Battle Biscuit

The cook who attains biscuithood receives the keys to quick bread city.
- Alton Brown

Indeed, mastery of the soft, southern biscuit opens the doors to culinary goods such as scones, soda bread and shortcake. The secret lies in the method, biscuit-style. Again, we faced off, but this time, with the same recipe to see who can execute the better biscuit.

Here's the battleplan:

Southern Biscuits

Ingredients:

500ml Flour

10ml Cream of tartar

5ml Baking soda

3ml Salt

45ml Butter

45ml Shortening

250ml Buttermilk

METHOD:

1)    Preheat oven to 450° F or 230° C

2)   In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Using your fingers, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs.  

3)   Make a well in the center and pour in buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. It will be very sticky.

4)   Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top of dough with flour and gently pat out until 1 inch thick. Cut out biscuits with 2-inch cutter or glass with same diameter.

5)   Place biscuits so they are just barely touching on cookie sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes until biscuits are tall and golden brown.

The showdown continues:

 

Simon and Joon's biscuits, structurally sound.

 

 

My and Wendy's biscuits, flavourly favoured.

 

 

The presiding jams of the jury, home-made, home-packed, home-sealed.

 

 

The verdict awaits.

Battle Muffin

Do you know the Muffin Man,
Who lives in Drury Lane?
- Traditional Nursery Rhyme

A mobile vehicle that welcomes nearly any culinary accompaniment, there is infinite versatility to be found in the muffin. Today, we had a culinary battle to see who could utilize the muffin method and produce the better creation.
Here is my and Wendy's recipe: 

Hawaiian (Pineapple Coconut) Muffins 

Ingredients:

125mL sweetened flaked coconut

500mL all-purpose flour
125mL sugar
125mL margarine (melted)
125mL buttermilk ( 5mL vinegar 120mL milk)
60mL pineapple juice
10mL baking powder
5mL salt
5mL vanilla extract
2 eggs
125mL crushed pineapple, drained 

Topping:

80mL light brown sugar
60mL all-purpose flour
60mL coconut ( powder or dehydrated)
45mL cold margarine (cut up)

METHOD:

      1) Heat oven to 350 °F/ 180°C .

      2) Sprinkle the 125mL coconut on a baking sheet and toast for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Alternately, you can do this in a pan over medium high heat, stir constantly or you’ll burn it or you may skip this but toasting the coconut makes it more flavorful.

      3) In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

      4) In a small bowl, combine melted margarine, milk, pineapple juice, eggs, and vanilla. Stir into flour mixture just until moistened; do not over mix. Fold in the toasted coconut and pineapple.

      5) For topping, mix together brown sugar, flour and 60mL coconut. Rub in small pieces of margarine with fingers until coarse crumbs have formed.

      6) Fill 12 non-stick muffin pans two-thirds full. Sprinkle coarse crumb topping over coconut- pineapple muffin batter.

      7) Bake for 25-30 minutes or until tops are lightly browned and firm. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Behold, the battle:

Our pineapple coconut muffins, with coconut crumb toppings.

Simon and Joon`s Chocolate vanilla muffins.

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