I just love a good foodie challenge. The kind that involves challenging yourself to have an adventure in the kitchen by getting outside of your comfort zone, learning new techniques, and cooking something fabulous that you wouldn't have attempted otherwise. These types of challenges help grow my kitchen skills, think more creatively, and connect with other passionate food lovers and learn from their experiences. For the month of September, I'm taking a break from my usual participation in the Recipe Redux monthly challenge to join Joy the Baker's Baking Bootcamp challenge sponsored by King Arthur Flour.
Sponsored Contest Disclosure Notice
*By participating in the Baking Bootcamp Challenge sponsored by King Arthur Flour, I am eligible to receive a prize. I was not compensated to write this post, and all opinions regarding the recipe and products mentioned are my own.*
The first Baking Bootcamp challenge took place back in May and featured this amazingly tender and butter Triple Berry Cinnamon Swirl Bread that I'm still dreaming about today. It was definitely challenging to say the least, as I had never attempted a braided bread before. But it was sooooo much fun to make and Joy's step-by-step picture instructions were spot on and gave me a huge boost of confidence! Joy is the ultimate kitchen cheerleader and inspires me to be a better cheerleader for my readers here at Sweet Cayenne!
Today's post is about the 2nd of 4 Baking Bootcamp Challenges hosted by Joy and features delightful and seasonally appropriate: Apple Pie Biscuits. I love that the fall recipe features apples because the internet seems WAY over-inundated with pumpkin recipes right now. Someone needs to just tell pumpkin to wait its turn and let apples have the spotlight for once. Maybe I just did that?? Apple recipes are such a nice way to transition into fall because their clean, crisp flavors tie in the freshness of summer produce to the warmth of fall spices and cold weather comfort foods.
These biscuits were such a warm, cheery start to a cool September morning here in Lincoln, and the buttery cinnamony fragrance that filled my kitchen as they baked made washing my sink full of dishes so much more pleasant (my regular dishwasher had the morning off). It was really hard to take pictures of these as they were fresh out of the oven and the apple filling was piping hot. Thankfully, you just need to snap one photo for the contest to post on Instagram and not spend 15 minutes snapping pics like I did. If you'd like to participate in this Baking Bootcamp Challenge, head on over to Joy's slice of the Internet Pie for more details. You have until October 11th to participate, and boy are these biscuits worth it!
For your convenience, I have included Joy's recipe below. Hungry for more? Be sure to follow the blog on Bloglovin and find Sweet Cayenne on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!
Apple Pie Biscuits from Baking Bootcamp
Ingredients
For the Apples:
- 1 baking apple peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
For the Biscuits:
- 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached Self-Rising Flour**
- ¼ cup cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ⅔ to ¾ cup cold buttermilk
For the Topping:
- 1 large egg beaten (I used 2 tablespoons melted butter instead)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- **All purpose flour can be used in place of self-rising by adding 3 teaspoons of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt to the 2 cups of flour called for in the recipe
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
For the apples:
- Place butter in a medium skilled over medium heat to melt. Add the apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Toss with a wooden spoon until all of the apples are coated and the sugar is melted over the apples, about 2 to 4 minutes. The mixture will be warm and glossy, but the apples won't be cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside.
For the biscuit dough:
- Place flour in a medium bowl and add cold butter cubes. Use your fingers to quickly break the butter down into the flour. Some of the butter bits will be the size of oats, some the size of small peas. Stir in the granulated sugar.
- Create a well in the center of the butter and flour mixture and add ⅔ cup buttermilk. Stir the mixture together until it is well moistened and holds together well. Biscuit dough should be soft and moist. Add the remaining buttermilk as needed. If you're using your own homemade self-rising flour or gluten-free self-rising flour, you'll want to add the full ¾ cup of buttermilk.
Biscuit assembly:
- Use all-purpose flour to generously dust a clear work surface. Spoon dough onto the floured surface and use your hands to gather it into a ball and gently pat it into a small rectangle. If you're using gluten-free self-rising flour, the dough will crack a bit as you shape it into a rectangle, and again as you fold it over the apples. That's OK; just keep patting it back together.
- Use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough into a rectangle ½-inch thick, about 7-inches x 10-inches. Arrange cooled apples in a single layer over half of the rolled out biscuit dough. Fold the bare side of the dough over the apples and gently press the edges to seal in the apples. Use the palms of your hand to pat the dough into a 6 x 8-inch rectangle if the edges are looking a bit rounded.
- Use a sharp knife to slice the dough into 12 squares. Use a spatula to place each biscuit onto the prepared baking sheet, about 2-inches apart.
- In a small bowl, whisk together sugar for topping, cinnamon, and salt.
- Brush each biscuit top with beaten egg (or melted butter)and sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the biscuits are risen and golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm or cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Biscuits are best enjoyed within two days of baking.
athletic avocado says
oh my goodness these look like heaven! yum!
Erin | The Law Student's Wife says
These are lovely! Challenge met 🙂
Whitney Reist says
Thanks, Erin! I hope you enjoy making them!