November 9, 2010

Easy Breezy Bread

thanksgiving pic

When my aunt called me the other day to ask what food dish I’d like to bring for Thanksgiving, I didn’t answer right away. Why is it that when southern cooks get together, it sort of feels like a big competition to see whose dish is best? This is all in fun of course, I just think that southerners take our food very seriously, especially when it comes to the Big 3 (Easter, T-giving, and Christmas).

Since of most of the main dishes were already spoken for, I said I’d bring bread. Lest anyone think that I’m a slacker and plan on grabbing anything store bought (with the exception of Sister Schubert….forgive me Sister!), I wanted to share the recipe that I plan on making.

BlueWillow

If you’ve never heard of the famous Blue Willow Inn in Social Circle, Georgia, you’ve been missing out! My dear friend Terry gave me this cookbook as a gift several Christmases ago, and it’s definitely one that I use again and again. The Blue Willow Inn is a charming restaurant that gained much recognition after columnist Lewis Grizzard ate there in 1992 and wrote about the delicious food he enjoyed during his visit. The particular bread recipe I’ll be making for my family’s Thanksgiving is the Blue Willow Inn’s Buttery Biscuit Rolls. They are everything that I look for in a recipe…easy, few ingredients and utterly scrumptious!

Buttery Biscuit Rolls

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
1 cup sour cream
2 cups self-rising flour
Herbs, if desired

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium low heat, whisking until completely melted. Add the sour cream and flour, and mix lightly. Spoon the batter into miniature muffin cups (do not grease), filling each one to the top. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve immediately. Makes about 2 dozen.

Note: Adding a tablespoon of dried herbs such as basil or rosemary or 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped herbs to the batter makes a tasty addition to your meal.

To freeze: Remove the rolls from the oven several minutes early. Cool completely before freezing. To serve, thaw the rolls and bake at 350 degrees for only a few minutes until golden brown.

**I have made these with plain Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream and they turned out very good. A bit less fat if that’s what you’re going for. I’ve also added bacon crumbles…and the fat’s back!

What are YOU making for Thanksgiving?