Recipe Review: Todd Wilbur's Red Lobster Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

Good Morning America has Todd Wilbur's version of the Red Lobster Cheddar Garlic Biscuit recipe on on their website. Mine ended up looking pretty much nothing like their picture, but they taste pretty close to the Red Lobster version and are delicious. I did tweak the ingredients. I preheated the oven to and baked the biscuits at 375 degrees instead of 400 degrees. Here's what I used:

Biscuit Ingredients
2 1/4 c Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix
1/4 c unbleached AP flour
3/4 c skim milk
4 tbsp cold butter
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 c fat-free Kraft shredded cheddar

Biscuit Topping Ingredients

2 tbsp butter
1 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp garlic powder

I mixed the ingredients largely as per the original directions, but I used a fork instead of doing it by hand. I baked them for about 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on them - they burn quickly!

Once you pull them out of the oven, melt 2 tbsp of butter (I just did this in the microwave). Then stir in the parsley and garlic. Stir it well or the garlic will end up in a big clump at the bottom. Drizzle or brush it over the biscuits.

Recipe Reviews: Alton Brown's Southern Biscuits

I thought it would be good to have a space to post links to and notes on other people's recipes I try. I'll post links to the original recipes, notes on any tweaks or adjustments I made, and, where I can, pictures of the final result.

First up, Alton Brown's Southern Biscuit Recipe. This is probably my favorite biscuit recipe. I make it regularly and serve them with all sorts of toppings: butter, honey, homemade apple butter, homemade berry jam, etc. They even make great components to homemade chicken biscuits! Usually when I make them I make a double batch and I've made a few changes based on what I usually have in the house. So, when I make them, I use:

4 c unbleached AP flour
8 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
8 tbsp butter (cold!)
2 c skim milk or 2 c skim milk minus 2 tbsp, plus 2 tbsp white vinegar

I've also made these successfully with soy milk and a non-dairy butter substitute. They don't get as flaky and fluffy, but they are still tasty. 

Then I just follow Alton's instructions. I usually cut out the biscuits with a drinking glass and that works just fine if you don't have a biscuit cutter. They always come out delicious!

French Toast

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/2 cup skim milk
2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 pieces of wheat bread
2 tsp butter
maple syrup or agave, optional
powdered sugar, optional
strawberries, optional

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Mix together eggs and milk until well blended.
3. Stir in cinnamon and brown sugar.
4. Soak bread in egg mixture for about a minute on each side (or longer, if desired) and place in skillet to cook. Brown the bottom side of the bread (the time needed varies between stoves and pans, but this shouldn't take long).
5. Flip the bread over to brown the other side.
6. Serve hot, topped with any combination of butter, maple or agave syrup, strawberries, powdered sugar, as desired.

Rosemary Olive Oil Bagels

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp sugar
4 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp dried rosemary
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup warm water
2 packets quick rise yeast
Optional: 2-4 tablespoons cornmeal

Directions

1. Stir two packets yeast and sugar into 1/2 cup warm water. Set aside until foamy.
2. Fill a large pot (one with a large diameter is easier to work with) slightly more than half full of water. Bring water to a boil. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
3. Meanwhile, combine flour, salt, and rosemary in a bowl.
4. Combine yeast mixture, 1 cup warm water, and olive oil in a bowl.
5. Gradually add flour mixture to water.
6. Place dough on a floured surface and kneed for about 5 minutes, until soft.
7. Divide dough into 8 sections.
8. Roll each dough section into a snake, then pinch ends together to make a loop.
9. Set bagels aside to rise, approximately 5-10 minutes.
10. Cover a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Spray lightly with oil, then sprinkle with cornmeal, if desired.
11. Place bagels 1-3 at a time into the boiling water (depending on the size of your pot). The bagels will sink at first. After about 30-60 seconds, turn them over. About 30-60 seconds later they should start to float.
12. As the bagels begin to float, use a slotted spoon or small strainer to pull them out of the water and allow them to drip a bit into the pot. Place on cookie sheet, about 1/2 to 1 inch apart.
13. Repeat with remaining bagels until all 8 are on the cookie sheet.
14. Bake bagels for approximately 20 minutes or until browned. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool at least a bit before eating.

Bagels

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp oil
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup warm water
2 packets quick rise yeast
Optional: 2-4 tablespoons cornmeal

Directions

1. Stir two packets yeast and sugar into 1/2 cup warm water. Set aside until foamy.
2. Fill a large pot (one with a large diameter is easier to work with) slightly more than half full of water. Bring water to a boil. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
3. Meanwhile, combine flour and salt in a bowl.
4. Combine yeast mixture, 1 cup warm water, and 2 tsp oil in a bowl.
5. Gradually add flour mixture to water.
6. Place dough on a floured surface and kneed for about 5 minutes, until soft.
7. Divide dough into 8 sections.
8. Roll each dough section into a snake, then pinch ends together to make a loop.
9. Set bagels aside to rise, approximately 5-10 minutes.
10. Cover a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Spray lightly with oil, then sprinkle with cornmeal, if desired.
11. Place bagels 1-3 at a time into the boiling water (depending on the size of your pot). The bagels will sink at first. After about 30-60 seconds, turn them over. About 30-60 seconds later they should start to float.
12. As the bagels begin to float, use a slotted spoon or small strainer to pull them out of the water and allow them to drip a bit into the pot. Place on cookie sheet, about 1/2 to 1 inch apart.
13. Repeat with remaining bagels until all 8 are on the cookie sheet.
14. Bake bagels for approximately 20 minutes or until browned. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool at least a bit before eating.

Yeast Bread

Ingredients

2 cups warm water
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 packs (0.25 oz each) rapid rise active dry yeast
1 tsp salt
5 cups all purpose (AP) flour
1 cup whole wheat flour

Directions

1. Put 1 cup of warm (not hot!) water into a bowl. Stir in sugar and yeast, set aside until it foams up.
2. Combine warm water, skim milk, oil, and honey in a sauce pan on a stove. Keep in pot on low heat until warm (not hot!). 
3. Combine 1 cup whole wheat flour, 3 cups AP flour, and 1 tsp salt in a large mixing bowl.
4. Add water/milk mixture to flour mix and stir to combine. 
5. Add yeast mixture to the flour mix and stir to combine.
6. 1/2 to 1 cup at a time, add the rest of the AP flour to the flour mix.
7. Oil another large mixing bowl lightly with vegetable oil.
8. Turn the bread mixture into the oiled bowl. Smear a bit of oil on top of the bread, just so the bread does not stick to the clean kitchen towel which you should cover the bowl with.
9. Allow the bread to rise until doubled - at least an hour.
10. Turn out the bread mixture onto a well floured surface and knead gently for no more than 5 minutes.
11. Divide bread mixture into two equal parts. Form two loaves. To do this, I gently push and knead the dough into a long oval about 1-2 inches thick. I then fold the loaf together into thirds and turn over so the seal is at the bottom. I then use my hands to tuck the edges of the loaves under to make it a smoother shape.
12. Smear a thin layer of butter on two cookie sheets and then sprinkle lightly with flour. Set each loaf on its own greased cookie sheet (you can also put it in a loaf pan if you want a more even shape).
13. Cover with a clean kitchen down and let rise a second time, until it doubles in size.
14. Bake at 350º for 30-45 minutes, until the loaves are golden brown. 
15. Remove bread from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Be careful, since this is a rather soft bread, especially when it is fresh out of the oven.
16. Cut and serve! The bread will firm up a bit as it cools, but this is a soft bread - great for sandwiches!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread/Cake

This is a "bread" in the same way a banana bread is - in other words, more of a cake-like texture

Ingredients

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 beaten eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1 can pumpkin puree
4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Optional
3/4 cup walnut pieces
substitute 2 tbsp of cocoa powder for 2 tbsp of flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Put a baking pan 3/4 full with water on bottom rack.
2. Mix sugars, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in pumpkin.
3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and cocoa powder (if desired).
4. Gradually add in dry ingredients to wet, a few spoons at a time. Leave a few spoons of flour in reserve.
5. Toss chocolate chips and nuts, if desired, in remaining flour mix. This will help keep them distributed evenly throughout the bread/cake and not all settled at the bottom.
6. Pour into 2-3 greased loaf pans, 1 large bundt pan, or 1 cake pan.
7. Put in oven on top rack over water bath. Bake for around 60 minutes. (Note: It will take closer to 90 minutes if you put it all in a bundt pan. And when you pierce it with a knife or toothpick then it will still be gooey, but it is done!)
8. Cool in pans 10 minutes before moving to wire racks to cool.

Tips

You can use almond pieces in place of or in addition to the walnut pieces.
Leave out all of the nuts for a non-nut version (duh, I know). Or leave out the chocolate chips or substitute non-dairy dark chocolate or carob chips for a non-dairy version.
This works pretty much equally well for breakfast or dessert.

Der Apfelstreuselkuchen

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter or non-dairy substitute
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups diced apples
1/2 cup water

Topping Ingredients

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter, cold

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. Add melted butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and water. Mix until smooth.
4. Add apples and stir.
5. Spoon into muffin cups.
6. For topping, mix brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut butter into mix. Sprinkle on muffins.
7. Bake for 20-30 minutes.

Tips

For a non-dairy version, use a non-dairy butter substitute.

Orange Blueberry Almond Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup soy milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups dried blueberries
juice of 1 orange
zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400º.
2. Set blueberries to hydrate in cold water.
3. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. In another bowl, mix egg, milk, oil, juice, vanilla, zest, and sugar.
5. Combine wet and dry ingredients.
6. Drain water from blueberries. Gently stir blueberries and almonds to mix.
7. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted come out clean.
8. Cool for 5 minutes in pan before transferring to a cooling tray.

Tip

These freeze well for up to 3 months!

Banana Bread

Ingredients

4 medium-sized bananas
1/2 cup applesauce (about 2 individual serving cups)
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º. On the lower rack of the oven, put a baking dish 3/4 full of water to heat with the oven.
2. Grease bread pan with butter and flour.
3. Peel and mash bananas. Mix in applesauce, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.
4. Add flour and baking soda. Mix.
5. Stir in pecans or walnuts.
6. Fill bread pan.
7. Bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Tips

To make a non-nut version, simply leave out the nuts.