Yawning Portal Buttermilk Biscuits

B. Dylan Hollis's new cookbook

So here it is. It's beautifully made.

A few highlights...

There's also a final chapter called "The Worst of the Worst." What's not to love. :)

stop everything, this is bitty doing research for his thesis

there's more lmao, unhinged bitty energy

My unsuspecting followers:

Me, about to go on a serious reblogging spree:

Hot Cocoa Broth

“Rumored to be the result when a Halfling mage cast wish to find the perfect fireside beverage, this salty, sweet, and spicy cocoa creation tickles every part of the soul.“ - Heroes’ Feast, p. 188

There’s nothing quite as special as a steaming cup of hot chocolate after an afternoon at the skating rink. Rich and warm - it’s the perfect drink to bring life back to freezing fingers and toes.

Full of chocolaty-deliciousness and a kick of cinnamon, the Hot Cocoa Broth from Heroes’ Feast is like having a Starbucks hot chocolate at home at a fraction of the cost (plus you don’t have to trudge through the snow to get it)!

If you’re looking for a snack to go with it, try out some Gingerbread cookies, Earl Grey cookies, or Cranberry-Banana muffins!

And don’t forget to VOTE in the unofficial 2021 Heroes’ Feast Gingerbread showcase! The winner will be announced on December 24th!

See below for my notes on the results and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast

Prep: 5 mins              Cook: 15 mins                Overall: 20 mins

Ingredients*:

½ cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed

½ cup (50 g) packed light brown sugar, or to taste

¾ tsp. (2 g) ground cinnamon

½ tsp. (1 g) ground cardamom

pinch of kosher salt

1 cup (240 ml) water

2 ½ cups (600 ml) whole milk

1 tsp. (5 ml) pure vanilla extract

1 ½ cups (360 ml) espresso or very strong black coffee, hot**

* Makes enough for 4 servings.

** For strong coffee, use the same amount of coffee grounds and half the amount of water.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together cocoa powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, and water until smooth.

Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes, making sure the whisk gets to the edges of the pan.

Whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer (do not boil), whisking frequently, about 10 minutes.

The goal here is to scald the milk - keeping the temperature between 180℉ (82℃) and 185℉ (85℃). I used an instant-read thermometer to keep an eye on the temp.

I kept the heat on medium until the thermometer read 180℉ (82℃) and then turned the heat down to medium-low to try to keep the temperature around there until 10 minutes had passed.

If you don’t have a thermometer, you can tell the milk has scalded when frothy bubbles form at the edges of the pan without whisking.

After scalding the milk, whisk in the espresso or strong coffee and vanilla. Taste and adjust the sweetness level with additional brown sugar, if needed. Divide evenly among 4 mugs.

If you want to add whipped cream on top, consider making your own!

Overall, I would give this recipe a 5/5. The base hot chocolate recipe is rich with dark chocolate and easy to adjust to make sweeter if needed. Also, the cardamom and cinnamon add a really awesome flavour - it really is like having your own specialty drink at home!

2021 HEROES’ FEAST GINGERBREAD SHOWCASE WINNERS

RESULTS ARE IN the winners of the unofficial 2021 Heroes’ Feast Gingerbread Showcase are:

In 1st place, @afinickyguide​ with their fancy inn!

In 2nd place, the cozy 3 Weird Elves inn by Samantha Nahra!

In 3rd place, Luboffin’s grandiose castle!

And in 4th place, myself with the Homely Halfling House!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the showcase and to those who voted - this couldn’t have happened without you!

He wants some bread… 🥖🥐 Twitter I Instagram

Soul Cakes and Halloween Costumes

“Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble” - Witches’ Speech, Macbeth

End of October and early November is an interesting time of year. Marking the end of the harvest season, October 31st - November 2nd share four separate holidays:

Halloween on the 31st;

All-Saints Day on the 1st; and

All-Souls Day and Samhain on the 2nd.

For such an interesting time of year, it’s no wonder that recipes have appeared across time to commemorate each occasion.

Traditionally baked to celebrate All-Souls Day, Soul Cakes are sugar-cookie-esque spiced cookies (or biscuits) that are made with none of the vanilla extract, baking powder, or baking soda that we’re used to seeing in modern recipes. Rather, they rely on their interesting blend of spices to treat your taste buds!

If you’re looking for something to keep the Halloween season going at school or work even after the holiday has passed, bring in these cookies to snack on!

Have a safe and happy Halloween/ All-Saints Day/ All-Souls Day/ Samhain everyone!

P.S: The fox in the picture is named Elphaba!

(Adapted from Helen Best-Shaw’s Fuss Free Flavours and Cooking Journey Blog)

Prep: 10 mins               Cook: 30 mins               Overall: 40 mins

Ingredients*:

¼ cup + 3 tbsp. (100 g) unsalted butter, softened

½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar

2 egg yolks

2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour

1 pinch saffron or ground turmeric (for colour)

1 tsp. (2 g) all-spice

½ tsp. mixed spice**

2 ½ tbs. (35 ml) milk

50 g raisins***

* Makes enough for 15-18 2-inch (5 cm) diameter cookies or 24-27 ~2.6-inch (6.6 cm) diameter cookies.

** Mixed spice is a spice blend that includes cinnamon, coriander seed, caraway, nutmeg, ginger, ground cloves, and caraway. I don’t have access to this blend so I added ¼ tsp. cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves individually to make ½ tsp..

*** I didn’t have any regular raisins so I substituted for golden raisins.

To start, preheat the oven to 360℉ (180℃) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Next, in a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.

Then, whisk in the egg yolks.

Add flour, all-spice, mixed spice, and milk and stir until the dough holds together.

After, stir in the raisins until they are well distributed.

Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and roll it out to about o.6-inch (¼ cm) thickness. Then, cut the dough in circles using a cookie cutter.

Recombine and re-roll any dough scraps to get the most cookies possible!

Place the dough circles on the parchment-lined baking sheet - leaving space between each cookie. Cut a plus-sign (or cross) shape on each cookie (adding the raisin is optional).

Bake on the middle oven rack for 15-20 mins - rotating the pan halfway through - until they are golden brown. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Overall, I would give this recipe a 5/5. The spices used in the cookies made for a different and delicious spin on the sugary cookies we’re used to nowadays. I had a lot of fun diving into this medieval British treat and hope to try more in the future!

Happy Halloween/All-Saints Day/ All-Souls Day/ Samhain!

Green Guardians: Peppermint Patties

Did you know? MCC 7’s Green Guardians hold the current record for most coins scored in a single event, with 25’346!

Time for another MCC dessert: Green Guardians Peppermint Patties!

They may be the Green Geckos now, but my idea for this predates the change so I’m considering it valid lmao. This was a lot of fun to make and introduced me to coloured melting chocolate and candy food dye.

The white chocolate makes these a little sweeter than you would expect for a peppermint patty and they go great with a hot cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate!

Check out below for the recipe to make some of your own, and, of course, thank you Scott Smajor.

(Inspired by the peppermint patties from B. Dylan Hollis’ TikTok)

Prep: 20 mins*            Cook: 1h 40mins            Total: 2 hrs     

* Can vary based on how fast you can trace the pattern at the end. I recommend doing this before you start.

Ingredients (makes ~28):

½ cup (120 ml) sweetened condensed milk

½ tsp. (2 ml) peppermint extract

2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar

2 cups (340 g) bright white melting chocolate wafers*

3 tbsp. (44 g) all-vegetable shortening

40 dark green melting chocolate wafers**

7 orange chocolate melting wafers**

10 white chocolate melting wafers**

Black candy colouring or ~6 black chocolate melting wafers

* I used Sweet Tooth Fairy brand.

** I used Merkens brand.

Prepare a baking tray with a piece of parchment paper.

Combine the sweetened condensed milk and peppermint extract in a medium bowl (left).

Using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, add the powdered sugar until it comes together into a non-sticky workable dough (right).

NOTE: The dough cannot be sticky at all for this. Any amount of stickiness will make it a nightmare to cut out the circles in the next step. This should take most if not all of the 2 ½ cups of powdered sugar.

Lay out a piece of parchment paper as a work surface and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Place the dough on the parchment and sprinkle a little more powdered sugar on top.

Roll out the dough into a ½ -inch (~1.5 cm) thick circle. Using a 2-inch (5 cm) diameter circular cookie cutter, cut out as many peppermint circles as possible (top).

Transfer the peppermint circles to the prepared baking skeet (bottom left). Cover and place the tray in the freezer to chill for at least 10 minutes.

After chilling, cut each patty in half (bottom right).

While waiting for the patties to chill, melt the bright white melting chocolate wafers and shortening using either a double boiler or microwave-safe bowl. To melt them in the microwave, follow package directions.

Dip each patty in the chocolate one at a time. To dip them, submerge the bottom half of one in the chocolate and drizzle more on top. Lift the patty out of the chocolate with a fork and tap the side of the bowl to create a smooth surface. Scrape the fork against the lip of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. 

Return the dipped patties to the prepared baking sheet (left). Once they’ve all been coated, return the tray to the freezer until the chocolate has set, ~15 mins.

Once the chocolate has set, trim the edges of the patties using a knife (right).

Flip the parchment with the traced pattern (see end of post) over so side with the pen/pencil/sharpie is on the bottom. Lay it flat on a movable (if possible) lighter surface so the pattern is visible and tape down the corners to keep it from moving.

To make the dark green: melt together 30 dark green, 6 orange, and all black chocolate wafers in the microwave in 10 second bursts for 30 seconds, stirring each time.

If using black dye instead, melt the dark green and orange wafers together and then stir in 7 drops of black candy dye (top left).

Let the melted chocolate sit for 10 minutes to cool down and let the colour set. After cooling, transfer 2 tbsp. into a decorating bag or into the corner of a ziplock bag. Snip the bag just enough for the chocolate to flow easily when you squeeze the bag, then snip off a little bit more.

Keeping constant pressure on the bag, trace the pattern on the template, going around the edge first. For a smooth look, try not to spread the chocolate too much with the piping bag. Instead, once the border has been traced, pipe a larger line of chocolate in the middle and lightly tap the parchment paper to let the chocolate spread (top right).

You’ll likely still need to spread the chocolate a little using the piping bag, but try not to do it much.

Transfer the parchment paper, and the surface it’s on, if possible, to the fridge to set while you prepare the light green.

To make the light green: melt together 10 dark green, 10 white, and 1 orange chocolate wafers using the same method as the dark green (bottom left).

Let the melted chocolate sit for 10 minutes to cool down and let the colour set. After cooling, transfer all of it into a decorating bag or into the corner of a ziplock bag. Snip the bag just enough for the chocolate to flow easily when you squeeze the bag.

Keeping constant pressure on the bag, trace the pattern on the parchment with only one line of lighter green (bottom right).

Return the parchment paper, and the surface it’s on, if possible, to the fridge to set, about 5 mins.

TIP: You can try and use a toothpick to smooth the ends of the line of light green against the dark green.

Remove the patties from the freezer and dip just the edge of the flat side in the remaining dark green, re-melting the chocolate in the microwave if needed (left).

Attach the chocolate irises to the rest of the eye using a little bit of melted chocolate (right).

And then you’re done, enjoy!

I’m really happy with how these turned out! It’s surprisingly easy to make peppermint patties and I loved being able to put my spin on them and make another dessert for MCC.

The dark green I made is a little darker then I would like, but I think I fixed it in the instructions given.

The pattern to trace:

Formatted for 8 ½ x 11.