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juushikaThanksgiving was:
Mashed potatoes, turkey and vegetarian (Quorn-brand) turkey, gravy and vegetarian gravy, and stuffing
Cranberry relish and jelly
Stuffed mushrooms
Sweet potatoes with ginger
Parsnips
Green bean casserole
Crunchy salad with fruits and nuts
Cheddar and roast garlic biscuits and cheddar and jalapeno bisuits
One cream-based pumpkin pie and one tofu-based pumpkin pie, with whipped cream
and miracle of miracles, there was minimal battling for kitchen space and it all finished at the same time—and it was fantastic. The fake turkey was pretty tasty and I actually liked the stuffing (usually I find stuffing's texture too varied; this was dense and uniform) but the delight for me was gravy—I've never had the chance to have it because it's never been vegetarian, and Mike's was fantastic, savory and rich, salty enough to be the only flavoring the mashed potatoes needed but not so salty as to be overpowering. Savory sweet potatoes are a breath of fresh air and I actually liked them (sweet potato is usually to sweet for me); I'd never had parsnips before, and they were lovely. At Thanksgiving I usually eat to be polite, except for dessert. This time, I had seconds of almost everything.
But the delight of the evening was the biscuits—not because they were better than everything else, but because I decided to make them on a whim, had never made biscuits before, and they still turned out fantastic. I did a double batch, which is a mixed blessing because now all I want to eat is biscuits—and I can. The biscuit base came from here, with adjustments as always because I can never leave well enough alone.
I used extra sharp cheddar in both, with chopped fresh jalapenos (mostly deseeded) and mostly-smushed roasted garlic cloves. They biscuits have lift without losing density and pull apart in beautiful, flaky chunks. They carry their flavors beautifully and the dough itself is savory and golden. Some recipes add melted butter on top before or after baking, but they really don't need it. I imagine it'd be a lot of fun to play with fillings—and I will, in a billion months when I can justify making them again. I like them too much to have them around all the time. I just can't stop eating them.
Mashed potatoes, turkey and vegetarian (Quorn-brand) turkey, gravy and vegetarian gravy, and stuffing
Cranberry relish and jelly
Stuffed mushrooms
Sweet potatoes with ginger
Parsnips
Green bean casserole
Crunchy salad with fruits and nuts
Cheddar and roast garlic biscuits and cheddar and jalapeno bisuits
One cream-based pumpkin pie and one tofu-based pumpkin pie, with whipped cream
and miracle of miracles, there was minimal battling for kitchen space and it all finished at the same time—and it was fantastic. The fake turkey was pretty tasty and I actually liked the stuffing (usually I find stuffing's texture too varied; this was dense and uniform) but the delight for me was gravy—I've never had the chance to have it because it's never been vegetarian, and Mike's was fantastic, savory and rich, salty enough to be the only flavoring the mashed potatoes needed but not so salty as to be overpowering. Savory sweet potatoes are a breath of fresh air and I actually liked them (sweet potato is usually to sweet for me); I'd never had parsnips before, and they were lovely. At Thanksgiving I usually eat to be polite, except for dessert. This time, I had seconds of almost everything.
But the delight of the evening was the biscuits—not because they were better than everything else, but because I decided to make them on a whim, had never made biscuits before, and they still turned out fantastic. I did a double batch, which is a mixed blessing because now all I want to eat is biscuits—and I can. The biscuit base came from here, with adjustments as always because I can never leave well enough alone.
For a dozen buttermilk drop buscuits:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 cup cheese of choice, shredded or crumbled
1/2 cup secondary flavoring (roast garlic, jalapenos, etc) chopped or crumbled or smushed
1 cup buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Cut in cold butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Add inclusions and mix until combined. Add buttermilk and stir with a spatula until just combined.
Drop round spoonfuls of dough, about three tablespoons, onto prepared baking sheet at least one inch apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and serve warm.
I used extra sharp cheddar in both, with chopped fresh jalapenos (mostly deseeded) and mostly-smushed roasted garlic cloves. They biscuits have lift without losing density and pull apart in beautiful, flaky chunks. They carry their flavors beautifully and the dough itself is savory and golden. Some recipes add melted butter on top before or after baking, but they really don't need it. I imagine it'd be a lot of fun to play with fillings—and I will, in a billion months when I can justify making them again. I like them too much to have them around all the time. I just can't stop eating them.
