Sweet Potato and Herb Biscuits
These biscuits are a favorite of mine. They go great with a bowl of chili. They also would make a nice addition to your Thanksgiving table.
I like sweet potatoes any number of ways. Steamed, roasted, mashed. In this biscuit recipe, raw sweet potatoes are grated and added to the dough, along with some herbs. The biscuits come out tender, with great flavor and texture. They are also quite pretty.
I enjoy them with a bit of butter, warm from the oven.
When you mix the dough, don’t be worried if it seems too dry. It takes a little bit of kneading to get the moisture out of the potatoes. The extra effort is worth it.
I cut them into triangles, but you can just form the dough into a log shape. Then, slice the dough for round biscuits. They taste wonderful, no matter the shape.
Sweet Potato and Herb Biscuits
2 1/4 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. grated lemon peel
1/4 t. each baking soda, dried basil and dried thyme
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 c. shredded sweet potato, about 1 large
1/2 c. fine chopped green onions
1/2 c. sour cream
2T. butter, melted or olive oil
Stir together dry ingredients in large bowl and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients and add to flour mixture mixing until just blended. Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead a few times until dough just stays together. Dough will look too dry- but it will come together after you knead it. Press into an 8-inch square and cut into four squares.* Cross cut each square into four triangles. Place on greased baking sheet and bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 20 minutes. Makes 16.
* I press the dough into a lightly floured 8×8-inch baking pan and then flip it out onto the work surface, before cutting. That way you’ll get nice, even edges.
A Trio of Mashed Potatoes
I am perfectly happy just mashing up potatoes and adding warm milk or cream and butter to them along with salt and pepper. Still, sometimes it is nice to switch things up a little. There are certainly countless variations for what you could add to mashed potatoes. If you are making mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving, and want to try something new, you might consider one of these recipes.
They are three of my favorites.
I can remember the first time my Mother added roasted garlic to mashed potatoes. They were so good. I think she added roasted garlic to them all the time after that.
Roasted Garlic Smashed Potatoes
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
3 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cubed
½ c. milk, warmed
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
½ t. salt
¼ t. ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic cloves in a small baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, cover, and bake 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender but firm. Drain, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Place roasted garlic, milk, Parmesan cheese, and butter into the bowl with the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Mash to desired consistency.
Cheesy Bacon Smashed Potatoes
3 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cubed
½ c. milk or half and half, warmed
2 c. shredded cheese- I like cheddar
3 T. butter
12 oz. bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender but firm. Drain, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Place milk, cheese, and butter into the bowl with the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Mash to desired consistency. Stir in bacon, reserving some for the top.
Sour Cream and Green Onion Smashed Potatoes
3 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 c. sour cream
3 T. butter
½ c. chopped green onions or chives
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender but firm. Drain, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Place sour cream and butter into the bowl with the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Mash to desired consistency. Stir in green onions, reserving some for the top.
One more thing: A note about peeling. I still mostly peel potatoes that I am going to mash. My sister, Cindy, does not. She likes the flavor and texture the peel adds. Either is fine by me.
Sweet Potato Pound Cake
If the only way you enjoy sweet potatoes is as a side at the holidays, or in pie, it is time to expand your thinking about them. In this recipe, the mashed sweet potatoes add both sweetness and moistness to the finished cake. Great plain, or with a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh berries.
This cake makes a lovely dessert or a nice addition to a brunch menu. Also, a way to use up leftover mashed sweet potatoes, if you find yourself with leftovers.
I mentioned this recipe to a friend and she was very interested. I will be seeing her over the weekend and think I will make this for our dinner together.
Sweet Potato Pound Cake
1 1/2 c. cake flour*
1/2 t. each baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 c. sour cream, room temperature
1 1/3 c. sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 c. mashed sweet potato
1 t. vanilla
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly oil an 8×4-inch loaf pan. Mix flour with next 4 ingredients and set aside. In large mixing bowl beat together butter and sour cream. Beat in sugar and then beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in mashed sweet potato and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients and pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until tester comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool in pan 30 minutes before loosening cake sides from pan and removing. After cake has cooled wrap in foil and store at room temperature. Serves 8.
* If you don’t have cake flour you can make your own. Simply measure out a cup of all purpose flour and remove 2 tablespoons of the flour. That is now the same as a cup of cake flour OR remove the 2 tablespoons of flour and replace them with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and sift together to combine. I do the flour/cornstarch mix and keep a batch on hand for when I need it in baking.
Sweet Potatoes or Yams?
I just wanted to clear something up. With all the sweet potato and “yam” recipes circulating, it seemed like a good time for this post. Are you eating sweet potatoes or yams?
Well, if you live in North America, you are having sweet potatoes. No matter what the produce department labels them, everything in the store is, botanically speaking, a sweet potato. Red, orange and yellow, big and small – all are sweet potatoes.
So where did the yam thing start? Well, many years ago the state of Louisiana had an abundant crop of sweet potatoes. They wanted to sell them in a competitive marketplace, so they decided to call them yams. Just a name change in an effort to give their product an edge over the competition. You’ll often still see them sold as Louisiana Yams. They aren’t yams, though. Louisiana Yams are, in fact, just sweet potatoes with a name change.
There are real yams- they are larger than sweet potatoes and quite starchy. They might be found at South American restaurants, or in specialty markets in the States, but they are NOT in your local grocery store.
A sweet potato by other name will taste as sweet.
Mom’s Polish Mushroom Soup
Since I decided to share some of my Mother’s favorite recipes this week, I had to include this soup. Sharing this family recipe with other people makes me happy. My Busha (Polish Grandmother) and my Mother both made this soup. They would be pleased to know that someone is still making it.
There are many variations of mushroom soup in Eastern European culture. Some have barley, others add sauerkraut. This is my family’s version. Plenty of mushrooms in rich stock, slightly thickened, and made creamy with the addition of sour cream. Ours is served with kluski noodles.
This soup is a tradition in my family. When I was a kid, my Busha would make it every Easter. My Mom made it for Christmas Eve. Now my niece makes it, and we have it the day before Thanksgiving.
It is one of those dishes that brings back so many wonderful childhood memories. I love the rich, earthy flavor of the mushrooms, and the slightly sweet/sour flavor of the broth. It is made with dried mushrooms, usually. I can remember watching my mom get out a big bowl and soaking the mushrooms to get them clean, and to soften them, before starting the soup.
I use dried shiitake mushrooms, but often add fresh mushrooms as well. Sometimes I use other dried mushrooms, too. I like to have a variety of mushrooms in the soup. I use chicken stock. If made with vegetable stock, it could make a great meatless meal.
Polish Mushroom Soup
4 qt. Chicken, beef or vegetable stock
5 c. dried mushrooms, about 4 0z. I use Shiitake.*
Water for soaking
½ c. flour
1 pint sour cream
¼ c. balsamic vinegar
2 T. sugar
1 Lb. Kluski-style noodles, cooked and drained
Soak mushrooms in water for 1-2 hours. Lift mushrooms carefully out to leave any sand in the bowl of water. Rinse and drain. Set aside. Bring stock to a boil and add the mushrooms. Simmer, covered for about 1½ hours, or until mushrooms reach desired tenderness. Mushrooms will retain some “chewiness”. In medium bowl whisk sour cream into flour gradually until smooth. Stir in vinegar and sugar until smooth. Add a small amount of the hot soup to the sour cream mixture, whisking until smooth. Continue adding hot soup to the sour cream mixture until sour cream mixture is warm. Add the warm mixture to the pot of soup and stir to combine. Return to simmer and simmer 1 minute, stirring continuously. Place desired amount of kluski into bowls and ladle over the hot soup. Serves12.
Note: You can add a variety of fresh mushrooms to the soup to make it even more special. You might use portabellas; crimini, button or whatever mushrooms are at the store that day. Add in addition to the dry mushrooms; don’t reduce the amount of shiitakes.
You can use other cooked pasta. You could try spaetzle or even gnocchi. You might also need more than one pound of kluski, depending on how much pasta your family likes in their soup.
*The dried shiitake mushrooms can be found at specialty grocery stores, some larger grocery stores and at Asian markets.
Pumpkin Chiffon- Gluten Free
I fondly remember when my Mom used to make this dessert. I think of her whenever I make it. From a technical cooking standpoint, it’s not really a chiffon, but that is what my Mom called it, so I will leave it as Pumpkin Chiffon.
It’s more like a pumpkin pie, without the crust. Super easy to make and quite tasty. I bake it in a casserole dish but you could also make it in individual ramekins. This recipe is always a big hit when I make it for friends.
You could use canned or fresh cooked pumpkin or winter squash, like butternut or Hubbard. I always cook up and freeze pumpkin and squash for later use, so frozen would work, too. Because there is no crust, it is also gluten-free. I sometimes serve it with gingersnaps and whipped cream. It is a lovely Fall dessert. Perfect for Thanksgiving, too.
Mom’s Pumpkin Chiffon
½ c. applesauce
1 c. cooked or canned pumpkin or squash
¾ c. brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. salt
½ t. nutmeg
1/8 t. cloves
4 eggs, well beaten
1 c. half and half or evaporated milk
Stir together first seven ingredients. Beat in eggs and stir in milk. Place mixture in 1 ½ quart casserole and bake in a 350-degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Serve alone or with cookies. Serves 6-8.
Mom’s Homemade Kielbasa
I can remember my parents making homemade sausage. As a kid, I thought a lot of parents did that. I don’t think I really appreciated how special that was. When my parents got older, one of my cousins ( Jim) started making the sausage.
The sausage they made was kielbasa. Kielbasa is a Polish sausage. It was something we ate every Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Well, you name a holiday, we would be eating kielbasa. Somewhere, there is even a film of my mom making kielbasa for Christmas. My dad was filming as my sister and brother watched. I wasn’t born yet.
Today would be my Mom’s birthday. I try to post one of her recipes on her birthday every year. I share a lot of my Mom’s recipes, I thought it was time to share this one. I don’t know how many people would go to the bother of making their own sausage, but I am hoping even a few people will make the kielbasa. It is a way of her kind of living on.
So here is her recipe. Enjoy!!
A bit of work, but the end result is divine. Make and freeze or share with friends and family.
Irene’s Polish Sausage/ Kielbasa
10 lbs. Pork butts
5 T. salt
1 T. pepper
1 T. marjoram
1 t. thyme
2 cloves garlic or more to taste, minced
1 ½ c. water
Grind pork then combine with seasonings and water. The water helps the ingredients to blend. If you have a sausage maker, you can stuff the sausage into casings. Sausage can also be formed into patties or links. To cook sausages in casings, boil until cooked through. You can then serve them as is, on buns with bread or on a plate with mustard or ketchup and horseradish. You can also take boiled sausages and brown them in a skillet or under the broiler.
Patties and links made without casings can be pan fried until cooked through. You can add a little water and cover the pan allowing them to cook through without getting too brown. Without casings, they will fall apart in a big pot of boiling water. Sausages can be frozen cooked or uncooked, but uncooked is preferred.
Cindy’s Rich Squash Rolls
I love these dinner rolls. I think you will, too. The addition of squash is what makes them so special. The squash adds beautiful color to the rolls. It also creates a soft texture and an earthy sweetness.
These rolls are wonderful for any fall or winter dinner or holiday. They are especially nice for Thanksgiving.
We have them every Thanksgiving. My sister Cindy always makes them, and has been making them for years. They are rich, soft and sweet and make a perfect addition to the dinner table. Even with all the other foods at Thanksgiving dinner- you always save room for these dinner rolls.
While I use cooked butternut squash in mine, pumpkin could be used, as well as other winter squashes.
The recipe makes a pretty big batch. You can bake them, then freeze some for later use.
I love slicing them in half, and making mini turkey sandwiches with them the day after Thanksgiving.
Cindy’s Squash Rolls
1 c. milk
4 T. butter
½ c. sugar
¼ c. brown sugar
1 t. salt
1 pkt. Yeast
4-5 c. flour
1 ½ c. cooked butternut squash, strained, or 1 (16oz.) can squash or pumpkin
2 eggs, room temperature
Scald milk and butter. Place sugar and salt in large bowl and pour in milk mixture. Cool to lukewarm. Add yeast and 2 cups of flour. Beat at medium speed with mixer for 2 minutes. Add squash and eggs and mix until smooth. Add flour gradually to form a stiff dough. Knead on floured board for 7-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning dough to coat evenly. Cover with a towel and allow to rise until doubled. Punch dough down and shape into rolls. Dough can be placed in a greased cake pan where they will touch each other as they rise making softer rolls. You can also place them in muffin tins, or shape into rolls and place on greased baking sheet for crispier rolls. Cover and let rise until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes. Butter tops while warm. Makes 2 ½ -3 dozen.
Variation: you can also add ½ t. ground nutmeg, 1-2 T. chopped chives, or 1T. parsley flakes for a little different flavor.
Amaretto Pear Blintzes with Candied Almonds
Sometimes you can start with the simplest ingredients and end up with something special. This recipe is a perfect example. I had fresh pears and flour tortillas. I wanted to make a brunch dish for a friend so I added a few more ingredients and ended up with these pear blintzes. I make fruit blintzes with tortillas pretty often. I wanted these to be different. I added Amaretto to the pears and made candied almonds as a topper.
They look like a lot more work than they are. They were simple to make.
My friend said they reminded her of apple pie. In fact, she didn’t believe me at first, when I said they were pears. If you like the taste of homemade fruit pie, but don’t have the time to bake, these are a nice option. Because they are barely cooked, the pears retain some shape. In a pie, pears tend to fall apart.
Since we had them for brunch, I left them plain, but these would make a great dessert topped with whipped cream or ice cream. Even a dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of caramel. Simple and quite flavorful.
Amaretto Pear Blintzes with Candied Almonds
Blintzes:
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas, I used whole wheat
2 oz. milk
2 T. butter
Filling:
4 pears, peeled, cored and sliced
½ c. brown sugar
2 T. butter
2 T. Amaretto
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
Pinch of salt
Candied Almonds
¾ c. sliced almonds
½ c. sugar
¼ c. water
½ t. cinnamon
Place tortillas in shallow dish and drizzle the milk over them. Try to get some milk on each of the tortillas to soften them. While the tortillas are softening, prepare the filling. In medium skillet, combine pears with the rest of the filling ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes. Set aside. Combine almonds with the sugar, water and cinnamon in medium skillet. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring often. Cook until liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Pour almonds onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking sheet or foil. Spread out and allow nuts to cool.
Place butter in skillet and start to heat up the pan. While pan is heating, divide pear filling among the 4 tortillas. Place filling along center of tortilla and fold up edges over, to cover the filling. Heat the tortillas, seam side down, in the pan until golden, turning to toast evenly on both sides. Remove from pan and place on serving plate. Top with some of the candied almonds. Serves 4.
Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes
These tasty little cakes are actually a revision of a favorite apple cake recipe. I wanted cupcakes and made a few changes, so it would work in cupcake form. I was pretty happy with how they came out.
I sprinkled cinnamon sugar on top of the cupcakes right before baking. It worked fine. I thought I might try baking them plain on top next time- then dipping the tops in melted butter and cinnamon sugar after baking. I make French Breakfast Puff muffins that way, and it works well.
I also chose not to frost them. I could see using a cream cheese frosting, or perhaps a drizzle of caramel, if you like a sweeter dessert. These would also be great served with ice cream. Of course, since they aren’t frosted, you could always call them muffins and eat them for breakfast!!
Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes
1 c. oil
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. lemon juice
3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
3 t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
4 medium apples
Topping:
½ c. sugar
2 t. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 325. Combine oil, eggs, vanilla and lemon juice. Beat until smooth and set aside. In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the middle and add the egg mixture. Beat by hand until smooth. Batter will be very thick. Peel, core and dice the apples. Add apples to the batter and stir until well blended. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners- or grease. Spoon the batter into the muffin pans, filling almost to the top. Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over the tops of the cupcakes. Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until golden and toothpick, inserted in cupcakes comes out clean. Makes 24.
