Multi-grain Pecan Biscuits with Chocolate Kahlua Strawberries
This morning a baby bird fluttered to the front porch and brushed the screen in the door. It was sitting on the welcome mat looking at me. I got down on my knees and talked to him through the screen. He listened intently, cocking his head from side to side. I went to get my camera but he flew away. I looked it up and it was a baby bluebird. I’m sure it was his first flight. My husband built bluebird boxes, but they seem to prefer the holes in some of our dead tree limbs. I’m just so mesmerized by their brilliant blue color, so pretty.
Oh my gosh! I have been picking so many strawberries. I love it. We usually enjoy hot biscuits with sugared strawberries on them, but I wanted to create something different. A multi-grain biscuit with toasted chopped pecans and decadent strawberries with Kahlua and chocolate. We had this for breakfast and it was delicious. I was wondering if the biscuit would be to heavy with the addition of healthy grains; it worked. This is a good biscuit just by itself, I ate 2 hot out of the oven without the strawberries. It is also good with sugared and sliced strawberries which is a good idea for kids.
Multi-grain Pecan Biscuits with Chocolate, Kahlua Strawberries
1/4 cup chocolate, bittersweet or semi-sweet bar or chips
1/4 cup Kahlua
3 cups sliced strawberries
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tablespoon ground flax
1 Tablespoon wheat germ
2 Tablespoon oat bran
2 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
3 Tablespoon canola oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped
Place chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 20 seconds, stir until smooth. If not smooth microwave for 10 more seconds, continue this process until smooth. Do not overcook it or it will bind and get very thick. Add the Kahlua; whisk until combined, add strawberries, toss to coat; set aside for the flavors to marry. I did not need to add any sugar to the strawberries since they were vine ripened and right out of the garden. Add sugar to taste if needed.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
In a medium size mixing bowl add the fours, flax, wheat germ, oat bran, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix to combine. Add the pecans; mix. Add the buttermilk, oil and vanilla; mix with a fork until just blended. Do not over mix or biscuits will be tough. The dough should be fairly sticky, dump dough on a floured counter or board, sprinkle the top of dough with flour. Pat and shape into a half inch thickness. Cut with a biscuit cutter, or a glass dipped in flour, I used a heart cutter. When cutting, cut straight down, do not twist, this will seal the edges of the dough and it will not rise as high.
I have three different options for baking the biscuits:
1. My southern neighbor taught me to keep a bit of bacon grease in the fridge. Place a half tablespoon of bacon grease in a large cast iron skillet, or butter it you don’t have the bacon grease, put in the oven to melt, remove, swirl pan to coat the bottom and half inch up the side. Using bacon grease is especially good in a savory biscuit. Place biscuits into pan, leaving a slight space between them.
2. Lightly spray or wipe a baking sheet with vegetable oil. Place biscuits about 1/2 inch apart.
3. Use a baking sheet with a silpat pad, do not oil, place biscuits onto pad.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove from the oven. I suggest tasting one or two hot out of the oven, no one will know. To serve; split biscuit spoon strawberries over, leave open face or top with biscuit top and spoon additional strawberries and drizzle the juice over all. Go a step further and serve with a dollop of sour cream, yogurt or whip cream and garnish with a mint leave. Fancy.
Serving size, we figured 3/4 cup strawberries per person. This recipe serves four people and has lots of extra biscuits. Double the strawberries to serve 8, you will have plenty of biscuits. The biscuits are good for snacking on or the next day for breakfast, just place in an airtight container. They freeze wonderfully too. Wrap the biscuits in foil, place in a freezer bag and freeze for later use. Thaw on counter or in microwave. Heat in microwave for a soft texture or put in an oven or toaster oven to reheat and get a crispy exterior.
