We took a little trip to Knoxville, TN this past weekend for the International Biscuit Festival where I competed in the Biscuit Baking Contest. The contest was great fun and a wonderful overall experience. It didn’t hurt that I came in second place.
This was the first cooking contest I’ve entered. Making it to the finals and bringing home a Golden Biscuit was something I imagined in my dreams. But it happened! I’m unworthy and truly blessed.
During the contest, there was quite a bit of activity on the stage. The emcee interviewed us and the judges questioned us. It was pretty busy up there. And cold. And windy. But mostly lots and lots of fun. I learned something during this contest that caught me off guard. Baking on stage in an open air big top tent in front of a live audience with tons of distractions and people looking at your work and asking questions felt normal. I was in my element.
Below is a collage of some of the photos captured by the official photographer for “Syrup and Biscuits Goes to the Biscuit Festival”. This was his first official gig and he did a fine job. I will certainly employ his services again. He’s pretty easy for me to find. A few days prior to the contest, we celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary.
One photo gave us many laughs. I have no idea what I was tryin’ to ‘splain to the emcee but I was giving it my all. The expressions on both our faces is good for a laugh. I posted the photo on several of my social media outlets and ask folks to caption it. Don’t ever take yourself so seriously that you rob yourself of a good laugh.
The next photo sort of tells the whole story of the day. I’m making my biscuits and all is well with the world.
Here’s a fun biscuit recipe I just had to share. If Mountain Dew is your thing, give this Mountain Dew Biscuits recipe a try.
Y’all come see us!
Chocolate Chip Biscuits with Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling
From Biscuits: Sweet and Savory Southern Recipes for the All-American Kitchen, by Jackie Garvin
This recipe brought home second place in the International Biscuit Festival Biscuit Baking Contest. It’s rich and indulgent. What else would you expect from an award-winning dessert biscuit?
Yield: 16
Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup strawberry jam
Mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Set aside
Biscuits:
2 cups self-rising soft winter wheat flour
½ cup butter, cubed and chilled
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup buttermilk
Place flour in bowl and rub in butter until flour resembles coarse meal. Add in chocolate chips.
Stir in buttermilk until dough is sticky.
Turn out dough onto a floured surface. Sprinkle flour on dough until it’s no longer sticky. Knead 4 or 5 times, adding flour as necessary, until dough is no longer sticky and it holds its shape. Form dough into a ball.
Roll out to ½ inches thick.
Spread filling over dough. You might have a little filling left over.
Starting with the long edge that’s farthest away, roll toward you in jelly roll fashion, finishing with seam down.
Cut crosswise in sixteen equal pieces. Place on a large baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick spray or covered with a baking mat.
Bake in a 450 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes or until biscuits are lightly brown.
Remove from oven. Cool completely and drizzle with chocolate glaze.
Chocolate glaze:
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 tablespoon half or half
Place chocolate chips and half and half in the top of a double boiler. Stir occasionally. When chips are about 75% melted, remove from heat and stir until completely melted. Drizzle over biscuits.
Chocolate Chip Biscuits with Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling/Award Winner!
Ingredients
- This recipe brought home second place in the International Biscuit Festival Biscuit Baking Contest. It’s rich and indulgent. What else would you expect from an award-winning dessert biscuit?
- Yield: 16
- Filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup strawberry jam
- Biscuits:
- 2 cups self-rising soft winter wheat flour
- ½ cup butter cubed and chilled
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup buttermilk
- Chocolate glaze:
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon half or half
Instructions
- Filling:
- Mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Set aside
- Biscuits:
- Place flour in bowl and rub in butter until flour resembles coarse meal. Add in chocolate chips.
- Stir in buttermilk until dough is sticky.
- Turn out dough onto a floured surface. Sprinkle flour on dough until it’s no longer sticky. Knead 4 or 5 times, adding flour as necessary, until dough is no longer sticky and it holds its shape. Form dough into a ball.
- Roll out to ½ inches thick.
- Spread filling over dough. You might have a little filling left over.
- Starting with the long edge that’s farthest away, roll toward you in jelly roll fashion, finishing with seam down.
- Cut crosswise in sixteen equal pieces. Place on a large baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick spray or covered with a baking mat.
- Bake in a 450 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes or until biscuits are lightly brown.
- Remove from oven. Cool completely and drizzle with chocolate glaze.
- Chocolate glaze:
- Place chocolate chips and half and half in the top of a double boiler. Stir occasionally. When chips are about 75% melted, remove from heat and stir until completely melted. Drizzle over biscuits.
nettiemoore11 says
Looks like you had the best time, no wonder these are award winning, you are so awesome, can’t wait to try! Nettie Moore or Less Cooking
Jackie Garvin says
Thanks, Nettie! It was more fun than I ever imagined. 🙂
Sue, a Florida Farm Girl says
Congratulations, Jackie!!! I’d never even give such a competition a thought. And biscuits? I don’t make them often enough to even remember how!!! Those look just decadent.
Jackie Garvin says
Thanks, Sue. Write a biscuit cookbook and you will get loooooooottttss of practice making biscuits. 🙂
Maureen says
Jackie, I was so happy for you when I learned you’d come in second. What a great effort and the biscuits must have been amazing. You Southern women and your biscuits!
Jackie Garvin says
What makes my story somewhat interesting, Maureen, is that in a Southern woman who was a decades ling biscuit failure. By the time I was old enough to develop an interest in learning to bake biscuits, my Granny was interested in conveniences. She’d been making biscuits almost daily for most of her life and she loved the ease of canned biscuits. So, I never got biscuit schooled by her. I tried and tried in my own and finally gave up. Two years into my blog, I knew I had to perfect biscuit making. I read everything I could get my hands on about biscuits. Through lots of trial and error, lots and lots, I finally got it right. So, if can do, anybody can. You’ve got to have the faith and pray for grace.
Donna says
Sounds like it was lots of fun! Congrats!
Thanks for sharing the recipe with us.
Have a bless evening.
Jackie Garvin says
It was loads of fun, Donna. Thank you!
Jan says
Jackie,
I’m definitely gonna be trying these! I never thought of making a dessert biscuit-OMG. We were just north of Knoxville this last weekend (at a cousins funeral). Since we were so close, it’s just destiny for me to make these! Congratulations on the win.
Jackie Garvin says
So sorry for your loss, Jan. God bless your family.
I hope you enjoy the biscuits!
Sharon Gibson says
Woo hoo!!!! 2nd place…CONGRATS!!! I have to tell ya, hubby’s pics of you are PRICELESS!!! Looks like you had a great time…I woulda loved to have been there in person. The biscuits look awesome….I bet they taste even awesomer!! (??)
Jackie Garvin says
Sharon,
Sam did a great job taking photos. He’s a little intimidated by my big camera. I put it on an auto setting so he wouldn’t have to fiddle around with the settings. We ran through a little “boot camp” on lens selection, composition and subjects. He was a little unsure of what photos he needed to get. I told him, “Your job is to capture the experience”. He did it!
sandradavisalltheway says
Congratulations Jackie! I love the pictures AND the golden biscuit!!!!
Jackie Garvin says
Thanks, Sandra! It was loads of fun!