Family Favorites Friday: Sweet Biscuits with Skillet Berry Jam


I've always been a 'jam hater'.  Even back when I was a kid, if someone put jam on my peanut butter sandwich I'd gag and pass on lunch.  The sticky sweet stuff just didn't taste like real fruit to me.  And yet, for some reason, when I saw this recipe for a 10 minute berry skillet jam with vanilla, I  raced to the kitchen to make it.  Somehow I knew that a warm, freshly made jam would infinitely trump the jarred variety and make everyone swoon over it.  

I must have have been looking into a crystal ball because this has become my family's very favorite Saturday morning breakfast.  I adapted my Herb and Cheddar Biscuit recipe, removing the cheese and herbs and adding a couple extra tablespoons of sugar.  The freshly made jam is insanely delicious.  I've made this combination dozens of times for friends, family, my 2 year olds tea party birthday, church breakfasts and for munching on a sunny weekend morning and it's always met with rave reviews and requests for more.  

That got me thinking about "Family Favorites".  Those treasured recipes you make again and again, that your family craves, that friends ask you for the recipe for.  The ones you make because there's peace at the dinner table when you do.  We all love those kinds of recipes, so I thought if I shared some of those with you, then maybe you could share some with us too.  In case you want to share the love with your "Family Favorites", I'm adding a linky at the end of this post.  Please link up and show us the recipes your families go crazy over.


Recipe for Skillet Berry Jam with Vanilla from Dinner with Julie
Recipe for Sweet Biscuits from Meal Planning 101
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Skillet Berry Jam with Vanilla

4 cups berries, hulled (can use all strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or a combination)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (pure vanilla is best)

In a bowl, roughly mash your berries with a potato masher (you may need to lean into it at first to get them going).  Put them into a large skillet with sugar and lemon juice and cook over medium high heat, stirring often and breaking up the large chunks of berry with your spoon, until in thickens and your spoon leaves a trail across the bottom of the pan (this takes anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes depending if you used fresh or frozen berries).  Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla and cool.  I love to serve it warm which takes about 10-15 minutes of cooling once you remove it from the heat.  Store the rest in the fridge.  Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Click here for printable version of Skillet Berry Jam with Vanilla

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Sweet Biscuits

2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Measure flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a bowl and stir to combine.  Pour in the oil and milk and stir until it forms a soft ball of dough (add more milk if needed to achieve this). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently 8-10 times. Roll out into a 1 inch thickness, and using a knife cut into about 12 squares. I never worry about making these perfect. Place the biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet close together for moist sides or further apart for crisp sides. Dab the tops of the biscuits with a bit of milk so they brown. Bake for about 15 minutes until lightly browned and serve warm.  Makes about 12 biscuits.

Click here for printable version of Sweet Biscuits

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THE RESULTS?
These are the easiest biscuits you will ever make, and yet they taste so dang good and the jam is the best partner for them.  I've made the jam dozens of times, with different berries, both fresh and frozen and it's always fabulous.  (I will say though that it is better with fresh berries, but frozen will do in a pinch.) The vanilla is a scrumptious addition.


Okay, show me what YOU got.  
  • Link up to any posts, past or present, as long as it is a Family Favorite.
  • Make sure your link goes directly to the recipe and not to your homepage.
  • When linking please leave your blog name as well as the name of your recipes.  Ex: Meal Planning 101 (Sweet Biscuits and Jam)
  • Your blog post must link back to this one.
If you don't have a blog, you can still participate by leaving us the recipe or a link to a recipe online as well.  I can't wait to see what you all cook for your families!