The Iowa Housewife: Biscuits and Muffins

Showing posts with label Biscuits and Muffins. Show all posts

Small Recipes...Homemade Biscuit Mix Cherry Nut Muffins

Here’s a tasty muffin recipe using our homemade biscuit mix or Bisquick. The basic recipe from the Better Crocker’s Timesaving Cookbook 1982 made delicious coffeetime muffins…not too sweet, with a perfect muffin texture, I added the pecans. The original recipe used the biscuit mix recipe from the book…basically similar to the one I use from an old Martha White cookbook. Either mix recipe compares to Original Bisquick when used in a recipe.

Cherry Nut Muffins

1 cup Homemade Biscuit Mix or Bisquick (5 ounces)

2 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice

2 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg yolk (or half beaten egg)

1 tablespoon butter -- melted

2 tablespoons maraschino cherries -- chopped

1 tablespoon chopped pecans

Heat oven to 400°. Grease muffin cups. Mix all ingredients; beat vigorously 30 seconds.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. (I used a size 24 scoop).

Bake about 15 minutes. Immediately remove from pan.

Martha White Biscuit Mix

1 QUART MIX

1 pound self-rising flour -- sift first (4 cups)

4 ounces lard or shortening -- 1/2 cup

Cut shortening into flour with pastry blender or food processor until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature (If using shortening). Refrigerate if using lard.

Mix will keep well up to 4 months on the shelf if using shortening or in the refrigerator if using lard.

Recipe weighs 20 ounces; 1 cup recipe weighs 5 ounces.

Small Recipes with Homemade Biscuit mix...Perfect Muffins

Here is one of the three recipes I use the most from my Martha White Lard Baking Mix. The other two are biscuits, of course, and pancakes. This recipe is the same from both Martha White and Betty Crocker…but I changed it to use a whole egg for a half recipe…very successfully. You can substitute Bisquick for the biscuit mix. This recipe makes perfect muffins with a pebbly top and a fine grain inside.
These muffins are old-fashioned, just right with any topping like jam, honey, or just plain butter. Simple, inexpensive, great with soup or salad meals.

I freeze any leftovers; when I want to use them I microwave them 20 seconds or so, slice them and put them back together, and toast them a few minutes in my toaster oven to crisp up the crust and they are just like fresh-baked.

These are your mother's muffins...not the giant coffee shop cupcakes they sell as muffins.

Perfect Muffins

¼ cup milk
1        tablespoon butter, melted
1        large egg
5        ounces Lard Biscuit Mix, Martha White -- or Original Bisquick mix (1 cup)
2        tablespoons sugar
Heat oven to 400°F. Grease bottoms only of 6 regular-size muffin cups.
In medium bowl, beat milk, melted butter and egg with wire whisk or fork until blended. Stir in biscuit mix and sugar just until moistened. Spoon batter into muffin cups.
Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. (Test for 200° with instant read thermometer.)

6 Muffins

Some hints for making your best muffins are HERE.

Martha White Biscuit Mix

1 QUART MIX

1 pound self-rising flour -- sift first (4 cups)

4 ounces lard or shortening -- 1/2 cup

Cut shortening into flour with pastry blender or food processor until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature (If using shortening). Refrigerate if using lard.

Mix will keep well up to 4 months on the shelf if using shortening or in the refrigerator if using lard.

Recipe weighs 20 ounces; 1 cup recipe weighs 5 ounces.

TO PREPARE 5-6 BISCUITS:

5 ounces biscuit mix

5-6 tablespoons milk or buttermilk (3/8 cup)

TO PREPARE BISCUITS:

Preheat oven to 450°, toaster oven to 425°. Lightly grease or line a baking sheet with parchment.

Add milk to mix.

Stir with a fork only until dough leaves sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured board; knead gently just until smooth, about 10-12 times.

Roll out to ½ inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a floured 2 inch cutter. Turn over when placing on baking sheet.

Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

Small Recipes...Homemade Biscuit mix Cheesy Onion Biscuits – Two Biscuits

I love my Homemade Biscuit Mix from a Martha White recipe. I use lard and self-rising flour to make the mix and always have some in the refrigerator. It’s perfect for making just a few biscuits that I bake in my toaster oven…here is my version of cheesy onion biscuits that makes only 2 nice biscuits plus a scrap biscuit…for the cook, of course!

What I have discovered with the mix is that I can weigh out my mix, and add a tablespoon of milk for each ounce to make just the amount I want. No leftovers, and they bake quickly in my toaster oven. Perfect for eating with soups or main dish salads.

I have put the mix recipe at the bottom of this post.

Cheesy Onion Biscuits – Two Biscuits

2 tablespoons chopped onion

2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese

3 tablespoons milk

3 ounces Martha White Homemade biscuit mix

Place onion in a small microwave-safe bowl; cover and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes or until tender. In a small bowl, stir the cheese and onion into the Homemade Biscuit Mix. Stir in milk with a fork just until moistened.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 8-10 times. Pat or roll out into a rectangle 2” x 4”; cut into two biscuits with a 2” cutter. Press scraps together in to a patty the same thickness as your biscuits.

Place the biscuits and scrap biscuit 2 in. apart on a baking sheet; greased or lined with parchment.

Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

In a toaster oven, try 425°.

Martha White Biscuit Mix

1 QUART MIX

1 pound self-rising flour -- sift first (4 cups)

4 ounces lard or shortening -- 1/2 cup

Cut shortening into flour with pastry blender or food processor until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature (If using shortening). Refrigerate if using lard.

Mix will keep well up to 4 months on the shelf if using shortening or in the refrigerator if using lard.

Recipe weighs 20 ounces; 1 cup recipe weighs 5 ounces.

Small Recipes...Homemade Biscuit Mix Cinnamon Twists

Somebody absconded with a donut hole!

Here’s a simple treat made with my homemade biscuit mix recipe from the Martha White Southern Sampler cookbook. If you don’t put all the cinnamon-sugar on the plate for dipping, you can save any you don’t use for cinnamon toast, if you have any left, that is! I use my doughnut cutter to make fancy twists…you can cut them out with a biscuit cutter and use bottle cap to cut the center, or just leave them round without twisting for that matter. My doughnut cutter is 2 3/4" across with a 1 1/4" inch center cutter.

I can make a very small amount with no waste and no leftovers…perfect. You can even cut this in half and have just enough for 1 person! I weigh my mix to ensure success every time.

Cinnamon Twists

1/4 cup milk

4 ounces Homemade or purchased Biscuit Mix (a scant cup)

1 1/2 tablespoons butter -- melted

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 450°. Melt butter in shallow sauce dish in microwave. Prepare cinnamon-sugar to taste in custard or glass measuring cup; spread some of it in a paper plate, adding more to the plate as needed (save any unused leftovers for cinnamon toast). Line with parchment or lightly grease a quarter-sheet pan (12 x 9") or a cookie sheet.

In small bowl, combine milk and biscuit mix with fork just until it pulls away from the side of the bowl; let set in bowl 4-5 minutes. Knead dough lightly 8-10 times on a floured board. Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness into a square that will make 4 biscuits with your doughnut cutter. Cut into rounds with the floured doughnut cutter.

Dip each biscuit into melted butter, then into mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Twist once and place about 1 inch apart on baking sheet or line with parchment paper. Dip the centers the same way.

Bake at 450° for 10-12 minutes.

Remove to rack for a few minutes; serve warm.

Makes 4 small treats…about 2 servings.

Martha White Biscuit Mix

1 QUART MIX

1 pound self-rising flour -- sift first (4 cups)

4 ounces lard or shortening -- 1/2 cup

Cut shortening into flour with pastry blender or food processor until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature (If using shortening). Refrigerate if using lard.

Mix will keep well up to 4 months on the shelf if using shortening or in the refrigerator if using lard.

Recipe weighs 20 ounces; 1 cup recipe weighs 5 ounces.

TO PREPARE 5-6 BISCUITS:

5 ounces biscuit mix

5-6 tablespoons milk or buttermilk (3/8 cup)

TO PREPARE BISCUITS:

Preheat oven to 450°, toaster oven to 425°. Lightly grease or line a baking sheet with parchment.

Add milk to mix.

Stir with a fork only until dough leaves sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured board; knead gently just until smooth, about 10-12 times.

Roll out to ½ inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a floured 2 inch cutter. Turn over when placing on baking sheet.

Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: "1 quart" of mix

Baking with Baking Powder...Parmesan Butter Pan Biscuits

I made a half recipe of these easy biscuits – they were perfect with soup. I used a bench knife to cut them into strips. The butter browned in the pan and made them taste good as well as look good.

Parmesan Butter Pan Biscuits

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 1/8 Cups Flour, All-purpose (1 cup+2 Tbsp.)

1 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese -- grated

1/2 Tablespoon Sugar (1 1/2 teaspoons)

1 3/4 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Basil Leaves

1/2 Tablespoon Parsley -- fresh, chopped

1/2 Cup Milk

Heat oven to 400°. In 7" x 9" baking pan, melt butter in oven 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine all ingredients except milk. Stir in milk just until moistened.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, knead 10 times or until smooth.

Roll dough into 6 x 4" rectangle. Cut into six 1" strips. Dip each strip into melted butter. Place in same pan in a row of 6.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until lightly browned.

6 servings

Try 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning if you don't have fresh herbs.

"Land O'Lakes Treasury of Country Recipes 1992"

Muffin Basics

If you aren’t getting perfect muffins, look at this advice and double-check your method next time. I do have to say that I haven't ever had anybody turn down a muffin that wasn't picture perfect so don't let that intimidate you.

The Farm Journal's Country Fair Cookbook 1984 gives this information on how to judge perfect muffins.

"An excellent muffin should be light; the outside should be golden brown, symmetrical in shape with no peaks or knobs on top. The top surface should be slightly pebbled and the interior of the muffin should have round fairly uniformly sized holes with no long slender tunnels".
Peaked, smooth crust: over mixed.
Pale: temperature was too low or over mixed. Be sure to let oven preheat fully.
Dry and crumbly: excess flour, the oven temperature was too low or they were over baked.
Tunnels: overmixing.
Toughness : overmixing.
These photos are from a pamphlet “250 Breads, Biscuits and Rolls” from the Culinary Arts Institute 1952.

If the oven is too hot, poor shape and holes inside will result.

Heavy tunnels and flat muffins result from a temperature that’s too low.

The photo recipe is: Orange Poppyseed Muffins

Muffins

We were at the coffee shop today...they had huge muffins in all kinds of flavors, right where you wait in line to order! They probably had a half day's worth of calories.

I went home and made these for lunch, simple and delicious. Inexpensive with ingredients you always have on hand. You expect them to be the vehicle for whatever you want and have around...just REAL butter, or with the addition of honey, jam or jelly, sorghum... just like Mom or Grandma served them. If you have leftovers, freeze them. Then heat them 10 or 15 seconds in your microwave, wrapped in a paper towel, then toast them in your toaster oven to crisp them up...taste like fresh baked.

This very basic muffin recipe is the one that both Myrna and I use. It is from the Better Homes and Gardens 1968 Red Plaid Cookbook and the Farm Journal Bread Cookbook. I often measure my dry ingredients into the bowl and cover them overnight. I also mix the liquids and cover and refrigerate them. In the morning, I can preheat the oven, combine the ingredients and have the muffins baking quickly. Use regular-size muffin pans. I like to use a size 24 muffin scoop. It only takes a minute or two to measure out the dry ingredients instead of using a mix.

We like these with main dish salads, soups, casseroles; any meal that needs a little “filling out”.

Best Ever Muffins

1 3/4 cups sifted all purpose flour - 7 ounces

1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup salad oil or melted shortening or melted butter
1 large egg -- beaten
3/4 cup milk

Mix dry ingredients. Make a well, stir in liquids until just blended. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400° until golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

12 muffins
Cost - 2019 - 4 cents per muffin, 48 cents per recipe
Per Serving: 149 Calories; 7g Fat (41.1% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 20mg Cholesterol; 249 mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

**I have had success cutting this recipe in half and using a small or medium egg.

Dogs in a Blanket

I think most folks have made a version of this recipe at least once. It is really quite common in the MidWest as Pillsbury is a Minnesota based company. I made these when they first came out with the recipe using their then new tubes of Crescent rolls. I had made something similar using Bisquick but every one in my family really likes the crescent rolls. I can now buy them with just 4 in the tube so that is usually what I do.

I eat mine with out the roll, just insert the cheese and add to the pan the last few minutes to heat and melt cheese. So for the kids in your family and for you to remember when you were a kid here is the recipe from the Pillsbury web site.

Crescent Dogs

4 slices (3/4 oz each) American cheese, each cut into 6 strips

1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
8 hot dogs or brats

Steps

Heat oven to 375°F. Slit hot dogs to within 1/2 inch of ends; insert 3 strips of cheese into each slit.

Separate dough into triangles. Wrap dough triangle around each hot dog. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, cheese side up.

Bake at 375°F. for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Farm Journal Cheese Muffins

"Farm Journal Informal Entertaining Country Style” is a cookbook from 1973 that still is chock full of good recipes. Here’s a quick-to-make muffin recipe that is better than any mix you can buy, and not hard to make from ingredients many of us always have on hand. I use the lard for the fat; I have a good source of non-hydrogenated lard to use. This is an older recipe that measures the flour after sifting, so each cup only weighs 4 ounces.

If you want to have less fuss at mealtime, measure out your dry ingredients and set aside, covered, until ready to mix; I mix the milk and egg and keep it ready in the refrigerator. I always grate a larger quantity of cheese and keep it frozen in smaller packages, so I just let it thaw. I grease the pan and have it ready, covered with a paper towel. When I’m ready to mix these up, it’s as quick as getting a mix ready.

Cheese Muffins

2 Cups Sifted All Purpose Flour -- 8 oz

3 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Cup Sugar

1 Large Egg -- beaten

1 Cup Milk

1/4 Cup Salad Oil -- or melted lard

1/2 Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese -- grated

Grease 12 cup muffin pan. Preheat oven to 400°.

Sift flour and measure, add flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a big bowl. Make a well in center.

Combine egg, milk and fat; stir to mix. Pour all at once into well in flour mixture. Mix quickly with a fork or spoon until flour is moistened, but do not beat.

Fold in cheese with a few strokes.

Portion into greased muffin-pan cups, filling them 2/3 full. Bake in a hot oven (400°) 20-25 minutes until golden.

Serve at once.

12 Servings

Coffeetime Gems

These muffins are great! My husband commented “You don’t need anything on them but butter!” We had them with soup yesterday, but they are equally delicious with main dish salads, or, as the name says…for coffee time. They are a great choice if you have “sweet fatigue”.

Buy whole pitted dates and cut them up with a scissors if you can, they are much more moist and tasty. This recipe will be on our table more often.

Coffeetime Gems

2 Cups Flour, All-purpose -- 9 ounces

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar -- packed ( 4 ounces)

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 Large Egg -- beaten

1 Cup Sour Cream

1/2 Cup Milk

1/4 Cup Butter -- melted

2 Teaspoons Instant Coffee Granules

1 Cup Dates -- pitted and chopped (6 ounces)

Preheat oven to 400°. Grease muffin pan on bottom and halfway up sides.

Thoroughly stir together first 5 dry ingredients.

Combine egg, sour cream, milk, butter and coffee crystals; stir to dissolve coffee.

Add liquid to dry ingredients all at once; stir to moisten. Fold in dates.

Fill muffin pans almost full. Bake at 400° until done, 20-25 minutes.

"Better Homes & Gardens Oven Meals 1974"

Yield: "12 Each"

Grape Nuts Orange Muffins

This is a delicious, easy recipe that uses Grape Nuts cereal for crunch. It’s from one of my older Better Homes and Gardens Cook Books from 1953. I can never have enough recipes to use up Grape Nuts, as I usually have them on hand for making granola and to top my breakfast oatmeal. This recipe uses what I consider a “cake” method of mixing, but makes beautiful muffins that are perfect with soup or main dish salad meals.

Grape Nuts Orange Muffins

1/4 Cup Shortening or lard

1/3 Cup Sugar

2 Large Eggs -- well beaten

2 Cups Sifted All Purpose Flour -- 8 ounces

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1 Cup Orange Juice

1 Tablespoon Grated Orange Peel

1 Cup Grape Nuts -- 4 ounces

Thoroughly cream shortening and sugar; add eggs and beat well. Sift flour with salt and soda; add alternately with orange juice and orange peel to creamed mixture. Stir in Grape Nuts.

Fill muffin pans 2/3 full and bake in a 400° for 20 to 25 minutes.

12 Servings

Amish Cornmeal Muffins

No more muffin mixes for me…here’s the “perfect recipe” according to my husband. I’ve tried a lot of recipes for cornbread, and this one is perfect. It’s grainy, but not crumbly; moist and delicious. Lard always adds something to breads like this; we buy ours from our local locker plant, so it’s not hydrogenated like supermarket brands. The one mix we like contains high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils, two things we try to avoid, so I was really happy to have tried this Amish recipe.

If I want a head start, I weigh out my dry ingredients into the bowl ahead of time, grease the pan, and mix the egg and milk and refrigerate it.

I don’t make a mix of the ingredients, because I want my baking powder to be fresh, and part of the reason I don’t like mixes is all those little packets I feel like I have to use it up. My basic pantry ingredients get turned over faster, because they have a variety of uses, and it takes just minutes to weigh out my dry ingredients right into the bowl.

It helps if you keep your baking supplies together…think about Grandma’s Hoosier cabinet-very efficient. I keep my flour and sugar in canisters on the counter, and things like baking powder, salt, soda, cornstarch, oils, cornmeal, etc. on a turntable in the cupboard right above them, and another turntable next to it has measuring cups. Mixing bowls are in the cabinet below; measuring spoons in the drawer, whisks, etc. on a hanging tool rack, spoons and scrapers in a tool crock. I don’t have to take a step to mix this up, except to the fridge for the liquids.

You can also make this recipe in a pan or skillet, and it’s easy to double.

Amish Cornmeal Muffins

1/3 cup cornmeal – 1.8 ounces

2/3 cup flour, all-purpose – 3 ounces

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup milk

1 large egg -- beaten

2 tablespoons lard -- melted and cooled (or butter) – 1 ounce

Preheat oven to 400°. Generously grease a 6-cup muffin pan or an 8" round baking pan.
Stir together the dry ingredients, then add the milk, eggs and melted fat.
Stir the mixture quickly until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Bake in greased muffin tins 16-18 minutes at 400°.

For skillet cornbread: Heat oven to 400°. Generously grease bottom and sides of an 8" cast-iron skillet. Heat the skillet 10 minutes in oven, until hot. Remove carefully to heatproof surface.

Spread batter in hot skillet, return to oven, bake 16-18 minutes or until golden brown.

2016 Cost: 59¢ per half dozen; mix was on sale at 55¢ without the egg, milk or lard; cost was 89¢ for mix muffins, or 10¢ for homemade muffin, 15¢ for sale price mix muffin.

The mix contains corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oil.

Modified from "Amish Cooking 1980 "

Per Serving: 160 Calories; 6g Fat (34.3% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 42mg Cholesterol; 362mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Morning Muffins

I had carrots that needed to be used up; this muffin recipe had simple ingredients I had on hand. I worried a little because the batter almost completely filled my muffin cups, but the recipe doesn’t call for baking powder, only soda, so they didn’t over-rise. I simply finely chopped my carrots in my mini-food processor so I didn’t have scraped knuckles. Have your pan and ingredients all ready before you start mixing, and preheat your oven too.

These are good hot or cold, so they would be perfect to have baked ahead for breakfast on the run; we like them with soup or main-dish salad meals.

Morning Muffins

2 Tablespoons Butter -- softened

1/4 cup Brown Sugar -- packed (2 ounces)

1 Large Egg

1/2 cup Sour Cream -- (8 ounces)

1/2 cup Carrots -- Shredded or finely chopped (2 ounces)

1/4 cup Coconut -- 1.125 ounces

1/4 cup Raisins, Seedless -- 1.25 ounces

3/4 cup Flour, All-purpose -- 3.375 ounces

1/2 teaspoon Soda

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 cup Nuts – chopped—1 ounce

In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and sour cream; beat well. Stir in the carrots, coconut and raisins.

Combine the flour, baking soda and cinnamon; stir into creamed mixture just until moistened. Fold in nuts.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups nearly full. Bake in a preheated oven at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. Yield: 1/2 dozen.

The batter completely fills the muffin cup, that's OK because it only uses soda, not baking powder.

Adapted from "Taste of Home Recipe Card Collection Spring 2014"

Pecan Muffins

We love pecans, and I usually toast them and can them. They make this delicious muffin recipe quick and easy. Walnuts work too. Your family will love these slightly sweet muffins with a meal or for coffee time.

Pecan Muffins

2 cups All-purpose Flour – 9 ounces (or whole wheat or a combination)

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

3/4 cup Pecans -- toasted, chopped

1/2 cup oil

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large Eggs

3/4 cup Milk

Preheat oven to 400º. Grease muffin pans for 12 muffins.

Spread nuts on a cookie sheet with sides. Put in a 350° oven until lightly toasted. Watch carefully so that they don't burn. When toasted, remove the pan from the oven. Cool and chop.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt into the mixing bowl, stir in the sugar. Combine and add egg, oil, milk and nuts, and stir into the flour mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.

Scoop batter into prepared muffins pans. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on a rack slightly before serving.

12 Muffins

May be frozen after cooling and reheated in the microwave 10-15 seconds or until warm before serving.

Cornmeal Biscuits

This recipe from Martha Stewart caught my eye as it was for a drop biscuit which I must confess is what I make when I make biscuits. The addition of cornmeal gives them a different taste and texture. The creamed chicken recipe I use calls for serving it over spoon bread so we tried this instead. It worked very well, and does not taste like cornbread but like baking powder biscuits with a very good texture and crumb. You can taste the cornmeal in them but not like cornbread at all.

Cornmeal Drop Biscuits

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

¾ cup fine yellow cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

¼ cup shortening and ¼ cup cold butter

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375°, Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

In a dry bowl mix dry ingredients, a whisk works well, Using a pastry blender cut in cold butter that has been cut in small pieces and cold shortening until mixture resembles small crumb with a few larger clumps remaining.

Pour in the milk and mix just until blended, do not over mix. The dough will be slightly sticky. With two spoons drop mounds of dough, (about ⅓ cup) 1 ½ inches apart on parchment paper in pan. Bake about 15 to 20 minutes until golden. Remove on the parchment paper to wire rack to cool.

Basic Oats Mix Biscuits, Muffins, Applesauce Bread and Dumplings

Here are the recipes that the “Culinary Institute the Budget Cookbook" gives with their recipe for Basic Oats Mix (I included the recipe at the bottom). I have made both the muffins and biscuits and found them to be both quick and tasty.
I included the recipes for the bread and dumplings, although I haven’t tried them yet.

Oatmeal Muffins

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons Oat Mix

1/4 cup Sugar

1 cup Milk

1 large Egg -- beaten

FOR MUFFINS:

Combine oats mix and sugar in a bowl. Add milk and egg; stir until just blended.

Fill 12 greased 2 1/2" muffin-pan wells 2/3 full.

Bake at 400° about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cost: about 96¢ per dozen or 8¢ per muffin

Oatmeal Biscuits

2 cups Oat Mix

2/3 cup Cold Milk

FOR BISCUITS:

Combine oats mix and milk in a bowl; stir with a fork to a soft dough. Let the dough set in the bowl to absorb some of the liquid into the oats, about 5-10 minutes.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead with fingertips 10 times. Roll out 1/2" thick and cut with a floured 2" cutter. (Be sure to cut straight down without twisting, to help your biscuits rise and get that characteristic “split”.)

Put on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 450° 10-12 minutes.

Biscuits cost 54¢ per dozen or 4 1/2¢ per biscuits.

Quick Applesauce Bread

2 1/4 Cups Oat Mix

1 Cup Sugar

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Cup Applesauce -- sweetened

1 Large Egg

1/2 Cup Milk

1/2 Cup Raisins – optional

FOR APPLESAUCE BREAD: