cayenne pepper Archives - Baked Chicago

Sweet Potato-Bacon Biscuits

You might ask, “Why is there a cover of Louisiana Cookin’ magazine with the pop culture heroes from Duck Dynasty in this post?” Well, the latest issue of Louisiana Cookin’ features an exclusive Duck Dynasty down-home holiday menu with some of the favorite dishes of the Duck Dynasty family. And I have to admit I’m curious to try their recipes for Root Beer Red-Eye Gravy and a spicy Skillet Cornbread with bacon….but that’s not why I included the cover.

Sweet Potato-Bacon Biscuits Win Grand Prize

The reason I included the cover is that the very next featured spread in the November/December issue of Louisiana Cookin’ announces the winners of the 2013 Sweet Rewards Recipe Contest, sponsored by the Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission. I am excited to finally be able to share the (very surprising) news that my recipe for Sweet Potato-Bacon Biscuits won the grand prize! I was flabbergasted when I got the call, and humbly honored to receive this recognition. I had hoped that maybe the recipe could win ‘best in category’ for a side dish. I couldn’t even dream that it would be deemed good enough to win the grand prize.

I hope you’ll check out this recipe and consider giving it your own spin. My friend Carlyn Berghoff, chef/owner of The Berghoff Restaurant and author of Cooking For Your Gluten-Free Teen, created a gluten-free version of this recipe that I’m anxious to try. She also gives some great tips for using fresh sweet potatoes and for working with gluten-free dough.

I’d love to hear how you change up these sweet potato-bacon biscuits for your family and friends. Share your feedback and comments below.

Sweet Potato-Bacon Biscuits

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Yield: 8 biscuits

Sweet Potato-Bacon Biscuits

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/3 cup butter, cut into pieces

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

4 slices cooked and crumbled bacon

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup mashed sweet potato

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 450F degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, brown sugar, salt, cream of tartar and cayenne pepper. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in Cheddar cheese and bacon. Make a well in the center of flour mixture.

In small bowl, whisk together milk and sweet potato. Add sweet potato mixture to flour mixture. Using a fork, stir just until combined. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. Knead gently 12 times. Roll dough to a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle. Cut into 8 rectangular pieces.

On the prepared baking sheet, place biscuits 1 inch apart. Bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Serve warm.

Notes

This recipe won grand prize in the 2013 Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission's Sweet Rewards Recipe Contest and appeared in the November/December 2013 issue of Louisiana Cookin' magazine.

http://bakedchicago.com/sweet-potato-bacon-biscuits-2/

3,413

Beverages

aztec hot chocolate

Day 5 in Chicago with the daily high temperature doesn’t get above the freezing point. It’s definitely hot chocolate weather – and this Aztec Hot Chocolate recipe is a spicy way to drink yourself warm this winter.

Aztec Hot Chocolate

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and dark chocolate. Melt the chocolate over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Once the chocolate is melted and the milk is warmed thoroughly, stir in the cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Pour into 4 mugs. Top each mug with a small handful of marshmallows and one cinnamon stick for stirring. And, if you like, a pinch of cinnamon on the melted marshmallow is a nice added touch your mouth will thank you for.

Adapted from Aztec Hot Chocolate Recipe – A Beautiful Mess.

Ingredients:

6 cups milk
10 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
marshmallows, for garnish
4 cinnamon sticks, for garnish

Number of servings: 4

Cooking time: 5 minutes

3,996

Breads

sweet potato-bacon biscuits

Sweet potato-bacon biscuits are perfect for pairing with a hot bowl of soup, and special enough to serve with any holiday or celebratory meal.

Preheat oven to 450° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, brown sugar, kosher salt, cream of tartar and cayenne pepper. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cheddar cheese and bacon. Make a well in the center of flour mixture.

In small bowl, combine milk and sweet potato. Add sweet potato mixture to flour mixture. Using a fork, stir just until combined. Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface. Knead gently for 12 strokes. Roll dough to a 3/4-inch thick rectangle. Cut into 8 square pieces.

Place biscuits one inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm with honey butter or your favorite fruit preserves. Makes 8 sweet potato-bacon biscuits (2 biscuits per serving).

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup butter
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sweet potato, cooked and mashed
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp and coarsely chopped

Number of servings: 4

Cooking time: 12 minutes

2,223

Snacks & Candies

sugar and spice nut mix

This nut mix is special enough for the holidays, but simple enough that you could make it on any Thursday night for the book club. Or would that be the Kindle Club? This recipe has four kinds of nuts, but you can easily include your favorite nut by swapping out an equal amount of your least favorite. But keep the almonds: the crunchy texture is a nice balance to the sugar-and-spice mix. Your mouth will thank you.

Preheat your oven to 300° F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the brown sugar with salt, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. In a large bowl, beat the egg white until frothy. Add the cashews, almonds, pecans and pistachios. Add the spiced sugar mix and toss.

Spread out the nuts on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until browned, stirring at least twice. Let the nuts cool on the baking sheet, stirring occasionally to avoid clumping. This sugar and spice nut mix may be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Adapted from Sugar-and-Spice Nuts Recipe – Bronson Van Wyck | Food & Wine.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 egg white
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup raw pecans
1 cup raw pistachios
1 cup raw almonds

Number of servings: 10

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Desserts

Spicy Cinnamon Hazelnut Brownies

Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease bottom of a 9×9-inch square baking pan with butter or shortening.

Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan and then remove from heat. Stir in sugar and water first, then eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir in all dry ingredients (except dark chocolate chunks) and mix just until blended. Fold in dark chocolate chunks and hazelnuts. Spread batter in the prepared baking pan.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Dust brownies with a cinnamon-sugar mix and cut into 4 rows by 4 rows to make 16 brownies.

Brownie Points: Substitute espresso powder for the cayenne pepper for a less spicy option.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup cold water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped
cinnamon-sugar mixture for dusting

Number of servings: 16

Cooking time: 25 minutes