What the heck is a Silpat anyway?

I vividly remember watching Martha Stewart rave about and eventually introduce the Silpat into my life. Disclaimer, I don't own a Silpat yet, but I swear, this weekend, I'm going to Sur La Table and buying a couple of those bad boys. 

Made in France, of course it would be!

Again, so what the heck is a Silpat?? Basically, it's a non-stick baking mat that prevents the burning or sticking of baked goods onto your beloved cookie sheets. It seems like a godsend...yet I don't have one? Sometimes avid bakers, such as myself, get caught up in the, expensive, gadgets, ad nonsensical frills that come along with baking! I mean a lime grater?! Who really needs one of those? And yet I am wide-eyed and  practically drooling in places like William & Sonoma, Bed Bath & Beyond, Sur La Table, Crate and Barrell... well you get it. And for that very reason, I have a hand-me-down, hand mixer, instead of a standing mixer. But I digress...investing in a handful of quality, long-term use, tools and gadgetry is a must for an everyday, week...okay once a month, baker. 

The List:

• hand mixer (or standing mixer, if you can afford one!)
• measuring cups/spoons
• mixing bowl
• spatula
• muffin tin
• cake pan
• at least 2 cookie sheets (can be used for a wide variety of baking, not just sweets but anything)
• pastry bags/plastic tips (these can be disposable and/or $10 or less! Gives those cupcakes a little something special, great for filling cupcakes as well.)
• silpat (or parchment paper for the time being)
• wire rack

So besides being a blasphemous baker, by not owning a Silpat, I also do not own a wire rack for cooling cookies, cupcakes and all/any baked goods! Really, who am I!?! So I recently, fancied, this gem of a wire cooling rack. It allows for me to mass bake (thus, mass cool), in a space saving and efficient manner. 

GENIUS! A stacked cooling rack. I MUST HAVE. So I bought it :) And so should you! It's practical and slightly trendy, totally a win/win situation here. 

Smells like fall, feels like summer

Well this is a rarity in San Francisco. It's true, this year, San Francisco is actually getting a summer?! I wouldn't believe it unless I felt it myself..and it was awesome! Well, summer, I welcome you with open arms. I know that baking and cooking with fruit is all the rage right now (don't get me wrong, I can't wait to try a peach tart...coming soon), but I love fall so much! It reminds me of my favorite holidays, to start reflecting on what I've done during the past year and all the warm, tingly...desserts! Nothing like baking on a cold, frigid San Francisco day, let me tell you! I've been eyeing this recipe for a few weeks now, looking for healthier alternatives to buttermilk. Alas, Google came to the rescue and I learned that plain yogurt is a fine substitute for the fattier, buttermilk version of this recipe. Don't get me wrong, fatty = delicious, but with summer rolling in on time, here in San Francisco, cutting calories here and there makes them.. dare I say...semi guilt-free! Let's not forget the stick of butter I used, but hey! let's be real, biscuits need to be a little buttery. I'm sure margarine would have been a healthier substitute to try though. 


Also, would like to note, that I loved the idea of using honey, instead of sugar. I think adding allspice might work well if you don't have ground cinnamon or ginger on hand. 


I'd imagine this would be great with some butter and honey, a side of ice cream maybe :) Try it with a savory dish, perhaps. Definitely delicious both warm and room temperature.


Pumpkin Biscuits

The smell of these are overwhelmingly, fragrant and sweet, but biting into it, you'll get a slight pumpkin flavor and insanely fluffy texture inside. 

Substitutions Used: 

• 1/2 cup buttermilk -- 1 cup yogurt ** Doubled up here so the biscuits would be extra moist...no matter how long you over cooked them! Like me :( **
• 1 tablespoon honey -- 1 tablespoon agave

adapted from The Girl with the Wooden Spoon


Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cubed

1 1/2 cup pumpkin purée

1 tablespoon honey (or 1/2 tablespoon agave)

1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup yogurt)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with vegetable oil, set aside.

In a small bowl combine the honey and pumpkin, set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and butter. Using a pastry cutter or your hands, cut the butter throughout the dry ingredients until butter is the size of small pebbles and dough is coarse. Stir in the honey pumpkin mixture until just combined. Stir in the buttermilk until dough just comes together. Because I used yogurt here, the dough was extra sticky, which is normal. No need to flour your surface too much here, just be ready to get your hands dirty!


Turn dough out onto a well floured surface. Using your hands knead dough about ten times. Roll the dough out to about 3/4 inch thickness. Using a round biscuit cutter of your choice cut out the biscuits. I didn't have the time or patience to do this, so I just formed small round balls, about the amount of a tablespoon. I flattened the biscuits a little with my hands, but I really loved that they were full of craters and how they turned slightly crunchy on top, after baking. Space them about one inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from sheet and cool on a wire rack. Storing in an airtight container or some plastic wrap is best.