BACON-JALAPEÑO BISCUITS
MAKES 8 BISCUITS
Southern-style biscuits with a Tex-Mex twist, these are one of my favorite breakfast or brunch breads. They also add a little heat to a ladies’ salad lunch. Just remember, biscuits have to be hot from the oven or they just don’t taste quite right.
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon seeded and minced jalapeño chile
¼ pound cooked hickory-smoked bacon, crumbled
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and, using a pastry cutter or a kitchen fork, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles cornmeal.
Stir in enough buttermilk to make a soft dough. Don’t worry if you use less or more than called for—the amount will depend on the humidity in your kitchen.
Fold in the chile and bacon just to blend. Do not overmix.
Lightly flour a clean, flat work surface and scrape the dough out onto it. Knead the dough lightly for about 3 turns. Pat the dough out to a thickness of about ½ inch and cut it into circles using a 2-inch round biscuit cutter.
Place the biscuits on a baking sheet, leaving a couple of inches between them. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serve immediately—nobody likes a cold biscuit!
IRON-SKILLET CORNBREAD
MAKES ONE 10-INCH ROUND CORNBREAD
I use organic stone-ground yellow cornmeal from Homestead Gristmill (see sidebar, here), as it makes a deeply flavored bread with a terrific texture. Finely ground meal just doesn’t result in the same corn flavor and coarse texture that I prefer.
1 cup yellow cornmeal, coarsely ground if possible
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature
¼ cup melted unsalted butter or bacon grease, plus more for greasing the skillet
Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
Lightly coat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with butter or bacon grease. Place in the preheated oven.
Combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the milk along with the eggs and butter and mix with a few rapid strokes just to moisten the dry ingredients.
Remove the hot skillet from the oven and scrape the cornbread batter into it. Return the skillet to the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the edges of the bread are light brown or a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and, if using as bread, serve immediately. If using as a component of another recipe, such as for a stuffing, transfer it to a wire rack to cool before cutting or breaking apart.
JALAPEÑO-BACON CORNBREAD MUFFINS
MAKES 24 MUFFINS
These muffins make a great addition to the brunch table but also work just fine at dinner. If possible, use bacon fat, as the flavor just expands the muffins to an almost indefinable richness. Corny, spicy, cheesy, and bacony—what more could you want?
1½ cups melted unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pans
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 shallots, minced
½ cup finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons seeded and minced jalapeño chile
3 cups fresh corn kernels (or thawed frozen)
¼ cup finely chopped scallions
6 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups buttermilk
3 cups cornmeal
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
¼ cup pure chile powder
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons freshly ground pepper
1½ teaspoons baking soda
3 cups grated cheddar cheese
½ cup crumbled crisp bacon
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly coat the cups of two 12-cup muffin pans with butter. Set aside.
Heat the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, shallots, onion, and chile and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Stir in the corn and scallions and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs and buttermilk and whisk until very well blended. Stir in the cooled reserved corn-scallion mixture. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, chile powder, baking powder, salt, pepper, and baking soda and stir to combine. Add the egg mixture to the cornmeal mixture. Do not overmix; you want to just barely combine the ingredients. Fold in the cheese and bacon.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling them about three-quarters full.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the muffins are golden brown. Serve warm.
PARKER HOUSE ROLLS
MAKES 24 ROLLS
Is there anything in the world better than a basket of homemade Parker House Rolls? Home cooks have been making them since the 1880s, and they have remained an American favorite since that time. I love the buttery sweetness of the dough that is accented by the slightly crisp crust.
1½ cups whole milk
1 package instant active dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup lukewarm (115ºF) water
1 tablespoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
About 6 cups all-purpose flour
Pour the milk into a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat just until bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to lukewarm.
Combine the yeast with 1 tablespoon of the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the water and let stand for about 5 minutes, or until proofed and bubbly.
Add the cooled milk to the yeast mixture along with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and the salt. With the mixer on low speed, add ¼ cup of the melted butter. Increase the speed to medium, add 1½ cups of the flour, and beat for 3 minutes.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and begin adding the remaining flour, 1 cup at a time. Continue adding flour until a soft dough forms.
Lightly flour a clean, flat work surface. Scrape the dough onto the floured surface and, using your hands, knead the dough for about 10 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic.
Generously butter the interior of a large bowl. Using your hands, lift the dough and place it in the buttered bowl, turning to coat all sides of the dough with the butter. Cover and set aside to rest in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until doubled in volume.
Again, lightly flour a clean, flat work surface. Gently deflate the dough and turn it out onto the floured surface. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a thickness of ½ inch. Using a 3-inch round biscuit cutter, cut the dough into circles. Using the back of a kitchen knife, make a crease down the center of each circle. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the tops with the remaining melted butter. Fold each circle in half, on the crease, and gently press the edges together. Place the folded rolls, 2 inches apart, on nonstick cookie sheets. You will probably need at least 2 large cookie sheets.
Lightly flour 2 clean large kitchen towels and place one, floured side down, over each cookie sheet. Set aside to rest in a warm spot for 35 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
Uncover the rolls and transfer the cookie sheets to the preheated oven. Bake the rolls for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and serve warm.
SPICY CHEESE CRACKERS
MAKE 40 CRACKERS
Easy to make and so much better than store-bought cheese crackers, I’ll guarantee that these neat little crackers will become a cocktail favorite. To make a terrific snack for kids, just reduce or eliminate the cayenne and black peppers.
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup yellow cornmeal
½ tablespoon coarse sea salt
½ tablespoon cayenne pepper
Scant 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes and frozen, plus more for greasing the cookie sheets
½ pound white cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup whole milk
Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
With the mixer on low speed, add the butter and beat to incorporate until it is in pea-size pieces.
With the mixer still on low speed, add the cheese and milk and beat just until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
Using a rubber spatula, scrape the dough onto a piece of waxed paper and carefully roll it into a 2-inch round log. Seal the ends and place in the freezer. Freeze for about 2 hours (or up to 1 month), or until solidly frozen.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325ºF. Lightly butter nonstick cookie sheets. Set aside.
Remove the dough from the freezer and allow it to thaw for about 10 minutes, or just until a knife easily cuts into it.
Using a sharp knife, cut the dough crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices.
Transfer to the prepared cookie sheets and place in the preheated oven. Bake for about 7 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and transfer to wire racks to cool before serving.
GRANNY EVANS’ SHINER BOCK BEER BREAD
MAKES ONE 9-INCH LOAF
This bread is surprisingly simple but full of flavor. The recipe has evolved from the pioneer days with the recent addition of cheese, so it varies a bit from the original, but not by much. This particular recipe comes from one of Fearing’s pastry cooks and has been passed down through generations of the Evans family from Texas to Arkansas. This beer-flavored bread is now so associated with Texas and steaks that almost every home cook willing to try their hand at bread making has done so with this recipe. It is a slightly sweet brown bread that is great at both the dinner and the breakfast tables. It is extremely important that the beer be at room temperature or the dough won’t rise.
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 bottle Shiner Bock beer, at room temperature
½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat the interior of a 9 by 4-inch loaf pan with butter. Set aside.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and stir to blend. Stir in the beer and beat until completely combined.
Add the cheese and fold it into the dough.
Scrape the dough into the prepared loaf pan and generously sprinkle salt over the top.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour, or until golden brown and risen.
Remove from the oven and, using a pastry brush, lightly coat the top with melted butter. Serve warm.
KOLACHES with JALAPEÑO VENISON SAUSAGE
MAKES 6 KOLACHES
Talk to any Texan about memories of home and I’ll bet you’ll get a kolache story. From their origins in the ovens of Czech immigrants in the late nineteenth century, kolaches have become the state pastry. Savory or sweet, they are, no doubt, everyone’s favorite snack—even those without any Czech heritage. Kolache festivals abound, with the most exciting ones in Caldwell and West (the town), Texas.
1 cup lukewarm (115ºF) whole milk
cup sugar
1 packet or 2¼ teaspoons instant active dry yeast
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg, at room temperature
cup melted unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 cooked Jalapeño Venison Sausage links (here) or your favorite sausage, cut into 4-inch pieces
Combine 
cup of the warm milk with 1 teaspoon of the sugar in a small bowl. Add the yeast and stir until it dissolves. Set aside for about 30 minutes, or until it begins to bubble.
Put the flour in a large bowl. Using your hands, form a depression in the center of the flour and add the remaining 
cup milk and sugar along with the reserved yeast mixture, egg, cup of the melted butter, and the salt. Using your hands, mix to combine, then continue to knead the mixture together for about 3 minutes, or until a dough forms. The dough should not be wet; add flour in small amounts if needed.
Scoop the dough from the bowl and form it into a ball. Rub the ball with the olive oil and put it in a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm area for 4 hours, or until doubled in volume.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Uncover the dough and, using your hands or a dough cutter, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.
Lightly flour a clean, flat work surface and, working with one piece of dough at a time, roll each dough piece out into a 3-inch square about ½ inch thick.
When all the dough is shaped, place equal portions of sausage down the center. You can now either fold both sides of the dough up and over the filling, pushing the seam closed, and place the filled dough, seam side down, on the parchment paper–lined baking sheet, or you can pull each corner of the dough up to the center and pinch the center closed, leaving a bit of sausage peeking out of the four corners. For the latter, the kolaches are placed right side up on the baking sheet.
Using the remaining cup melted butter and a pastry brush, lightly coat the top of each kolache with butter, reserving some of the butter to brush on once the kolaches are baked.
Transfer the kolaches to the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and lightly brush the tops with the reserved butter. Serve hot or warm.
NOTE: You can wrap the dough around a sausage, leaving the ends peeking out. Other savory fillings might be ham, breakfast or Italian sausage, cheeses, or precooked and seasoned vegetables. Fruits, jams, and sweetened curd cheeses like ricotta or farmer’s cheese make excellent sweet fillings. If using a soft-textured filling, such as those suggested for sweets, make sure that the seams are tightly sealed or the filling will spill out during baking.
Finding the Best Kolaches in Texas
Around Austin you will hear long-standing arguments about who makes the best kolaches in Texas. Some of the most wellknown bakeries are the Czech Stop in West, Kolache Creations in Austin, Shipley’s Do-Nuts in Houston, and the Kolache Factory in Katy. I’m told that the Czech Stop makes so many that they can’t even count the number. Now, that’s a lot of dough!
BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
MAKES 12 MUFFINS
Can you imagine that not very far from downtown Dallas, you can pick your own blueberries? These muffins are a summertime favorite made with berries from the local crop, but they can also be made year-round using frozen berries. Just let the berries thaw and drain a bit before adding them to the batter.
½ cup melted unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
1¼ cups bread flour
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1¼ cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup whole milk
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon vanilla paste
1 cup fresh blueberries
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Generously butter a 12-cup muffin pan. Set aside.
Combine the bread and all-purpose flours with the sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, milk, oil, butter, and vanilla paste and whisk to combine thoroughly.
With a wooden spoon, slowly beat the egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring until well combined. Fold in the blueberries.
Spoon an equal portion of the batter into each of the prepared muffin cups. Place in the preheated oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of each muffin comes out clean. Serve warm.
NAVAJO FRY BREAD
MAKES ABOUT 12 FRY BREADS
It is thought that the recipe for Navajo fry bread came about when the American government relocated Navajos from Arizona to New Mexico in the 1880s and provided those Native Americans with government-surplus lard, flour, sugar, and salt. From these not very pleasant beginnings, fry bread has become part of the culinary history of these native people and is eaten at tribal celebrations as well as at home. Throughout Texas and the Southwest, fry bread is often served as a wrap for taco-like fillings at picnics, fairs, and other gatherings.
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups warm water
Vegetable oil, for frying
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, slowly begin adding the water, mixing until a soft dough begins to form. Continue to mix until the dough pulls together completely. Do not overmix.
Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
When ready to fry, heat the oil in a frying pan over high heat until it registers 350ºF on a candy thermometer.
While the oil is heating, lightly flour a clean, flat work surface. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on the floured surface. Pat the dough down slightly and pull off golf ball–size pieces of dough.
One at a time, roll the balls out to a thickness of about ¼ inch. Cut a hole in the center to keep the dough from curling as it fries, and place in the hot oil. Fry, turning once, for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Using tongs, transfer to a double layer of paper towels to drain. Continue frying until you have used all the dough.
Serve warm, whole or cut into triangles.
NOTE: Navajo Fry Bread can also be used as the wrap to make a Native American–style taco.
MASA for TAMALES
MAKES ENOUGH DOUGH FOR 12 TAMALES
This is the standard for tamale dough in the restaurant. However, the Maseca brand masa has a simpler recipe on the package. I will warn you that it takes some practice to make perfect masa. It took me some time to learn, and, even now, I prefer to leave it to my skilled Mexican cooks.
5 cups Maseca corn flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons Fearing’s Barbecue Spice Blend (here)
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
½ cup Texas-Style Barbecue Sauce (here) or barbecue sauce of your choice
2 cups cool water
Put the flour in a large bowl. Add the sugar, baking powder, salt, spice blend, and ancho and chipotle powders and stir to blend. Add the vegetable shortening along with the barbecue sauce and the cool water.
Using a wooden spoon, mix just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix or the dough will be tough.
Use as directed in any tamale recipe.
