cultured butter

Wild Blueberry Biscuits with Maple Sugar and Rosemary

/ Ren

A little savory and not too sweet, these simple biscuits make a versatile side any time of day..

 

Wild Blueberry Bisquits

Wild Blueberry Biscuits with Maple Sugar and Rosemary

 

Makes about 10 3-inch biscuits (adapted from a recipe by Diana’s Kitchen)

2 1/4 cups organic, unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 cup rapadura or raw wildflower honey
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/3 cup cultured butter, softened
1 pastured egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup fresh buttermilk
3/4 cup organic frozen blueberries

Topping

3 tablespoons cultured butter, melted
3 tablespoons maple sugar
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary needles, chopped

Mix 2 cups of the flour with the rapadura, baking powder, lemon peel, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture forms pea-sized lumps.

Combine egg and buttermilk, then pour into the flour mixture. Stir just to combine- mixture will be slightly lumpy. Gently fold in still-frozen blueberries.

Sprinkle remaining flour onto the counter-top, then knead the dough by hand until it holds together, about 6 or 7 turns. Pat out the dough to a uniform 1/2 inch thickness, then cut out rounds with an empty can, glass or cutter.

Brush biscuits with melted butter, then sprinkle with maple sugar and rosemary.  Place 2 inches apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degree until golden brown, about 12 minutes.

Serve hot from the oven with cultured butter.

Stash Cookies

/ Ren

One bite of these and you’ll know..

Stash Cookies

Makes about 18 1 1/2-inch cookies

3 oz unsalted cultured butter, melted
3 oz papelón (rapadura)
1 oz piloncillo oscuro (dark, unrefined Mexican sugar), shaved
1 1/2 oz raw cacao beans, skinned and ground
1/2 teaspoon ground canella (wild cinnamon)
5 oz unsweetened dark chocolate chips
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla bean paste
1 pastured egg (at room temperature)
6 oz unbleached organic all-purpose flour
2 oz sprouted organic wheat flour (adds structure and a slight nutty taste)
1/2 teaspoon plus 1 pinch aluminum-free baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Slowly melt the butter in the top of a double boiler.  Remove from heat, stir in the papelón and let stand 10 minutes to dissolve and cool. With an electric mixer, whip the butter and papelón together until a smooth, butterscotch-color paste is formed.  Add the vanilla bean paste and egg and stir to combine.

Mix together the piloncillo, ground cacao, canella, flour, baking soda and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture a little at a time until combined (the resulting dough will be thinner than regular chocolate chip cookie dough).  Cover and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

Pinch off silver dollar-sized pieces of dough (there is no need to roll or flatten the cookies) and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  Bake in a 350 degree oven until slightly dark around the edges and light golden brown on top, about 10-11 minutes.

These cookies are of course best when only minutes from the oven, but may be kept up to 2 days in an airtight container.

Chocolate Almond and Almond Shortbread Cookies

/ Ren

Raw (non-irradiated) almonds, pastured butter, organic unbleached flour, non-refined sugar, grain-sweetened chocolate, whipped egg whites and pure almond extract..

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Chocolate Almond & Almond Shortbread Cookies

 

2 oz non-refined sugar
4 oz unsalted cultured butter
6 oz unbleached organic flour
1 tsp almond extract
1 pinch of salt
1 doz whole almonds, raw

2 large egg whites
3 oz melted chocolate

For the Almond Shortbread cookies, beat the sugar, butter, salt and almond extract together until light and fluffy.   Gradually fold in the flour and mix to combine.

Roll the dough into a log using plastic wrap or parchment paper then place in the freezer until firm.

Meanwhile, blanch whole almonds in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain, cool, remove skins and chop.

Using a sharp, thin-bladed knife, slice chilled dough into 3/8″ rounds and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven until just done, about 15 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly.

For the Chocolate Almond cookies, follow the same basic recipe and fold in almonds, 2 whipped egg whites and 3 oz melted chocolate. Chill, slice and bake as above.

 

Eggs Toscana

/ Ren
Tuscan Fried Eggs

Eggs Toscana

Fresh local eggs fried in a bit of cultured butter with chorizo, Italian grilling peppers, red & green onions, flat-leaf parsley and roasted salsa.  Sea salt and freshly-ground pepper.

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