cream and bake 375 degrees for about twenty minutes, or until it's gone well and they are golden brown. Temperatures vary much more than a good idea to keep and eye on them after about 15 minutes.

It is a habit for more than 200 years that the burden of cooking the first biscuit with butter when removed from oven. For a critical examination of taste, of course.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

As a home-made sandwiches and biscuits suitable for diabetics

Here are some recipes for homemade bread, which are simple and the best part is that the diabetic in your family can enjoy, too. The Easy No-Knead Dinner Rolls are as the name implies. They are easy and taste delicious. The mixed Biscuit Wedges are a great way to demonstrate your skills and your bread bakery jellies and jams. (Store bought jams and jellies are good, too!)

NO EASY DINNER ROLLS mix

2 pkgs dry yeast

2 cups hot water

1Egg, beaten

1 / 3 cup sugar

1 / 3 cup Splenda Granular

1 / 3 cup shortening

2 teaspoons salt

6 1 / 2 to 7 cups flour

melted butter for brushing the hot sandwiches, optional

The yeast in warm water, stir in the egg. Add sugar, Splenda, shortening, salt and at least 6 1 / 2 cups flour. If the mixture seems too thin, add flour until another 1 / 2 cup. Cover dish with foil and refrigerate for 2 hours. Located in rolls and a pan that has beenwith nonstick cooking spray. Cover pan with a towel and a warm place, allow 1 to 1 January / 2 hours. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately after removing from oven, brush with melted butter.

Note: Sprinkle buttered with cracked black pepper or sesame seeds for a unique touch.

Impastato COOKIE WEDGES

2 cups flour

2 1 / 2 teaspoon baking powder

1 / 2 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon Splenda granular

3 / 4 cupButter

3 / 4 cup low-fat buttermilk

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and corn, stirring to mix Splenda. With a pastry blender cut the butter mixture resembles glass shot. Add buttermilk, stirring just until moistened. Turn the dough and knead on a floured work surface and from 8 to 10 times.

Divide the dough into three parts. Gently shape each third into a ball, place 2 inches apart on a type of baking paper. Flatten each ballin a circle 1 inch thick, the score of each circle into four wedges. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Separate into wedges and serve warm with butter, sugar-free jams and jellies, etc.

Have fun!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Dog Training Success Is A Matter Of Belief in Yourself (Whereas Biscuits And Titbits Are Just Tools)

Yesterday I had the pleasure of watching a famous Dog Trainer on TV and what I saw did shock me.

Here is the case:

An elderly couple owns a sweet Maltese bitch who is anything but obedient. She created havoc when somebody comes to the door, ran out of the house when the front door was opened and did not take any notice of her owners commands.

The Dog Expert taught his clients to train their dog to come when called by giving her titbits as a reward. He instructed them to take all her toys away and treat her like a dog and not spoil her like grandparents should spoil their grandchildren.

When the expert and the tv team returned to their house to see what had been accomplished he found that matters had improved greatly.

The bitch now comes when called, she waits at the door and does not pull on the lead anymore so obviously his advice had been good and they had managed to follow his directions.

So what was it that send shivers down my spine?

During the interview the lady said:

"I give her a titbit every time she comes because I am afraid that if I do not she will notice and not come anymore."

Now being the Psychologist I am I know there is something seriously wrong with rewarding an animal every time it does as it has been told.

The rule for reward based training is this:


To build up a wanted response, reward very time the response is being shown.
Once the behavior has been learned reward only intermittently, i.e. once in three or four instances.

This reward schedule makes it less likely that the behavior will be unlearned again.

If you reward every time the behavior is more likely to become extinct when not rewarded any more.

But that was not what grabbed me.

It was the simple fact that her owner thinks her dog will only be obedient if she gets material rewards all the time.

This Lady obviously thinks so little of herself as a loving person that she wrongly assumes she can only reward her dog by feeding it.

She projects this lack of self confidence onto her dog which in turn enforces the unwanted canine behavior. She will never be sure of her dog's obedience because she thinks she needs an external help in the shape of titbits all the time.

What she and her bitch need to learn is that it is fun to be with Mummy and that Mummy is the most important person in the world, apart from Daddy of course AND that it is a great pleasure to come to Mummy when called.

Part of that pleasure can be getting a little something to eat once in a while but getting some food should not be the motivator for coming to Mummy and Daddy in the long run.

The mistake the Expert made was not to teach his clients how to be No I in their dog's life and thus teaching them to depend on external rewards.

The result is that the couple is still not in control of their dog's behavior because they have not convinced her to turn tot them for guidance and support. All she is looking for now is little pieces of meat, cheese or biscuit.

Teaching your pet good manners is greatly aided if you feed him titbits as rewards but in the long run your loving voice and touch should be enough to reward him for being a Good Dog.

Never forget to praise your dog when he has followed your wishes but don't rely on feeding him every time. You are his caretaker, you are his beloved person and you are NOT a biscuit producing machine.

Remember:

Your dog and you are a team and you are the person who is responsible. Your dog can only respect you and trust you if you respect yourself!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Chicken Biscuits Recipes - Easy & Quick To Prepare!

These chicken biscuits recipes are quick, easy and delicious. Just check these out and I'm sure you'll be amazingly surprised.

So here we go for some chicken biscuits recipes:

>> Chicken Biscuit Casserole

1 biscuits (tube or fresh)

1 can peas (8 oz.) canned

1 freezer bag jumbo

1 onion chopped

1/3 cup cold water

2 garlic cloves sliced

3 cups chicken broth

3 cups chicken cooked and cubed

3 tablespoons cornstarch

4 carrots sliced 1 thick

4 stalks celery sliced 1/2 thick

8 ounces mushrooms halved

Bring chicken broth to a boil; add carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms and garlic; simmer 10 minutes. Add cubed chicken meat and peas; simmer 5 minutes more. Mix cornstarch with cold water in measuring cup; add slowly until chicken mixture has consistency of gravy. Remove from heat; cool. To freeze: pour into round casserole dish (2-qt capacity). Cover with aluminum Movies, flash freeze, then wrap in jumbo freezer bag.

To prepare: thaw casserole before cooking. Put in oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and place uncooked biscuits (or a "tube" or scratch my family enjoys their "chicken biscuits cut with a cookie shaped like a chicken), slightly overlapping in circles on top of casserole. Back to cook 20 -25 minutes longer, until mixture bubbles and biscuits prepared.

>>Chicken, Cheese And Biscuits

1 1/2 cups skim milk

1 cup carrots, canned

1 cup green beans, canned french style

1 small pkg canned biscuits dash pepper and salt

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon

1 teaspoon margarine

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 cup onion chopped

2 tablespoons flour

4 ounces cheddar cheese

8 ounces chicken breast baked and diced

In small saucepan, sauté onions until tender. (Use dollop of margarine and water.) in 3 quart saucepan, heat margarine over medium heat until bubbly and hot. Add flour, mustard and stir quickly to combine thoroughly. Stirring constantly, gradually add milk, continue to stir and cook until smooth. Add broth mix and pepper and mix well. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick, 5 to 10 minutes. Add cheese and cook, stirring until melted.

Add chicken and vegetables and continue cooking until chicken and venerable are heated through. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray casserole dish with non stick cooking spray and pour chicken mixture into dish. Separate each biscuit into two layers of dough. Arrange on top of chicken mixture. Bake until biscuits are golden, 7 to 10 minutes.

That's it for today! If you want more chicken biscuits recipes, be sure to visit us today at:

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Cream Biscuits - A 200 Year Old Recipe That Still Tastes Good

Cream biscuits go back to the founding of our country and are truly a historical food icon. One reason for their existence was that the variety of food available in those days was extremely limited compared to what we have today. People had to do many different things with what they had and they always had milk and cream from their family cow.

These are especially good as a topping for Chicken Pot Pie and, if you take the time to prepare a really good sausage gravy, will elevate biscuits and gravy to a new plateau.This recipe makes about 18 biscuits, depending on how many scraps you save to make more biscuits.

4 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 cups plus 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add the two cups of cream all at once and stir with a large spoon until a smooth dough is formed. Scrape out onto a well floured surface, flour your hands and knead for one minute. Pat out the dough to about a 1/2 inch thickness.

Using a two and one half inch cookie cutter (a glass with a similar measurement will do), cut out the biscuit rounds and arrange them on a baking sheet. If the sheet is non-stick, cover it with aluminum foil first. You will have dough scraps left so gather them together, roll them into a ball, pat them down and start all over again.

Brush the tops of the biscuits with the remaining 3 tablespoons of cream and bake in a 375 degree oven for about twenty minutes, or until they are nicely risen and golden brown. Since over temperatures vary widely it's a good idea to keep and eye on them after about 15 minutes.

It is a custom, dating back over 200 years, that the cook gets the first biscuit loaded with butter as soon as they are taken out of the oven. For a critical taste test of course.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

7 Rules for a perfect Biscuits From Scratch Everytime - Plus 1 Great Buttermilk biscuit recipe

Making cookies is not an exact science, but requires some basic tips and techniques that make it work properly. Take any recipe for any cookie you have (see below), these 7 simple rules apply to this recipe, and there will be a perfect home-made biscuits scratch every time.

1) Use a good little amount of gluten, wheat flour.

2) The flour of themselves, then sift again with other dry ingredients in the recipe. This creates the perfectEasy for your biscuits.

3) The Flake, textured cookies are best when you are as fat lard in the cookie recipe. If you do not feel good about the shortening with the bacon for all cookies, try using half and half vegetable fat. But not all vegetable oils in any cookie recipe.

4) Chill the bowl and fat are used, and work quickly to keep the fat melts. Each wheat flour should be covered in grease to prevent the flourGluten from the water-activated. When you activate the adhesive, you end up with a hard, heavy biscuit.

5) Buy a good biscuit cutter, which makes a nice clean cut. It should also allow air to escape the (open top), cookies allow them to thrive.

6) Pat the cookie dough only once. Re rolling causes the gluten-free pasta dough recipe for cookie string, which is very heavy, dense biscuits.

Bake 7) For uniform, turn thePan for about one point during the cooking. If cooking more than a tin of biscuits at a time, switch the positions of the pots.

Before baking powder was ever invented, cooks have always used buttermilk biscuits. This would help them grow. Although it still operates today, people go more to the taste of butter milk deliveries for his ability to the biscuit dough can rise.

Buttermilk BiscuitRecipe

Ingredients:

2 1 / 2 cup of wheat flour
1 1 / 2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 / 2 teaspoon salt
1 / 2 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons lard, chilled
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, chilled
1 cup chilled buttermilk

Directions:

Place the rack in the center, and preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a baking sheet.

Sift the flour, then sift together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. formed with a fork or pastry blender great, stir in vegetable shortening and bacon fat to a meal.

Stir in the buttermilk and pour the ingredients until dough is sticky.

Flour your hands and a pastry board or work surface. Turn the dough and knead gently, only 4 to 6 times. Pat the dough until about 1 / 2 inch thick.

Cut the dough with a round cutter 2 to 3 inch round biscuit or cookie cutter.

Move> Biscuits on the baking sheet, arrange it so that only hard together. Bake cookies for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown in color and are raised (Remember to turn the sheet halfway through cooking).

Serve the biscuits warm with butter to coat.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Homemade Biscuits The Quick And Easy Way

Do you remember how good homemade piping hot biscuits are? Maybe your grandmother made them for you in days past but you haven't had them in years. Perhaps your children have rarely had homemade biscuits.

It's time to change that! It's also time to change the way we make biscuits. We no longer have the time to get out the rolling pin and cover the kitchen in flour. But luckily, there is a quick and easy way to go homemade without the homemade time and mess.


Assemble a mixing bowl and mixing spoon, 2-cup measuring cup, set of measuring spoons, and a baking sheet. You will also need a 2 ½-inch metal scoop - the type that has a handle you squeeze to eject the food.


Put the following ingredients nearby: buttermilk, vegetable oil, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and salt.


Turn on the oven to 425 degrees.


Pour 1 cup of buttermilk into the glass measuring cup. Add enough oil to bring the total volume to the 1 ½ cup mark.


Put 2 cups of flour into the bowl. Add 2 ½ tsp. of baking powder, 1 tsp. of sugar, 1 tsp. of salt, and a scant 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda.


Here's the secret of good biscuits - stir to blend, but don't over-stir. Be sure to scrape the sides so you don't end up with pockets of flour.


Fill the scoop, scrape the edge to level the contents, and eject the dough onto the baking sheet. (If you do not have a scoop, you can drop the batter from a spoon.)


Bake the biscuits until they are brown on the top and bottom - about 15 minutes.


Brush the tops with butter.

These biscuits will have a slightly more irregular shape than rolled biscuits, but the scoop gives them a more regular shape than dropping them from a spoon.

Here's a more traditional look at the recipe:

Laurie's Biscuits


2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
scant 1/8 tsp. baking soda

Mix dry ingredients. Add buttermilk and oil. Roll and cut or drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until brown. Brush tops with butter.

That's all there is to it. Oh, except for picking out your favorite jelly.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Healthy Dog Treats & Biscuits

Concerned about what's in prepared dog food - why not try these home baked healthy dog treats and biscuits.

There's nothing quite like home cooking - and this is true for your dog too! You'll have trouble shifting them out of the kitchen with these tempting recipes:

Healthy Dog Treats

Ingredients

1 cup wholewheat or wholegrain flour
¼ cup soy flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup stock (beef or chicken) or water
1 tsp yeast

To Make

Combine all of the dry ingredients and mix together well. Slowly add the stock or water until it forms a thick dough. Roll out flat and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake at 350F (180C) until golden brown and crisp. Break into pieces and use as a special treat for your pooch.

Healthy Dog Biscuits

Ingredients

As for Dog Treats PLUS
¼ cup cornmeal
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon honey

To Make

Beat the egg and milk together, then add the oil. Combine all of the dry ingredients and mix together well. Slowly add the liquid mixture until it forms a thick dough (add more milk if necessary). Knead for 5 minutes, then let the dough rest for an hour.

Roll out to ½" thickness and cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake at 350F (180C) for 30 minutes.

Again, these should be used as special treats for your dog, and are not meant to replace regular meals. Both will keep well for a few weeks in the pantry, and can be kept in the refrigerator if the weather is very humid.