Easter Buttermilk Biscuits

Easter Buttermilk Biscuits

Makes: 12 buscuits Total Time: 35 Minutes
Combine:
2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 T. sugar
1 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
Cut in:
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
Stir in:
2 cups buttermilk
Sift over Work Surface and Dough:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
Cut Biscuits; Brush with:
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
Heat oven to 475°. Spray two 8" round pans with cooking spray.

Combine flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

Cut shortening into the flour mixture using a pastry blender.

Stir in buttermilk completely, then let the dough rest 2-3 minutes.

Sift 1/4 cup of the all-purpose flour onto the work surface, then turn out
the dough onto the surface. Sift remaining flour over dough. Turn and fold
dough over several times in flour and gently pat to 3/4" thick.

Cut biscuits with a floured 21/2" round cutter. Place 6 biscuits in each
pan. Gently reroll scraps without overworking the dough or adding additional
flour.
Brush tops of biscuits with melted butter. Bake 15 minutes, or until tops
are golden.

Nutrition facts (Per biscuit):
181 calories; 33% calories from fat; 7g total fat; 27g carb; 413mg sodium;
1g fiber

Bill Austin

Easter Lasagna with Bolognese Sauce

Easter Lasagna with Bolognese Sauce

Makes: One 13" x 10" x 21/2" Pan
Total Time: 2 Hours
For the Ricotta Filling -
Blend:
2 containers (15 oz. each) whole milk ricotta

Add:
2 eggs
2 t. sugar
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. black pepper

For the Bolognese Sauce -
Saute in 1/4 Cup Olive Oil:
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup fennel, diced

Add:
2 T. garlic, minced

Stir in:
3/4 lb. ground chuck
1/2 lb. ground pork
3 T. Italian herb seasoning blend
1 T. kosher salt
1 t. black pepper

Add and Simmer:
1 1/2 cups whole milk

Add and Simmer:
1 cup dry red wine

Stir in and Simmer:
4 lb. tomatoes, quartered
2 T. tomato paste
3 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare; Assemble Lasagna with:
2 bunches Swiss chard, stemmed, blanched, and dried
1 lb. oven-ready lasagna sheets, parboiled
1 recipe Ricotta Filling
1 recipe Bolognese Sauce
2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese,
shredded
2 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated

For the Ricotta Filling -
Blend ricotta in a food processor until very smooth, about 2 min.; scrape
down sides. Add remaining ingredients; blend 1 minute.

For the Bolognese Sauce -
Saute onion, carrots, celery, and fennel in oil in a large saute pan over
medium heat. Cook until soft, 10-15 minutes.

Add garlic; saute another minute.

Stir in ground meats and seasonings; cook until meat is no longer pink, 8 -
10 minutes.

Add milk; simmer until liquid almost evaporates, 25 - 30 minutes.

Add wine and simmer until almost evaporated, about 20 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, paste, and seasonings; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook
until sauce is very thick, 3 - 4 hours. Stir often to prevent it from
sticking or burning. Bring to room temperature before assembling lasagna.

To Assemble the Lasagna -
Prepare chard leaves, blanching in boiling water until wilted.

Parboil lasagna sheets just until pliable; transfer to foil-lined baking
sheet that's been coated with nonstick spray. Store sheets in single layers
separated by pieces of foil.

Assemble and bake lasagna as illustrated below. Unbaked, lasagna may be
wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to one day, or wrapped in foil
and frozen for up to one month (defrost completely before baking).

Easter Chocolate Apple Bread

Easter Chocolate Apple Bread

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 cup chopped apples
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
To make the topping, in a small bowl mix the sugar, cinnamon and finely
chopped walnuts. Set aside.
In a medium bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon,
and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla
extract, and mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture alternately with
buttermilk. Stir in apples, walnuts, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Pour
into a greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with topping.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool on a wire rack.

Easter Apple Dessert

Easter Apple Dessert

1 cup self-raising flour
1 1/2 cups peeled, diced fresh apples
1/2 cup dried sultanas
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 oz butter, chopped
2 cups boiling water
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon.


Sift flour into bowl. Stir in the apples, sultanas and
the caster sugar then make a well in the centre and stir
in the milk to form a thick batter.
Spread batter over the base of a greased large, deep
[3 pint ] ovenproof dish.
Combine brown sugar, butter and water in a large jug,
stir until butter is melted. Carefully pour syrup over dough
and sprinkle the top with cinnamon.
Bake at 200 C for 25 minutes until top is well risen
and golden. Serve warm with cream or ice-cream.
On cooking the cake, the batter rises to the top
covering the delicious, rich caramel syrup that forms beneath.

Creamy Ham and Vegetable Stew

Creamy Ham and Vegetable Stew

1-1/2 cups water
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup diced, peeled potato (1 medium)
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup cubed ham
1 10-3/4-ounce can condensed reduced-sodium cream of celery soup
1/2 of an 8-ounce jar process cheese dip (1/2 cup)

Directions
In a large saucepan, combine the water, carrots, potato, and onion.
Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add peas
and ham. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and cook for 5 minutes
more. Stir in soup and cheese dip. Cook and stir until heated. Makes 4
main-dish servings.

Easter Gourmet Glazed Baked Ham

The glaze forms an unbelievable crust around the Ham...

Gourmet Glazed Baked Ham

1 (8-9 pound) fully cooked bone-in ham
Whole cloves (optional)
1/2 cup whole-grain Dijon mustard
1/2 cup golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Score top of ham into diamonds and stud center of each diamond with a clove.

On a rack in a roasting pan bake ham in middle of oven 1 1/2 hours. In a
bowl combine, mustard, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, orange juice and spice.
Remove pan from oven. Spread mustard glaze mixture over top and sides of ham

Return to oven and continue to bake until ham is cooked to desired internal
temperature, about 1- 1 1/2 hours. Spread additional glaze mixture every 30
minutes until done. Transfer ham to a platter. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.