Sweet Potato Biscuits

Mmm, yum.

Okay I guess I should say more than just that.  Sweet potatoes are a delightful blend of sweet and savory, starch and veggie, angelic and naughty.  Mash them up and bake them into a biscuit, and suddenly you open up all kinds of possibilities.  Have them with a little butter and jam, or some honey, and you've got a sweet treat.  Have them with some prosciutto or ham, and you have a savory snack.

These came out fairly small, more like a soft little cookie than a biscuit, so if you want a heartier biscuit that you can do a bit more with, you might want to double the size (thereby cutting the number of biscuits in half - yes, I can do basic math!)

As with most baked goods, if not all, these biscuits are best straight out of the oven.  But you can eat them cool, too.  They're versatile like that.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

adapted from Screen Doors and Sweet Tea

makes 12-16, depending on size

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium sized sweet potatoes

2/3 cup milk (I used skim)

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat toaster oven (or oven) to 375.  Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, or until easily pierced with a knife.  Let cool, then peel and coarsely chop.  Mash the sweet potatoes.  You will have a little over a cup of mashed sweet potato.

2.  After the sweet potatoes are cooled and mashed, preheat the oven to 450.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat liner.

3.  In a medium bowl, mix sweet potato, milk, and butter.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.  Add dry ingredients to wet and stir gently to combine to a soft dough.

4.  Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet (or make them bigger if you like).  You don't need to space them out too much because they won't really spread.  Bake 12-15 minutes, or until golden.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

My husband's birthday was a couple of days ago, and today we will be celebrating with family. There will be children present, and there will be my husband and I present, which I decided meant we had to have cupcakes. Cupcakes that showcase the most glorious dessert combination known to man: chocolate and peanut butter.

These cupcakes are unusual, since there is no real frosting, but with the rich, sweet peanut butter filling, frosting would just be too much. These cupcakes are decadent with a capital D. Made with quality chocolate, all natural peanut butter, and a not-quite indecent (but almost) amount of butter, these are cupcakes fit for a birthday party. And the filling is so full of itself that it not only resides in the middle, but bursts forth from the top of the cupcake as well.

If you are better at food artistry than I am, you might be able to make these look prettier with a swirly pattern on top. Mine are more like little peanut butter volcanoes. But hey, they taste just as good!

Peanut Butter-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes
adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
makes 12

INGREDIENTS:

the chocolate
2/3 cup white whole wheat (or all-purpose) flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2 ounces quality unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

the peanut butter filling
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Combine butter and chocolates in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

2. While the melted chocolate cools, make the peanut butter filling. Combine all the filling ingredients and stir together until smooth. Set aside.

3. Whisk granulated sugar into the cooled chocolate mixture. Add eggs, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until well incorporated.

4. Preheat oven to 325. Line a muffin tin with paper or silicone liners. Spoon 2 tablespoons chocolate batter into each lined cup, followed by 1 tablespoon peanut butter filling. Repeat with another tablespoon of chocolate, and top with 1 teaspoon peanut butter filling. Swirl top of cupcake batter and filling with a wooden skewer or toothpick.

4. Bake, rotating tin halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. Cool completely in muffin tin before removing cupcakes.

Enjoy, whether it's your birthday or not!

Sweet Potato Dumplings

These lovely little dumplings might look harmless, but they are quite the gut-busters. Loosen your belts before this meal. But it is worth every decadent, delicious bite.

This is a southern rendition of gnocchi. It's made from gorgeously hued and almost desserty sweet potatoes, which turn a potentially ordinary dish into something magical.

I have never made gnocchi from scratch before, but I bought a potato ricer a while ago in case the opportunity ever presented itself. Well now that I've deflowered my potato ricer and made this dish, I think you're going to be seeing homemade gnocchi on this site again. And again. Making these dumplings was really fun and rewarding - I got to get my hands dirty, and eat a delicious meal. Isn't that what cooking is all about?

Sweet Potato Dumplings
serves 3
adapted from "Screen Doors and Sweet Tea"

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound sweet potatoes (one very large one should do)
3/4 to 1 cup white whole wheat flour
salt
a pinch of nutmeg
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (about 5 leaves)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat toaster oven (or regular oven) to 375. Bake sweet potato, skin intact, for 30 minutes or until tender and easily pierced with a knife. Cool until you can handle it without burning yourself. Cut open the sweet potato and scoop out the flesh. Mash with a potato masher or pass through a potato ricer.

2. Combine sweet potato flesh with 3/4 cup flour, pinch of salt, and nutmeg. Stir well to combine - you might need to use your hands to finish the job. (Try it, it's fun). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly, adding additional flour until it is smooth and not too sticky.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

4. Cut dough in half. Roll out each half (with your hands, back and forth on the floured surface) to form a rope that is about 3/4 inch in diameter. Cut each rope into 3/4-inch segments. Press each segment gently with the back of a fork to make a pretty pattern, if you so desire.

5. Line a baking sheet with a clean towel and keep it handy. Put the dumplings carefully into the boiling water, in batches if necessary, and reduce the water to a simmer. Cook about 4 minutes, or until the dumplings rise to the top of the water. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon or mesh strainer, and place them gently on the towel-lined baking sheet.

6. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the butter, stirring occasionally, until light brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in a pinch of salt and pepper, as well as the chopped sage. Add the dumplings, carefully stirring to coat with the butter, and cook until slightly brown, about 3 minutes. Spoon onto serving plates.

I haven't eaten anything quite this amazing in my brief forays to the south, but if it's out there I'd willingly go back. Although what am I saying; I can make it myself. Enjoy!

Easy Crab Salad

I received a beautiful cookbook for my birthday called Screen Doors and Sweet Tea by Martha Hall Foose. It's all Southern-style cooking, but with a more delicate touch than what we traditionally think of when we think of Southern cooking (Paula Deen, anyone?). This recipe was particularly appealing, so I thought it would be a good introduction to Ms. Foose.

You won't see seafood very often in this blog, since my husband doesn't touch the stuff. But he's out tonight so I thought I'd take advantage and make a crab dish. This requires preparation the day before, so you have to be somewhat premeditated about it.

This has a sort of "ladies who lunch" feel to it, so if you're looking for an appetizer or a light main course to impress friends of the feminine persuasion, this might be it. It's elegant in flavor, texture, and appearance, and there isn't a drop of mayo to be found, thank goodness. Serve over a bed of greens of your choice, and with any other salad accoutrement you might have around. Don't be restricted by my arugula + cucumber + celery combination, though it was quite tasty!

Easy Crab Salad
Adapted from Martha Hall Foose's "Screen Doors and Sweet Tea"
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 pound fresh or canned lump crab meat
1 scallion, finely chopped
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons cold water
pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 cup (loosely packed) baby arugula (or other salad greens)
assortment of salad veggies, your preference (cucumber, celery, avocado, etc.)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put the crab in the bottom of a glass bowl, and sprinkle the chopped scallion fairly evenly over it. Drizzle with oil, vinegar, and water. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 24 hours.

2. Toss lightly and serve over arugula and other veggies.

Enjoy!