Southern Comfort (5 page)

Serve the crêpes dusted with confectioners’ sugar and topped with whipped cream.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

To make the dough, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the flour, salt, and black pepper and pulse once to mix the ingredients. Add the diced butter and pulse until the butter is the size of peas. Then, while pulsing, add the ice water in a slow drizzle. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pull it together into a ball and press firmly. Shape into a flat disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a bowl, combine the egg yolks and whole egg and whisk together well. Add the cream and the salt and whisk until everything is fully incorporated. Chill thoroughly.

To finish the crust, using a rolling pin, roll out the pie dough on a lightly floured work surface into 14-inch round that is ⅛ inch thick. Transfer the pie crust to a 10-inch diameter pie dish and trim and crimp the edges. Pierce the crust with the fork all over the bottom. Line the bottom of the crust with parchment paper and cover the paper with dried beans or raw rice to weight down the crust. Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove the crust from the oven and carefully lift off and discard the parchment paper and pie weights. Fill the crust with the filling and green onions, and dot the surface evenly with the goat cheese.

Bake the quiche until lightly browned on top and firm to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the quiche cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line an 11 by 17-inch baking sheet with parchment paper and coat with a nice layer of olive oil.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and slowly pour the wet ingredients into the center of the well. Whisk the two together, working from the inside out, until they are completely combined. Whisk the melted butter into the cornbread mixture, and then fold in the diced shallots with a rubber spatula. Spread the cornbread mixture evenly onto the baking sheet and bake until the edges are brown and the center is firm, 15 to 18 minutes.

To serve, let the bread cool slightly and turn the pan upside down to remove the cornbread. Using a serrated knife, cut the bread into 3-inch squares and serve hot.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Working quickly with your fingers, cut the butter into the flour until the butter is the size of peas. In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, crème fraîche, and egg to combine. Make a well in the center of the flour-butter mixture and slowly pour the wet ingredients into the center of the well. Stir the ingredients together with a fork until the dough is evenly moistened, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.

Knead the biscuit dough gently, no more than 10 kneads, until it holds together, being careful not to overwork the dough.

With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a thickness of 1 inch. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch round biscuit cutter and place on nonstick baking sheets about 1½ inches apart. Gently press the scraps together to stamp out more biscuits or wrap them tightly and freeze for later use as a topping for chicken pot pie.

Refrigerate the tray of biscuits until they are chilled and firm, about 30 minutes. Brush the tops with a touch of heavy cream or melted butter and bake until they are golden on top, about 18 minutes.

Serve hot with butter and jam.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Put the warm buttermilk in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir in the yeast with a wooden spoon until dissolved. Stir 1 cup of the all-purpose flour into the buttermilk mixture, also with the wooden spoon. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm area of the kitchen until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Return the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the remaining 1 cup all-purpose flour, cake flour, sugar, and salt and mix on low speed until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition, until a batter-like dough is formed. Replace the paddle with the dough hook attachment. Mix the dough on low speed for 10 minutes. Add the butter in three increments, letting the dough absorb all of the butter each time, then mix on low speed for an additional 20 minutes, making sure that all the butter is incorporated into the dough.

Spray a 10 by 6 by 3-inch nonstick loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Divide it into five equal portions and roll each into a ball. Place the dough balls side by side in the prepared loaf pan. Proof the bread by placing it in a warm area, covered with plastic wrap, until it has doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Bake until the crust is a dark mahogany brown, about 25 minutes. Let it cool for 30 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and slice.