Baking Powder Biscuits, Sweet Tea, and Mashed Sweet Potatoes

EDIT: this post was a long time in coming because I kept hoping to be able to take pictures for it...but alas the camera was not cooperating, and the food disappeared like that!

It's almost like I'm trying to be Southern or something! Well, cooks south of the Mason-Dixon Line do have plenty of common sense when it comes to food. Us Yankees could suffer to learn a few things from them. For one thing, they use plenty of fat in their cooking, whether butter or drippings. For another, anyone who invents sweet tea is just genius!

So, since I began making them last year, biscuits have been in constant demand with my family. They really are a joy to make. They can be very hands-on and messy. They're also a joy to eat, and between my huge appetite and my brother's, they go pretty fast. Biscuits are exceptionally versatile; they can be eaten plain, or with just about any topping, made into many kinds of sandwich, and are good at any meal. This recipe for baking powder biscuits comes from James Beard's rather entertainingly titled Beard on Bread. They're very easy to make, bake quickly, and require minimal equipment.

2 cups flour
1/2 stick butter, softened
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup milk

• Preheat the oven to 425°F (about 218°C)
• Combine the dry ingredients. Beard says to sift them together
• Cut in the butter until small particles form. I long ago gave up "cutting in" and just go at it with my hands.
• Mix in the milk, and knead for one minute.
• Roll the dough out on a floured surface to 1/8 - 1/4 inch. I generally go for thicker
  
• Cut into biscuits! I make square biscuits to avoid overworking the dough making rounds
• Bake on an ungreased, unfloured baking sheet for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden on top
• Remove from the oven and transfer biscuits to a wire cooling rack
• Serve warm

I generally make a double recipe. You need slightly more than four cups of flour when you double, for whatever reason. Many variations can be made on this recipe. One of my favourites is to make beer biscuits. In a double recipe, just substitute a bottle of porter or stout (or weißbier, even) for the milk. Beard's recipe for buttermilk biscuits is only a slight variation on the baking powder method.
Troubleshooting: when you're beginning, it's easy to overwork the dough. If the biscuits come out a little tough, that's why. If the biscuits are slightly over or under done, only adjust the cooking time by one or two minutes--it's easy to overdo them! If the biscuits are flat or rather un-fluffy, make them thicker, and make sure your baking powder is still good. To do this, add a little to a glass of water. It should fizz, and not at all weakly.

I was first introduced to sweet tea on a robotics club trip to Atlanta, Georgia. Ever since then, I've been in love with it. When I chance to travel in the South (never mind it's usually in places with high populations of Yankees *laugh*), I always have sweet tea with at least one meal. Try as I may, I can never get it to taste quite as good as they do...but I'm trying! Irrespective, this is one of my favourite summer drinks. I love a glass of ice-cold sweet tea after I've been out mowing the lawn!

The basic method for making sweet tea is very simple, if unrefined. I call it the 3-2-1 Method. It's sufficient, but I definitely want to refine this method. Anyway, here are basics:

3 tsp tea (or tea leaves for three)
2 cups water
1 cup sugar or honey, or some combination of the two (occasionally I combine them by thirds or fourths)
1/4 tsp baking soda

• Put the tea into the water and bring to a boil
• Remove from the heat and add the baking soda. This will help neutralise the astringent tannins in the tea, as well as darken the colour of the tea
• Strain and mix with the sweetener
• Dilute to approximately 1 quart with plain water
• Chill

Cup for cup this has more sugar than Coca Cola, but who cares? It's yummy! And really, you don't need to use a full cup of sweetener. As it is, the sugar threatens to overwhelm the flavour of the tea. As I work with this, I'd expect I'll tone the sugar back, probably closer to 3/4 cup or 2/3 cup.

Sweet potatoes are, in my opinion, absolutely amazing. Not just because they're sweet and orange, either! They're remarkably versatile, and fit in meals for every season. They also make very good lunches and snacks baked whole. This was my first attempt at making mashed sweet potatoes, and I have to say, I think it went pretty well. My taste buds are still not quite adjusted back to normal from the overly salty, overly greasy food I had at UMass, but the seasoning seemed to work out just fine.

3 sweet potatoes
3 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

• Peel the potatoes and chop into large pieces
• In a pot, cover the potatoes with cold water, and bring to a boil
• Simmer until the potatoes are tender. I had the pot covered during cooking, but more out of intuition than anything
• Drain, and immediately add the butter. Mash to combine
• Add the sugar, and finish the mashing
• Salt and pepper to taste

I have to say, as hard as I tried, my brother still does a better job mashing potatoes than I do. I'll have him do the honours next time.

My next adventure, I think, is going to be choux a la creme, more commonly known as cream puffs. (What can I say? I love the French name. Blame Antique Bakery.) Perhaps after I manage those, I'll be bold enough to attempt the Gâteau St. Honoré. On the other hand, Tartelette's chilled lemon and strawberry frasiers look like they'd be a lot of fun~ Who knows? More baking on the list, undoubtedly, and probably stir-fry, since my mother's been dropping hints.