Monday, May 10, 2010

Modern Baker Challenge: Pecorino & Pepper Biscuits

I started the Modern Baker Challenge feeling unconvinced that I would make many of the quick breads in Nick Malgieri's The Modern Baker, and now I've planned my meals two nights in a row around trying one of his recipes.

Saturday night, I was craving scones, so I decided we'd have breakfast for dinner (we had eggs-in-a-nest).

Last night, I really wanted to try the pecorino and pepper biscuits, which I've been drooling over on Phyl and Andrea's sites, so I decided to make a pot roast.

This was a very easy recipe; once again, my new food processor came in handy. I processed the butter and finely grated cheese (I didn't have pecorino, so used his substitution suggestion of paremesan, which we always have in the house). Then I added in the flour, salt, coarsely ground pepper, and baking powder. Finally, I added in the milk.

When I dumped the mixture onto my counter, it was very crumbly, so I took NM's advice and dribbled on some more milk until I could pat the dough into a rectangle. I finally used my new biscuit cutters, which my husband bought for me over a year ago (!) but which I'd never used. The dough made exactly twelve biscuits.

I baked them for 20 minutes, and then we sat down to dinner.

These were okay. As with the grissini (from the Mellow Bakers Challenge), we weren't hugely fond of the cheese flavor in the bread. And I was actually a little short on cheese, so I'd used a half ounce less than he called for. Soaked in the broth from the meat, however, hubby and I both enjoyed them more. The kiddos were not fans.

I do think I'll try this recipe again, but next time I'll try the old-fashioned baking powder biscuit variation.

6 comments:

  1. They look lovely, and I say if they taste like cheese, I'm IN!!! I have made biscuits exactly three times, for Tuesdays with Dorie, and believe me when I say they are not my best showing. I am going into these this week with a great deal of skepticism...however, I have seen the ones from Mod Baker and they all look really great. Fingers crossed...it's happening this week, post on Saturday. Your whole meal looks wonderful.

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  2. I liked his suggestion of substituting Parmesan cheese, perhaps that cheese taste would be more appealing- or just the baking powder biscuits as you suggested.

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  3. Too bad these weren't a big hit in your house. What are "eggs-in-a-nest"? A quick google search showed me cute pictures of egss IN bread. Is it that what you mean? How do you make that? I've never heard of it!

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  4. @Andrea: Eggs-in-a-nest are my hubby's super fast, super easy solution to dinner when he's in charge. =) The kiddos love them.

    Butter both sides of a slice of bread (or many slices of bread). Use a biscuit cutter to cut a large round hole in the middle of the bread. Place bread on the griddle. Put a little butter in the empty hole and crack an egg into the middle. (We actually scramble the egg for the kids so that there isn't any uncooked egg, but hubby likes his over-easy.) Once the egg has set, flip it over and finish cooking.

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  5. I'm so going to make these eggs-in-a-nest tomorrow. The kids will be thrilled!

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  6. Eggs in a nest...LOVE them, only I call them eggs in a hole (creativity eludes me sometimes...LOL)

    Biscuits *sigh* I lack the ability to make biscuits and gave up long ago.

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