When I was a pastry chef, we kept a huge batch of this mix in the freezer. Every morning, we’d scoop out enough to make dozens of scones and other breakfast treats, tossing in whatever was in season – apples in fall, berries in summer, citrus from Florida in winter.
Now when the holidays approach, I make a home-sized batch of the mix to keep handy in my freezer. When overnight guests wake up hungry for something special, it only takes a few minutes to whip up a batch of pinwheels, scones, waffles, pancakes or biscuits.
The mix is like a blank canvas – the only limit is your imagination. Best of all, this is a kid-friendly recipe, a great way to teach little ones some basic kitchen lessons.
6 cups of flour (up to 2 cups of the flour can be whole wheat, though you will need to add a bit more liquid when baking with it)
½ cup sugar
5 tsps. baking powder
1 ½ tsps. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Combine all ingredients in a food processor, pulsing until the mix looks like cornmeal and the butter is evenly distributed. Store in a tightly sealed container in the freezer. Makes about 9 ½ cups.
2 cups breakfast mix
juice and rind of one orange
½ cup sour cream
½ cup sweetened coconut
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup chopped dried apricots
grating of nutmeg
¼ cup confectioners sugar
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Put the mix into a medium bowl and then add half the juice and rind and all of the sour cream. Use a fork or your fingers to very gently mix everything together, just until it can be formed into a ball. Don’t knead – that will toughen it.
Spread most of the coconut (save a few tablespoons for garnish) on a clean counter in a rectangular shape about 10 inches by 6 inches. Pat the dough into a fairly even rectangle on top of the coconut. Sprinkle the brown sugar and apricots evenly over the dough, patting them gently so they stick. Grate a little fresh nutmeg on top, and then roll the dough into a jelly roll the long way. If coconut is left behind on the counter, sprinkle it on the sugar and apricots as you roll.
Cut the roll into 12 even pieces. Set the pieces, cut-side down, on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for about 7 – 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Let them rest five minutes and then put them on a cooling rack.
Meanwhile, combine the rest of the rind and juice with the confectioner’s sugar to make a glaze. When cool, spoon a little glaze on to each roll and sprinkle a little coconut over the top.
2 cups baking mix
½-1 cup of flavoring – fresh or frozen berries, chocolate chips, dried fruit, etc. You may also add lemon or orange rind, cinnamon, nutmeg, whatever you like.
½ cup of buttermilk (approximately)
a little milk or cream (optional)
sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Put the mix into a medium bowl and sprinkle your chosen flavoring over it. Toss the ingredients gently with a fork or your fingers until the berries, chips, etc., are coated with the mix.
Sprinkle the buttermilk over the mixture, then toss very gently with a fork or your fingers, just until the mixture comes together in a ball.
On a clean, floured surface, pat the dough into a square about 7 inches by 7 inches. Brush the top of the dough with a little milk or cream, then sprinkle sugar over the dough, if desired.
Cut the dough into four even squares and then cut each square in half diagonally to form two triangles. Place the triangles on a parchment lined sheet tray and back at 400 degrees for 15 minutes more or less, until golden brown on the bottom and set.
Serve warm. If there are leftovers, they are good warmed up the next day.
1 ½ cups baking mix
¾ cup buttermilk
1 egg
In a bowl whisk the egg to break it up, then whisk in the buttermilk. Add to the breakfast mix and stir lightly to make a thick batter. Don’t mix too hard; it’s all right if the batter has a few lumps. Cook in a hot waffle iron until golden on both sides. Serves two.
1 ½ cups baking mix
1 cup milk (you may use less if you like thicker pancakes)
1 egg
In a bowl whisk the egg to break it up, then whisk in the milk. A few lumps are fine – don’t over-mix. Cook on a hot griddle or frying pan, flipping when the top is covered with bubbles and the bottom is golden. They are done when evenly browned on both sides.
Serve with butter and real maple syrup, or whatever you like. Serves two to four depending on appetite.
1 ½ cups baking mix
¼ cup (approximately) buttermilk
1-2 tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine the mix and buttermilk and toss until the mixture comes together and can be gently pressed into a ball. If it’s too dry, add a little more buttermilk, just enough to make the dry bits adhere. Don’t knead or the dough will toughen.
Pat the dough into a square about 6 inches by 6 inches. Cut the dough into nine equal squares. Place on the prepared sheet tray and bake for about 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven, brush the top of each biscuit generously with melted butter, flip the biscuit and place butter-side down on the the sheet tray. Return the biscuits to the oven.
Bake another few minutes, until the buttery side has browned a bit and the biscuits are set. Remove from the oven and serve warm. Makes nine.