Lemon Ginger Biscuits {Recipe ReDux}

I'm posting this later in the day than usual, but it's still the 21st! This month's theme was:

Cooking with Tea
Tea cups around the world are bubbling up with bold new flavors: From cardamom chai and sencha green to bubble teas and veggie teas. We wish we could attend the World Tea Expo the end of this month – but in lieu of a plane ticket, we’ll be cooking and baking and stirring up tea-inspired healthy dishes.

I'm really curious to see everyone's creations, as there are many ways to interpret this theme and many flavours to play with.  I started planning on Mother's Day and that inspired me to make a new variety of biscuit (tea biscuit, baking powder/soda biscuit, or whatever you like to call them). We served cranberry orange biscuits as part of our family brunch, but the Twinings in my cupboard was calling me. The light spring flavours that stood out to me were lemon and ginger.

With biscuits in mind I was also inspired to try raspberry chia jam (adapted from a house on the hills) and making my own candied ginger (from healthy green kitchen).  I must say, the jam is delicious and the ginger is very flavourful, mine didn't look quite as beautiful at healthy green kitchen's though!

I have fond memories of biscuits on a Sunday morning and I felt like many people probably even have tea with their biscuits, so it fits the theme doubly.

Lemon Ginger Biscuits
Makes: 30-50 biscuits with 2 to 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutters (depends on desired thickness)

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking  soda
1/2 cup softened butter or margarine
1/2-1 Tbsp candied ginger
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 cup plain greek yogurt
2 Tbsp milk

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450F. In a bowl stir together flours, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, salt, and baking soda. Cut in butter/margarine with a knife until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ginger, toss to mix in. Make a well in the centre and add lemon juice, yogurt, and milk. Using your fork, stir until just moistened.
2. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by folding and gently pressing for 10-12 strokes or until dough is nearly smooth. Roll until about 1/4 inch thick (or 1/2 inch if you prefer) and cut with a biscuit cutter. Reroll the scraps and continue cutting biscuits out.
3. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and place biscuits about 1 inch apart. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes. Serve warm with butter/margarine, honey, or jam.

Optional: I wanted more lemon ginger flavour so I made a quick glaze with 2 Tbsp butter, 2 Tbsp honey, and 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger. Melt the butter, add the honey and ginger and stir frequently until honey dissolves. Drizzle on biscuits.

Enjoy a cup or tea flavours today (make it iced if you're getting hot weather),
Cheers,
Steph Langdon, RD
www.nutrishus.com

An InLinkz Link-up

MMMarvelous Moms

Since I'm posting a muffin recipe today, I thought I'd add a 'mmmm' throwback to the days of food court mmmarvelous muffins.  I've been playing around with my husband's camera as I learn more about food photography and have also been enjoying some free time to try a few new recipes.  I have a cooking session with athletes coming up and always like to challenge them with unfamiliar foods.  We won't be making this recipe this time, but with Mother's Day on Sunday, I thought it might make a nice addition to your breakfast/brunch.  Rather than showering her with chocolate, shower her with whole grains, a variety of colours of vegetables and fruit and lean proteins (doesn't that sound delicious?!).  I'm thinking greek yogurt, with a variety of fresh berries and homemade muffins, scones, or granola - perhaps served with her favourite cup of coffee or tea.

May is also love your lentils month, so this recipe hits the spot!

Cranberry Lentil Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

2 cups (500ml) whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
Dash salt
1/2 cup (125ml) margarine, unsalted, melted
3/4 cup (175ml) sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (250ml) lentil puree
3/4 cup (175ml) orange juice
Zest of whole orange
1 1/4 cups (300ml) whole cranberries, unsweetened, frozen

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Prepare muffin tins with large muffin cup liners or lightly grease sides of tin.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a mixing bowl, blend together margarine, sugar, and eggs.  Add lentil puree, orange juice and zest.
4. Fold in dry ingredients until just blended and add cranberries.
5. Spoon mixture into prepared pan filling cups 3/4s of the way full.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre of muffins comes out clean.

Feel free to share you weekend meal plans and how you're going to celebrate the marvelous moms, mothers, grandmothers, mothers-in-law, etc. in your life...

Happy Mother's Day!

Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com