Cindys Recipes

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 pound (about 1 cup packed) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 1 large egg
• Kosher salt
• 30 sliced almonds

Preparation

1. In a food processor or bowl, whirl or rub together butter, cheese, flour, and cornmeal until the mixture has the texture of wet sand. Add egg and whirl or stir with a fork until dough holds together.
2. Scrape dough onto a sheet of cooking paper or parchment, 12 to 14 in. wide and about 14 in. long. Top with another equal-sized sheet of paper and pat dough into a 1/2-in.-thick circle. Wrap in plastic and freeze 15 minutes, or refrigerate up to 3 days.
3. Roll dough into a rectangle about 8 in. wide and 10 in. long, working carefully to avoid creases in paper. Return to freezer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°.
4. Peel off top paper and use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 30 strips, each about 1/2 in. thick and 5 in. long. Place each strip on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt to taste, then use your fingers to round the top of each strip into a fingertip shape. Use a sharp knife to score shallow “knuckle” lines in each finger, then press an almond “nail” into the tip. If you like, bend each finger in places to make it look knobby.
5. Bake the fingers until an even light brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

There are three secrets to making successful biscuits.

1. You have to be willing to get your hands dirty. Mixing with a spoon overworks the dough. Your hands keep things delicate. Plus, all that squishing and making a mess is fun. (Or put the kids to work. They’ll love it.)
2. Keep your butter cold. This ensures plenty of rise, rich flavor, and delicate layers of puffy biscuit.
3. Add lots of cheese. I mean LOTS. Because cheese is good.

Follow these steps and I promise you perfect biscuits every time.

These biscuits only take about five minutes of active work and 12-16 minutes to bake. This means you can whip these babies up in no time flat for picnics, last minute guests, or dinner parties.

The cut up biscuit dough can be frozen in an airtight container and stored for a few months. This means that if you want to double or triple the recipe and save some aside for quick baking later you can. Just plop them on a tray, sling ’em into the oven, and sit back.

Cheese Biscuits Recipe

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes

I prefer Parmesan and plenty of black pepper for these, but feel free to substitute cheddar, feta, or your favorite blue cheese. Instead of scallions you can use chives or olives. This recipe is merely a guideline to making perfect cheese biscuits.

Ingredients

• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• dash cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 7 tablespoons butter, cold
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 3 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• Kosher, Maldon, or Black salt for topping (optional; not table/iodized salt)

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 425F. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cayenne, black pepper, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

2 Dice the butter into small pieces. If they get too warm then place them in a bowl and put it in the freezer for about 10 minutes before continuing. Toss the diced butter with the flour mixture until well coated. (Again, if into tossing the butter gets hot in your hands place the whole mixture in the freezer for a few minutes.) Add the scallions and cheese and toss until well coated.

3 Add the buttermilk and mix with your hands until it just comes together. You may find you need an extra dribble of buttermilk, if so then go right ahead but do so judiciously. Do not over-knead.

4 Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead once or twice; no more. Form into an 8×8-inch square and cut into 2×2-inch squares and top with a bit of high-quality salt if using. Bake for 12-16 minutes or until golden.

Yield: 16 biscuits

Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced
• 3 tablespoons (or more) ice water

 Filling:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots (about 2 large)
• 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
• 3 large eggs
• 1/8 teaspoon (scant) freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon (scant) freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups coarsely grated rindless Cantal cheese (about 7 ounces)

For crust:
Blend flour and salt in processor 5 seconds. Add butter and cut in, using on/ off turns, until very coarse meal forms. Add 3 tablespoons ice water. Blend until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 12- to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Cut off all but 1/2-inch overhang. Fold overhang in and press so that sides of dough rise 1/4 to 1/3 inch above rim of pan. Freeze crust 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake crust until sides are set, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake crust until pale golden, piercing with fork if crust bubbles, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Cool crust.

For filling:
Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until soft and beginning to color, about 4 minutes. Spread shallots in crust. Whisk cream, eggs, pepper, nutmeg, and salt in medium bowl. Mix in cheese. Pour custard into crust. Bake until filling is set in center, 35 to 38 minutes. Transfer tart to rack and cool 15 to 30 minutes. Push up pan bottom, releasing tart. Serve tart warm or at room temperature.

Ingredient tip: Cantal is a semi-firm cheese with a slight grassy flavor when aged. English farmhouse cheddar or sharp white cheddar are fine substitutes.

Butterscotch Pudding Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/4 cup cream
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Method

1 Preheat oven to 325°F and set a kettle of water to boil. Set four ramekins or oven-safe bowls out and a large baking dish. In a saucepan melt the butter. Once melted add the brown sugar and salt, stir until well combined. Add the cream and milk to the sugar mixture. Heat to a boil and remove from heat.

2 Slowly, in a thin stream, pour the heated sugar-dairy mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly so that the egg yolks are tempered by the warm mixture, but not cooked by it. Stir in the vanilla extract. Pour through a fine mesh sieve to catch any cooked bits of egg.

3 Ladle the mixture evenly into the ramekins. Place ramekins in the baking dish and pour the hot water into the baking dish until the water rises an inch from the top of the ramekins. Lightly tent the pan with some vented foil and bake for 50-65 minutes or until set (the sides should be firm and the center a bit wobbly). Be sure to rotate the pan half way through cooking. Allow to cool or, preferably, chill before serving.

Serves 4

 

Butterfly berm

The butterfly berm is an easy family project with colorful, nectar-rich natives such as New Jersey tea, prairie blazing star and butterfly weed. Add a shallow saucer or old birdbath filled with sand, gravel and water for a butterfly “watering hole.” Berms in general are good design elements for an urban or suburban yard. These independent beds can be created in a day or a weekend by adding a low mound of topsoil. It’s best if there is no vegetation growing in the area where the berm will be placed. This gives you an immediate clean slate, and the slight elevation really sets off plants.

 

Legend

1. Buttonbush
2. New Jersey tea
3. Rose verbena
4. Purple coneflower
5. Aromatic aster
6. Prairie blazing star
7. Butterfly weed
8. Lanceleaf coreopsis
9. Downy phlox
10. Shining blue star

 

 

 

Hashed purple circle is butterfly watering hole.

1. Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)

 

2. New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus)
3. Rose verbena (Glandularia Canadensis)

 

4. Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

 

 

5. Aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium)
6. Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya

 

7. Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

 

8. Lanceleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolate)

 

9. Downy phlox (Phlox pilosa)

 

 

 

10. Shining blue star (Amsonia illustris)

 

 

 

 

Native American Seed pricing

1:  Button Bush, 1 pkt. – $6

2: New Jersey Tea – Not available

3: Rose Verbena (Pink Evening Primrose), 1 pkt. – $3

4: Purple Coneflower, 1 pkt. – $3

5: Aromatic Aster – Not available

6: Prairie Blazing Star, 1 pkt. – $6

7: Butterfly Weed, 1 pkt. – $3

8: Lanceleaf Coreopsis, 1 pkt. – $3

9: Downy Phlox – Not available

10: Shining Blue Star – Not available

 

 

 

If 9’Lx4’D, every 2” deep would be another 6 ft³.  So you would need:

Mulch:  3 bags

Soil:       6 bags

Edging: ~$20 for 25’-40’

Lots of seeds!