We accidentally lived in Texas for five years, and had a lovely time. One kid and a baby. Times were good. I should have appreciated things more.While we were out there, my two best old-time friends came out to spend a week. We went to Dallas to the Farmer's Market, which is the damnedest place I have ever been in my life...heaven on earth...and came home with all sorts of goodies, which we ate within 24 hours because OMG!!! Too, too good.
While they were there, I made these biscuits. These are NOT what we in Alabama consider biscuits. They are...delicacies. Pleasures. Delightful. This recipe came straight from a book called The Farm Market Cookbook, by Judith Olney.
Dencia Hunter's Apple and Cream Biscuits
4 cups fresh self-rising flour (Martha White or Gold Medal)
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick margarine
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts or pecans, broken into pieces
2 big Red Delicious apples, peeled, cored & diced
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
2-1/2 tablespoons cinnamon mixed with 2 tablespoons sugar
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 tablespoons butter
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly grease a baking pan.
Here is how to measure the flour: Pour 4 rough cups of flour into a large bowl. Stir the flour to aerate it. Scoop it into a dry measuring cup and scrape the flour level with the blade of a knife. Measure your 4 cups this way.
Stir the sugar into the flour. Cut the margarine into slices and add it to the flour. Work the margarine into the flour with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until it disappears.
Add the raisins, nuts and apples and toss lightly in the flour.
From now on, work very gently and never knead. Sprinkle the condensed milk over the dough ingredients and turn them briefly with a spoon or your fingers--never mind if not everything gets wet. As you are gently turning the dough, sprinklethe cinnamon in swirls.
Pat the dough together. Cut the biscuits with a 3-inch cutter.
Place the biscuits on the baking pan and bake for 12 minutes. Remove and cool briefly.
When just warm, prepare the frosting: Melt the butter and cream cheese over low heat. Stir in the vanilla and then the sifted confectioners' sugar. Add a few drops of water if necessary to make a thick, drizzling frosting.
Drip the frosting over the biscuits. Serve while still warm.
(I didn't use raisins because I don't like raisins in baked stuff...I don't think it made much difference and I might try dried cranberries next time. We ate these with ham and fresh fruit. Funny...I can't tell you where I was Tuesday of last week but this breakfast? I can smell it as I type.)
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ExpatFromHell