Insta-recipes #2

Sit back, sip on a greyhound, and take in the fact that it’s January and things are cray-cray! Anyhow, I just thought that today I’d share recipes for some things that have popped up on my Instagram lately.

P.S. I can’t believe I’ve never posted that tomato soup! Make it for a hottie, and write about your love in it. Soup romance.

These biscuits are half roll half biscuit. They’re the best of both worlds. I like them dunked in tomato soup, sandwiching pulled pork, or drizzled with honey. They’re one of my faves! And so speedy! Rise time, shmize time.

Denver Biscuits (Revisited + halved below!)
Recipe from my sister, Sally

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 t yeast
• 2 T sugar
• 1/4 cup + 1 T vegetable oil
• 1 cups buttermilk
• 2 t baking powder
• 1 t salt
• 1/8 t baking soda
• 3 cups flour (approximately)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water until foamy. Add sugar, oil, buttermilk, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Mix until combined. Add flour a couple cups at a time and stir with a wooden spoon, until ready to knead.
2. Pour dough out on a floured surface and knead for a few minutes, or until no longer sticky. Pat down until about 3/4-1 inch thick. Cut with round biscuit cutter or glass dipped in flour. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

I made this soup along with those lovely biscuits up there for my parents, and sister (Laura!) when they visited. I really wanted a reason to use my brand new immersion blender, and I figure this soup is just perfect for a winter lunch! It honestly is my favorite tomato soup in the world. I’d love to hear what YOUR favorite one is like!

The Best Tomato Soup (serves 4 exactly)
Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated via  Lottie & Doof

Ingredients:

• 2 (28 oz.) cans whole tomatoes in juice, drained, 3 cups juice reserved*
• 1-3 T dark brown sugar
• 3 T unsalted butter
• 4 large shallots, minced
• 1 T tomato paste
• pinch ground allspice
• 2 T all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• salt and cayenne pepper by the pinch

* San Marzano, please!

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. With your fingers, carefully open whole tomatoes over a strainer set in a bowl and push out seeds, allowing juices to fall through the strainer into the bowl. Spread tomatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle evenly with dark brown sugar. Roast for 30 minutes or until all liquid has evaporated and tomatoes begin to color. Remove from the oven and scrape free from the foil for adding to the soup all easy-like.
2. Heat butter over medium heat in a dutch oven or large-ish pot until foaming. Add shallots, tomato paste, and allspice. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots soften (7-10 minutes). Add flour and cook stirring constantly, until combined. Gradually add chicken stock, whisking constantly to combine. Stir in tomato juice and roasted tomatoes. Cover, increase heat to medium and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove pot from heat and puree using an immersion blender Alternately remove the solids and puree and add back to the pot. Return to a low heat and add the cream, salt, and cayenne to taste. Serve with Denver Biscuits,  garlic croutons, or grilled cheese sandwiches!

I woke up feeling really positive the other day. So positive in fact that I woke up EARLY enough for work to whip up this banana bread, bake it for a whole hour, and then eat 3 pieces at my desk at work. Now I know how to gauge how good I’m doin’! Morning-baking and car-singing.

Banana Bread
Recipe adapted from my mom

Ingredients:

• 2-3 bananas (about 1 cup’s worth)
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 3 1/2 t baking powder
• 1 t salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 3 T coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup muscovado sugar, or dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray 1 large bread pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom with a rectangle of parchment paper overlapping the two long sides of the pan so you can lift the bread out eventually.
2. In a large bowl mash the bananas. Add all of the remaining ingredients and mix, mix, mix, until completely combined.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan. Sprinkle generously with almonds. Bake for an hour or until cake tester comes out clean. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Serve warm with butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Eat for lunch. Eat for dinner.

I want to make every single chocolate chip cookie recipe ever. (Proof!) I want to make them the DAY they’re posted. So when I saw this one up on Spoon Fork Bacon, I knew it was meant to be. Not to mention the fact that I purchased a giant bag of Ghirardelli semi-sweet chips for a steal! I pulled out a stick and a half of butter on my lunch break and baked these up after eating my noodle dinner. I dunked the hell out of them in milk. I hate them for breakfast the next day.

Dreamy Dunkable Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t cornstarch (oops, forgot to put this in)
• 1/4 t kosher salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup moscovado sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup + 2 1/2 T granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) mix together butter and both sugars until just combined, but not creamed.
3. Add eggs and vanilla and continue to mix until just combined. Add flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt and mix in until well-blended. Fold in chocolate chips and pop the dough in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
4. Scoop 3 tablespoon sized balls onto your prepared baking sheets leaving about 2-inches between. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until edges begin to brown, but the tops are still light.
5. Allow cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to your mouth after dunking in milk.

P.S. Peruse Insta-recipes #1, right here!