II
A Taste of Salem
Alphita’s Black Pepper Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients:
4 C Einkorn flour
1 t sea salt
2 T coarse ground black pepper
4 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
12 T cold salted grass-fed butter
1.5 C cold buttermilk (or milk + 1T vinegar)
1/2 C heavy cream
4 T salted butter, melted
Cracked black peppercorns, for garnish
Maldon sea salt, for garnish
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Dice butter into small cubes. Return to refrigerator or freezer to keep cold.
Mix flour, sea salt, course ground black pepper, baking powder, and baking soda in a food processor. Pulse three times to distribute the ingredients evenly. Drop the butter over the top of the flour and pulse seven times until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and pulse until the mixture combines in a dough.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Press into a square about ¾ inch thick. Use a 2 inch round cutter to cut the dough into biscuits, placing each one on the baking sheet as you go. Repeat until all the dough has been used.
Brush the tops of the biscuits with heavy cream and sprinkle with cracked black pepper. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and brush the tops with melted butter. Finish with Maldon sea salt.
Alphita’s Honey and Sage Pear Jam
Ingredients:
8 lbs ripe pears, cored and peeled
3 lbs organic cane sugar
9 oz fresh squeezed Meyer lemon juice
2 oz raw local honey
3 drops unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1 bunch fresh sage
Instructions:
Dice the pears into 1/4 inch pieces. Combine pear, sugar, and lemon juice in a large bowl, stirring to combine. Cover with parchment paper, weighing the paper down so it touches the surface of the mixture, and allow to macerate in the refrigerator overnight.
The next day, remove pear mixture from the refrigerator and transfer the contents of the bowl into a copper jam pan or large nonreactive pot, stirring well.
Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring every few minutes. Cook until the mixture starts to thicken and the pears appear translucent, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer 1/3 of the mixture to a food processor. Puree, then transfer the pureed pears back into the pan with the remaining diced pears.
Continue to cook over medium high heat, stirring until the jam has thickened, about 15-20 minutes.
Stir in the honey and apple cider vinegar. Place the whole sage bunch into the jam, stirring gently to fold it into the mixture. Allow to cook for another five minutes, then remove the sage sprigs.
Preserve jam using a pressure canning system, or ladle into glass jars to store in the refrigerator for up to four weeks.
About the Author
Harmony Hart writes paranormal cozy mysteries featuring smart, sassy heroines and a world of witchy fun.
Harmony loves lip balm, bookstores, bubble baths, and tea. Oh, and alliteration. She's probably making some sort of list right now. When she's not writing, Harmony can be found experimenting in the kitchen, binge-watching ALL THE TV, cozied up with a good read, or attempting not to kill the plants in her fledgling garden.
Harmony lives in Austin, Texas with three fickle rescue felines and her magical-to-her musician husband.
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contact@harmonyhart.com
Witches of Salem World
Gemma Bradbury Series
Basic Witch (Gemma Bradbury 1)
Hex Obsession (A Gemma Bradbury Short)
Hex & Candy (Gemma Bradbury 2)
Coming Soon…
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Spell in a Handbasket (Gemma Bradbury 3)
Witch Better Have My Money (Gemma Bradbury 4)