Corn Bread
Chef Adam Weiner, JD
Published in Gold Medal Classroom
November 2020
Approximately 24 servings

2 cups corn meal
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup regular sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups milk or water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs beaten for 30 seconds
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat regular oven to 400 degrees or a convection oven to 350. Use the butter to butter the sides and bottom of a two-inch-deep ½ hotel phan.

Combine the corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl combine the milk, oil, and eggs and mix them for 30 seconds. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredient mixture. Stir just until blended. Do not over stir. Pour the mixture into the ½ pan, and tap the bottom of the pan to distribute the mixture evenly.

Bake for about 15 minutes. Rotate the pans and change them to another rack in the oven. After five more minutes check the corn bread for doneness by using a wooden pick. If the pick is inserted into the center and comes out clean it is done. If not, put back in the oven and check again in ten minutes.

Best if served immediately or the same day. If wrapping, wait until FULLY cool before wrapping in the same pan. Do not cut until just before serving.

Basic Biscuits
Chef Adam Weiner, JD
Published Gold Medal Classroom
November 2020
Yield: 15 to 20 biscuits depending on size

6 cups all-purpose flour
8 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons regular salt
1 ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup butter cut into small pieces
1/2 cup shortening
2 1/2 cups buttermilk OR 2 cups milk
¼ pound melted butter

Equipment

• Two baking sheets
• two pieces parchment
• Two butter knives
• large bowl
• preheated regular oven to 450 or convection to 400
• Rolling pin
• biscuit cutter
• Pastry brush
• oven mitts

Directions

1. Preheat regular oven to 450 or convection oven to 400. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar. Using two knives cut in the butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add in buttermilk or milk all at once. Combine until just moistened. Do not over mix.
4. Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough gently by folding and pressing just into the dough holds together. Overworking or over kneading the dough will make the biscuits tough.
5. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll the dough onto about one inch thick. Cut the dough with a biscuit cutter. Note, to minimize waste, cut as close to the outside and close to each other as possible.
6. Place biscuits on the parchment sheets leaving about two inches between biscuits. Take the remainder of the dough, roll out to about one inch (working the dough as little as possible) and cut out additional biscuits.
7. Brush all biscuits with the melted butter.
8. Bake for approximately 5 minutes, and rotate the pan. Bake until golden brown. It is a good idea to test one by gently opening it a little way to see if it is done.

Yield 12 Muffins

Active time 15 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Note: This recipe works well with any chopped dried fruit. If using raisins or dried cranberries you can just use them as is. If using other dried fruit you have to dice them up into the size of a raisin and measure them AFTER dicing.

Yield: About 96 cookies (depending on size)

Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 12 min
Level: Easy
Yield: about 20 cookies

Ingredients
2 ¾ cups Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour or similar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup shortening
½ pound unsalted butter, softened
1.5 cups sugar, plus 3 tablespoons
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preheat a regular oven to 350 degrees F. or convection oven to 300 degrees.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.

With a handheld or standing mixer, beat together the shortening and butter. Add the 1.5 cups sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture and blend until smooth.

Mix the 3 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon in a small tray. Roll the dough, by hand, into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar. Spray cooking sheets with PAM Spray. Flatten the balls into 1/2-inch thick disks, spacing them evenly on unlined cookie sheets. Space the cookies about two inches apart.

Bake until light brown, but still slightly moist in the center, for a total of around 8 to 10 minutes. Check cookies after about six minutes, and rotate them in the oven. Cool on a rack.