Cheddar & Black Pepper Biscuits and a Giveaway

Happy Monday! We had some perfect weather over the weekend and was able to go out and enjoy it by finally washing the cars, hanging out at the dog park and eating dinner out on the patio. Dinner club was Saturday night and the host chose to do pizzas so we all brought our favorite toppings and I was in charge of the salad and brought one of my favorites Field Greens, Crumbled Blue Cheese and Spicy Pecans (click HERE for the recipe). On the post I originally made it as a wedge, but I have an updated picture now using the field greens that I’ll update this week.

Anyway, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo kicks off tomorrow night until March 20th. We will be out there 13 of the 20 nights and since we are out there so many nights I’ll be doing 2 recipe post a week then on Friday’s I share some rodeo pictures with you all. As promised when I attended the suite tasting (click HERE for details) I met Grady Spears and I have an autographed copy for one lucky reader!

Due to me having to move out of my house for 3 weeks I didn’t get to make a lot of the recipes I planned on, but I did make these biscuits for our steak night last night and I really liked the flavor. They where the cover photo of the book and as you know I love having bread at every meal. Grady Spears has a show on tv called The Cowboy’s Kitchen, he has a restaurant in Fort Worth called Grady’s Restaurant. and author of 6 books. He’s a very busy man, but he’s so down to earth I really enjoyed talking to him and listening to all of his stories. Be sure to check out his other cookbooks if you enjoy Southern cooking and try some of the recipes listed on his site.

Overall this is a very well done book and as they say, Cowboys Kitchen is a modern twist on classic cowboy cuisine. The pictures are fabulous and timeless, the recipes are delicious looking and there’s a lot of Texas history built in. This is one of those books that you’ll use in the kitchen as well as a coffee table conversational piece. Soooo…….you wanna win it??

Mandatory Entry:

-Leave a comment and tell us if you’ve ever attended a rodeo and if you have what your favorite part is. (The mandatory entry must be completed in order for any bonus entries to count.)

Bonus Entries:

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Contest ends Thursday, March 17, 2011 at midnight central time and I'll post a winner Friday morning. I will chose the winner via Random.org, and the winner will be notified by e-mail. Make sure to leave your email, or have your contact available on your blogger site.

Good Luck!!

I was not paid for this promotion and all information given are my personal opinion.

Cheddar and Black Pepper Biscuits
(Adapted from The Texas Cowboy Kitchen by Grady Spears with June Naylor)

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1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup shortening or unsalted butter
¾ cup buttermilk
4 ounces cheddar cheese, cut ¼ inch cubes
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet or a cake pan with parchment paper or lightly butter the surface with about 1 teaspoon of melted butter.

The choice of the pan will determine the outcome of the biscuit: For a crispy exterior, set the biscuits about ½ inch apart on a baking sheet. If you want moister, fluffier biscuits, place them close together in a cake pan. Select the pan of your choice and have it ready for the biscuits.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

Add the shortening and cut it into the dry ingredients using 2 knives, a pastry blender, or your hands.

Work the shortening in well, until it is reduced to pea-sized pieces.

Add the buttermilk and mix briefly, just to incorporate it. It’s very important not to overwork the dough, or the biscuits will not be delicate and light.

Gently mix in the cheddar and and black pepper. The dough will be fairly sticky.

Place the dough on a smooth, well-floured surface and pat with your hands to about ¾ inch thick. Cut out the biscuits, using a 2 inch round glass or cookie cutter. Dip the cutter into flour between cuts to keep from sticking. Place the biscuits on or in the prepared pan. The remaining dough may be gently gathered together an rolled out again for more biscuits. Brush the tops with the remaining melted butter. (I just pinched off a ball and hand rolled it before adding it to the pan.)

Place the biscuits in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm.