Tag: baking soda

{Fat Free!} Golden Squash Biscuits

The first time I made these biscuits, this past fall, they were kind of a fluke. I was working on a freelance assignment about sneaking extra vegetables into food and I ended up with some pureed squash left over at the end of the day. I decided to use it in place of the butter in my favorite baking soda biscuit recipe, just to see if it would work, and was surprised to find that it was my favorite recipe of the day!

The dough for these golden squash biscuits comes together like a dream. It’s soft and supple and incredibly easy to work with, resulting in tender, flakey biscuits that are practically fool-proof. Once you’ve made them a few times and are familiar with the recipe, you can have them in the oven in 5 minutes flat. (Until then, it might take closer to 10.)

As an added bonus, these biscuits happen to be fat free! That means you can load them up with delicious filings without feeling guilty. The biscuits don’t taste like squash at all (promise) but they do have a very subtle sweetness that makes them perfect with a slip of butter and a drizzle of honey. They’re also fabulous with raspberry jam or as a little breakfast sandwich with a slice of ham and a fried egg.

They’re best served warm from the oven, but will keep about 3 days in an airtight container.

{Fat Free!} Golden Squash Biscuits

Author: Lauren Keating (Healthy-Delicious.com)

Serves: 12

2 to 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup winter squash puree (butternut, acorn, pumpkin, etc)
¾ cup skim milk

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicon liner or parchment.
In a mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the squash puree and milk to form a very soft dough. If the mixture is too wet, stir in additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough forms.
Place on a lightly floured surface and knead 10 times; pat into a ½-inch thick disk. Cut with a 2-inch biscuit cutter and place on the prepared baking sheet, with the edges of the biscuits just touching. Re-roll and re-cut scraps.
Bake 10-12 minutes. These biscuits are best warm from the oven but will keep about 3 days in an airtight container.

Calories: 88 Fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 19 Fiber: 0.5 Protein: 3

3.2.1652

Maple-Walnut Butter Cookies

The maple-walnut butter cookies are crispy, chewy, and just about perfect.

I’m pretty sure I’ve eaten my weight in cookies this month, but these maple-walnut butter cookies are some of my favorites. Their texture is just amazing – crispy on the edges but wonderfully chewy in the middle. They’re intensely buttery with maple-y sweetness, a touch of walnut, and the perfect amount of salt.

They also seem to get better and better the longer they sit, which makes them perfect for giving as gifts or bringing to a cookie exchange. If you can bear to part with them yourself, that is. (I thought about it, but decided I just couldn’t.)

To make these cookies, start by processing walnuts into a paste (think peanut butter, but better). Then, mix together a pretty basic dough. I’ve been lazy about taking my butter out to soften lately, so I’ve been using a trick that I learned recently – grate the cold butter into shreds with a cheese grater. By the time you’re done, you’ll be rewarded with a pile of buttery ribbons that are the perfect temperature. It works like a charm!

Because these cookies are so delicate, I call for sifting the dry ingredients – another step that I’m usually pretty lazy about. It only takes a few seconds and you definitely don’t want any clumps of baking soda in your cookies (especially if you’re giving them away). If you don’t have a sifter (I actually use a mesh colander) you can also use a wire whisk to break up any clumps that might have formed in your dry ingredients – they should be light and fluffy.

Maple-Walnut Butter Cookies

Author: Lauren Keating

Serves: 24

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1-1/4 cup sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1-1/4 cups Gold Medal® all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

Heat oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicon baking mats.
Add the walnuts to a food processor or blender; process until very finely ground, 20-30 seconds. Drizzle in the oil and process until a paste forms.
In a mixing bowl, beat together the walnut butter and butter until smooth. Add the sugar and maple syrup; beat until fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into the walnut mixture until completely incorporated.
Scoop teaspoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches in between each cookie. Bake 9-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the cookies are slightly puffy. Remove from the oven and gently press the centers down with a spatula. Let cool completely.

3.2.2158

This post was sponsored by Gold Medal Flour. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep me inspired in the kitchen.

<!–

–>

THE BEST PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

THE BEST PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup flour

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°F
Line a baking sheet with parchment
Cream butter and peanut butter together until smooth. Add both sugars and beat for 2 minutes.
Add egg, vanilla, baking soda and salt.
Add flour.
Scoop tablespoon amounts. Roll into a ball and then flatten
to approximately 1/2 inch thick. Place on baking sheet about 2 inches
apart.
Bake for 10 minutes until golden edges.
Remove from oven and cool completely.
Adapted from Cookie and Cups