Farm Journal's Chicken & Sweet Cream Biscuits

Chicken & Sweet Cream Biscuits (with additional peas and chives!), with a small serving of the gravy!

The head note for this recipe reads "A Sunday special-bring guests home from church to enjoy it!".  I remember my mother making something very similar, but we call it "runny chicken gravy & biscuits", because she made a thinner gravy that would soak into the biscuits.  It was one of my absolute childhood favorites!  This recipe calls for stewing a whole cut-up chicken, but I used bone-in, skin-on breasts and thighs instead to eliminate some of the mess.  I used 4 thighs and 3 breast halves, cut into 6 pieces, and proceeded as written, with the addition of a teaspoon of chicken base to the cooking water, and some peas and chives at the end, to round it out a bit. I also used 3 cups broth and 1 cup cream, and it was plenty rich.  The biscuits are really simple, and a perfect landing place for the chicken and gravy.  Don't forget to season as you go, as the recipe doesn't mention that, but it is crucial!

1 (5 lb.) stewing chicken

2 tsp. salt

1 branch celery

1 medium onion, quartered

5 carrots, cut in big pieces

1/4 c. chicken fat

2 c. chicken broth

3/4 c. flour

2 c. light cream

2 egg yolks, beaten

Parsley (I used chives)

Sweet Cream Biscuits

Cut chicken into serving-size pieces; place in kettle.  Add hot water to cover.  Add salt, celery and onion.  Simmer, covered, until tender, about 3 hours.  Add carrots the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Drain broth from chicken. (Save the broth!)  Skim fat from broth, saving 1/4 c. fat for gravy.  Strain broth; save carrots.  Measure 2 c. broth for gravy.  Pour remaining broth back into kettle with chicken to keep hot.

Measure chicken fat into saucepan; blend in flour.  Gradually add broth and cream.  Cook until thick and smooth, stirring constantly.  Add a small amount of hot gravy to egg yolks; then add yolks to to gravy.  Cook 2 minutes more.  (I added 1 cup of defrosted frozen peas at this point.)

Place hot chicken and carrots in serving dish or soup tureen; pour in gravy.  Sprinkle with parsley and top with baked Sweet Cream Biscuits.  Makes 10-12 servings.

Sweet Cream Biscuits

Sift together 4 c. sifted flour, 1 tsp. salt and 2 Tblsp. baking powder.  Stir in 1 1/2 c. heavy cream with fork just until all flour is moistened; add water (about 4 Tblsp.) if necessary.

Knead on lightly floured surface, about 10 times.  Roll 3/4" thick; cut with small floured cutter.  Bake on un-greased baking sheet in very hot oven (450-degrees) 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Makes 36 small biscuits.

Farm Journal Cookbook's Butterscotch Pie

This is one of my mother's favorite pies!  It is rare to find a butterscotch pie on the menu at a restaurant or bakery; so the best option is to make it at home!  This is a really fine recipe, and the filling is made completely on the stove top, a time saver.  If you've never enjoyed this pie, give it a try! (You may want to click the "no images" button when you print this recipe-they require quite a bit of space! )

"Garnish each wedge with a toasted pecan half if you like"

1/2 c. butter or regular margarine

1 1/4 c. brown sugar, firmly packed

1 1/2 c. boiling water

4 Tblsp. cornstarch

3 Tblsp. flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 c. milk

4 egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 baked 9" pie shell

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tblsp. sugar

Brown butter in heavy saucepan over low heat.  Stir in brown sugar and boiling water.  Bring to a boil; boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Combine cornstarch, flour and salt.  Gradually stir in milk; mix until smooth.  Stir into brown sugar mixture.  Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir a little of the hot mixture into egg yolks; blend well.  Gradually stir all of egg yolk mixture into cooked custard' blend well.  Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Stir in 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla.  Cool well.  (I put mine through a fine sieve.)

Pour filling into pie shell and chill. 

Whip heavy cream with 1/2 tsp. vanilla and sugar until soft peaks form.  Serve pie topped with whipped cream.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Farm Journal's Mile-High Biscuits

These biscuits are simply awesome!  They rise beautifully, and the inside of the biscuit is light.  They are also delicious.  Try these with some chicken soup or with fried chicken; they are superb split and topped with sausage gravy for breakfast.

"Stack a napkin-lined basket with these tempting biscuits"

3 cups sifted flour

2 Tablespoons sugar

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup shortening

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt into bowl.

Cut in shortening with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.  (Note: I did this step in a food processor, added the egg and milk and pulsed to combine, then proceeded with the recipe as written.  Time saver!)

Combine egg and milk.  Add to flour mixture all at once, stirring just enough with fork to make a soft dough that sticks together.

Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead lightly 15 times.  Roll to 1" thickness.  Cut with floured 2" cutter and place about 1" apart on ungreased baking sheet. (I re-rolled the scraps and cut all the dough.)

Bake in 450-degree oven 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve immediately.  Makes 16.

Farm Journal's Creole Fried Shrimp

"Serve these tasty tidbits on picks for easy dipping in the sauce."   

Above is the head note from Farm Journal's Country Cookbook (circa 1959 and republished in 1972) for this recipe.  Obviously from a Louisiana cook, this recipe is still on trend today. I used my food processor to chop the shrimp. Also, garlic juice is listed as an ingredient, which I couldn't locate, soI mashed a clove of garlic and then chopped it really fine, then mashed it into a paste and used that instead.  Since we weren't having a party, I made the balls Tablespoon-sized for a main dish; Barry loved these balls of fried shrimp!  After making them, I feel certain that the balls could be shaped a few hours in advance, wrapped in plastic wrap, then fried just before serving.  Also, the next time I make the larger balls for a main dish, I will let the shrimp mixture cool completely, then add an egg along with the bread crumbs and parsley so they will hold together better. The smaller size are held together by the fried coating.  These take a little time, but are delicious. (If you like, you can serve bottled cocktail sauce instead of the sauce Erath, to save time!)

2 Tblsp. shortening

2 Tblsp.flour

2 Tblsp. finely-minced onion

1 Tblsp.finely-minced green pepper

1 Tblsp.finely-minced celery

3/4 cup water

2 1/2 cups shrimp, clean and finely chopped or ground

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground red pepper

1 1/2 c. soft moistened bread crumbs

2 tblsp. minced parsley

Fine bread crumbs (for coating)

Shrimp Sauce Erath

Hard-cooked egg yolk

Heat the shortening; add flour and stir constantly until golden brown.  Add onion, green pepper and celery; stir until soft.

Add water, shrimp and seasonings; simmer 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool slightly.  Add 1 1/2 c. bead crumbs and parsley.  Shape mixture into small balls and roll in fine bread crumbs.

Fry in deep hot fat (350-degrees about 2 minutes, or until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.  Serve with Shrimp Sauce Erath.  Makes 5 dozen small balls.

Shrimp Sauce Erath:

Combine 1/4 c. mayonnaise, 1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 c. ketchup, 1 tsp. horseradish, 1/4 tsp. garlic juice, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper; chill thoroughly.  sprinkle grated hard-cooked egg yolk on top just before serving.  Make about 3/4 cup.

Note: Make the shrimp balls larger for a main dish.  Pass a bowl of the sauce to ladle over them.