I wrote about The Perfect Pancake about a month ago and mentioned that the purveyors of the perfect pancake have a cookbook – the Clinton Street Baking Company Cookbook.

Well:

TA-DA!

Thanks to a very very awesome and lovely friend, I got the cookbook for Christmas and I can’t stop looking at the wonderful photos. Well, I’m proud to announce that I’m going to try to bake and cook my way through the cookbook. Many of my friends (whom are my readers) will get a chance to try my trials, but if you aren’t my friend, don’t fret! You can always get the cookbook yourself or head over to Clinton Street Baking Company, which I’m sure would do a much better job than myself.

So Part 1 begins with the biscuits. All these recipes are adapted from the Clinton Street Baking Company Cookbook, and all credit should be given to them for their wonderful wonderful recipes that they are sharing with the world.

Clinton Street Baking Company’s Buttermilk Biscuits

Makes 6 Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, chilled and cut into small chunks
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Instructions:

These biscuits can be prepared and then rested overnight for baking the next day.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
2. Place the 2 cups flour and other dry ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on low speed with the paddle attachment until combined.
3. Add the butter and shortening to the bowl and mix on low speed until the dough reaches a crumbly texture. The butter and shortening should be the size of peas.
4. Turn off the mixer and add the buttermilk to the bowl all at once. Mix very briefly on low speed until the dough just comes together (this should take less than 10 seconds).
5. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and form into a ball. Lightly knead the dough two or three times until combined.
6. You can bake the biscuits the next day. Dust a sheet pan and the top of the dough with flour and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, overnight. Then bring the dough back to room temperature.
7. Pat out the dough to a 3/4- to 1-inch thickness. Shape the dough into a rectangle, making the sides high. Using a 2-inch-round biscuit cutter, cut out 4 biscuits. Place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and dust with a sprinkling of flour. Gather the dough scraps and, using your hands, tuck in the bottom of the dough so that there are no wrinkles, much like making a bread roll. Form the remaining dough into another rectangle with high sides and cut out 2 more biscuits.
8. Place the pan in the preheated oven for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through. Halfway through the baking process, rotate the pan for even browning.
9. Serve warm with butter and our Raspberry Jam (see recipe below).

 

Clinton Street Baking Company’s Raspberry Jam

Makes 2 Cups

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (or blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon quick-set pectin

Instructions:

1. In a 4-quart heavy-bottomed pot, mix together the berries, sugar, lemon juice, and pectin. Bring to a boil while stirring over medium-high heat (3 to 5 minutes). The sugar will dissolve to create a loose, saucy consistency. Turn down the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the jam thickens, 15-20 minutes. Scrap the bottom of the pot periodically to prevent sticking.
2. Turn off the heat and let the jam cool at room temperature or put the pot in an ice bath for quicker results, stirring until the jam is cool. Transfer to a crock, a jam jar, or even a bowl. This jam thickens as it cools and keeps at least 3 weeks in the refrigerator.