The No Sugar Added Cobbler

And the reason you don't have to add sugar (unless you really want to) is that the berries that are going in this cobbler are sweet enough! Ali Rosen, who wrote the new cookbook 15 Minute Meals, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for cobbler that includes a biscuit dough top. Ali says if you're trying to cut back on sugar, still want a delicious dessert, look no further! Ali says you don't have to choose the berries, you can make this with whatever you have on hand. Give this a try and savor the delicious taste of those stewed berries with the flaky biscuit crust.

• 1 Package (16 ounces) Strawberries, sliced
• 1 Package (6 ounces) Blackberries
• 1 Package (6 ounces) Raspberries
• 1 Package (6 ounces) Blueberries
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 Cup plus 4 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons baking powder
• 6 Tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into pieces
• 3/4 Cup heavy cream
• Whipped cream or ice cream

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F.
2. COMBINE berries and lemon juice in a medium bowl.
   
3. SET ASIDE berry mixture.
   
4. MIX cornstarch with 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl.
   
5. POUR cornstarch mixture over berry mixture.
6. STIR berry mixture gently until ingredients are evenly combined.
7. POUR berry mixture into a 2-quart, or 9 x 9-inch, baking dish.
8. SET ASIDE berry mixture.
9. PLACE flour in a large bowl.
10. ADD 3 tablespoons sugar.
11. ADD baking powder.
12. CUT IN butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
13. STIR IN cream to make a soft dough.
14. DROP spoonfuls of dough over berry mixture.
15. SPRINKLE remaining 1 tablespoon sugar over dough.
16. BAKE about 50 minutes or until top is well browned and juices are bubbly.
17. SERVE warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Crazy (Good) Crackers

 In fact they are crackers, and by crazy, we mean crazy good! Carey Morey, who wrote the new cookbook Hot Little Supers, and the founder of Callie's Hot Little Biscuit, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for biscuit crackers. Callie told Tonia she uses the third-rollout of her buttermilk biscuit dough to make the crackers, because by the time you use it, it's a little too tough for actual biscuits, but perfect for this snack! Follow the recipe, and Carey promises you'll have a flaky, tangy treat that's perfect for grazing and entertaining. 

For the Biscuit Dough

• 4-1/2 cups of self-rising flour, divided
• 16 oz. salted butter, cubed (28 Tbs./3 sticks)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups buttermilk
• 4 Tbs. melted butter

• Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.

  In a large bowl, combine 4 cups of the flour and the cubed butter. Using your hands, incorporate the butter into the flour, working the dough between your thumb and middle and pointer fingers to “snap” the dough together until the mixture resembles cottage cheese. It will be chunky with some loose flour. Mix in the sage.

  Make a well in the center of the mixture. Pour in the buttermilk, a little bit at a time, using your hands to mix the flour into the buttermilk until the texture is tacky and sticky. You may not need all of the buttermilk, or you may need a little more. The dough should be wet and messy, but not sloppy.

  Sprinkle flour on top of the dough. Run a rubber spatula around the inside of the bowl, creating a separation between the dough and the bowl. Sprinkle a bit more flour into this crease.

  Flour a work surface well. With force, dump the dough from the bowl onto the surface. Flour the top of the dough and the rolling pin. Roll out the dough into an oval 2 inches thick. No kneading is necessary—the less you mess with the dough, the better.

  Flour a 2-inch biscuit cutter. Start from the edge of the rolled-out dough, and cut straight through the dough with the cutter, trying to maximize the number of biscuits cut from this first roll-out.

  Re-roll the excess dough, and cut more biscuits. As long as the dough stays wet inside, you can use as much flour on the outside as you need to handle the dough.

  Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper (the biscuits should be touching).

  Brush the tops with melted butter. Bake until the tops are golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.

• For the Biscuit Crackers

• Third roll-out of buttermilk biscuit dough or other leftover buttermilk biscuit dough
• Melted butter
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground coarse black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Roll out the dough to about 1/8-inch thickness (as thin as you can get it). Slice the dough into rustic strips, and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.

Using a fork, poke holes in the strips. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until browning and crisp, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely, then store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

A Breakfast Ace in The Hole

 

It's called Eggs in a Hole! It's another way to use more of the leftover biscuit dough that's a specialty of Carey Morey. She's the author of the new cookbook Hot Little Supers. Carey stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for this delicious breakfast dish. Carey told Tonia her kids love this one. The concept is simple, take your cutter, punch holes into the biscuit dough and bake. Then add the eggs and bake again. When you're doing brunch, this one's definitely the winning hand!

• Leftover buttermilk biscuit dough from stamping out biscuits

• Melted butter (amount will depend on how much dough you’re using)

• Medium Eggs (one per biscuit cutout you want to fill)

• Freshly ground coarse black pepper

• Salt

• Garnish of your choice

• After making biscuits, reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

  Transfer the leftover biscuit dough to the baking sheet after all twelve biscuits have been stamped out. You now have your “nest.”

  Brush the nest with melted butter and bake for 12 minutes.

  Pull the biscuit nest out of the oven and crack an egg inside each biscuit cutout. If garnishing with an item such as cheese, add now.

  Bake for an additional 7 minutes, or until the egg reaches your preference of doneness.

  Brush with melted butter again, then sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.