#beeroness

I've already written about how much I love pancakes, but I do enjoy other breakfast foods too.  This morning I rolled out of bed just after 6am, took care of the hens and the dogs, crawled back into bed and started thinking about the biscuits and gravy I would make for breakfast.  I got so excited that I slipped back out of bed and started making breakfast right then.  

Here's the important thing to remember about this dish: prepare the biscuit dough the night before, unless you're going to wake up extra early in order to prepare these for a brunch.   Also, I simply must give credit where credit is due; the recipe hails from Laurelwood Public Ale House.  They used to serve breakfast a few years ago, and my husband ordered their biscuits and gravy.  The biscuits were so good that I begged for the recipe.  The head chef was kind enough to give it to me.  I made a few modifications, but this is truly Laurelwood's biscuit recipe.  They no longer serve breakfast, but I sure hope that they consider doing so again in the future.

Stout Biscuits and Country Gravy

For the Biscuits: -1/2 cup cold butter -3 cups self rising flour -3 Tablespoons brown sugar -1 teaspoon salt -1 Tablespoon dry yeast -3 egg yolks, hard boiled -3/4 cup heavy cream -1/3 cup vanilla stout beer (plain stout or pumpkin beer work nicely too) -3 Tablespoons buttermilk

1.  Mix the flour, sugar, and salt together in a bowl.  Mix the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or stand mixer.  Mix thoroughly until the mixture consists of uniform coarse, pea-sized crumbles. 2.  Mix in hard boiled egg yolks until thoroughly combined.   3.  Combine cream, beer, and buttermilk together in a saucepan.  Heat over medium heat on the stove until temperature reaches between 120 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit.   4.  Add liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and add the yeast.  Let sit together until yeast activates and liquid begins to froth.  Then mix together until dough forms.  Continue mixing until dough comes together.   5.  Let dough sit out for thirty minutes and then wrap in plastic and place in fridge.  If making day of, refrigerate for at least two hours.  If making the day in advance, place in fridge overnight.   6.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Roll out dough over lightly floured surface until approximately one inch thick.  Cut out rounds and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for approximately 9-12 minutes.  Will make 12 large biscuits, approximately 250 calories per biscuits.

Sometimes I like to shake up the biscuits by adding freshly chopped sage or rosemary.

Stout Country Gravy (recipe modified from the Beeroness) -12 ounces raw pork sausage without casing -1/2 of a small white onion, finely chopped -6 Tablespoons flour -2 cups unsweetened plain almond milk (or regular milk) -1/2 cup heavy cream -1 cup stout beer -1/2 teaspoon salt -1/2 teaspoon pepper -1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional) -1/4 teaspoon ground fennel -1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper