State College Native Wins International Biscuit Festival Competition

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Kimberly Asbury, a 1993 State College Area High School graduate, was crowned the 2017 Grand Champion of the International Biscuit Festival held in Knoxville, Tenn., on May 20.  

Upon winning the Specialty Biscuit Category, she went on to win the Grand Champion title after competing against three other category finalists.  

Asbury, a 2005 graduate of Penn College of Technology’s Baking and Pastry Arts Program, is the daughter of William Asbury, of State College, and Leslee Asbury, of Toftrees. She currently resides in Alabama with her husband and son where she is the executive pastry chef and general manager of BuzzCatz Coffee and Sweets in Orange Beach.

Her award-winning recipe was entitled ‘Alabama Scotch Egg Biscuit.’

ALABAMA SCOTCH EGG BISCUITS

Ingredients:  (yields 12 biscuits)

1-1/2 pounds all-purpose flour
1-1/2 ounces white sugar
1-1/2 ounces baking powder
1/4 ounce salt (iodized)
8-ounces unsalted butter (cold, cubed)
3 large eggs
14-ounces buttermilk

Directions: Sift dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Cut in butter (by hand). (Butter should resemble size of small peas.) Make a well in the flour in which to pour eggs and buttermilk. Using clean hands, gently mix dough for 10 seconds. Do not over-mix. Place dough on generously floured table and fold dough three times until it has come together. Pat out dough to 3/4-inch thickness, cut biscuit with floured cutter and place on a parchment-lined tray.

Prep and cook red onion jam (recipe below) in a small sauce pot. While onion jam cooks, continue with remaining prep. Soft-boil one dozen large eggs and chill immediately in an ice bath. Once cooled, peel gently and set aside in cold water.

Chop one pound of hickory-smoked Conecuh sausage into smaller pieces and pulse in a food processor until no large chunks are visible and set aside.

Flatten three tablespoons of ground sausage into a patty and place on top of each unbaked biscuit. Gently place one soft-boiled egg on top of sausage patty. Using floured hands, carefully stretch biscuit dough up around the egg, enclosing it and the sausage inside the biscuit. Bake on a parchment-lined sheet tray in a convection oven at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Brush with  melted butter after they are removed from  the oven. Glaze each Scotch egg with onion jam.

RED ONION JAM

Ingredients:

1 large red onion, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1/2cup cider vinegar
1/2teaspoon soy sauce

Directions: Caramelize the onions with the butter, salt, and pepper. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half, blend until smooth using an immersion blender. Keep refrigerated.