Thursday, August 28, 2014

Homemade Biscuits


Is there anything better than a hot and flaky biscuit, fresh FROM the oven?  If you are a doubter, I dare say you are in the same canned biscuit boat I was in for years. You see, I had tried and tried to make those big, fluffy biscuits I had seen on TV, but no matter what recipe I tried, they just turned out like hockey pucks...hard and flat.  That is when I decided to throw all of these "guaranteed" recipes aside and just go with my gut.  It was then that I was finally able to make big, beautiful (how many adjectives can one use to describe biscuits here?) biscuits.  So, if you are one that has struggled, as I did, lament no longer!  Follow these simple steps and you will have biscuits that will rival that of the little dough boy!

Let's get started!




Homemade Biscuits:
*Prep Time:  15 min.  *Cook Time: 15-20 min.  *Difficulty:  Easy  *Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:



  • 3 c. All-Purpose Flour
  • 3 tbsp. Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. Salt
  • 1/2 tsp. Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
  • 4 tsp. Baking Powder
  • 1 stick of COLD Butter, cubed
  • 1/4 c. of COLD Crisco
  • 1 c. Milk
  • 1 Egg
Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.



 As with every good biscuit recipe, COLD butter is key.
However, along with my COLD butter, I like to add a little COLD Crisco.
Judge as you may, but it gives your biscuits a rich and flakiness that you just can't get with butter alone.
The reason it needs to be cold is because, as your biscuits bake, the fat steams and THAT is what makes a GOOD biscuit.

So, to begin, I cut up my butter and Crisco, and place it in the freezer until I am ready for it.


Now, in a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, salt and pepper.
Mix it together.


 Now add the butter and Crisco to the flour mixture.


This next step is so important.
Using either butter knives or a dough cutter, work the fat into the flour.
This will take a few minutes, and your biceps will get a little work out, but you must NOT use your hands here.  You want the butter and Crisco to remain as cold as possible.
When the biscuit dough is ready, it will resemble wet sand, and will hold together when you squeeze it.


 Now for the liquid portion of this recipe.
To keep things simple, and because I detest doing dishes, I just add the egg to the cup of milk and beat it together with a fork.


Next pour the milk and egg into the flour.


Using a fork, Stir the milk mixture into the flour until it is all absorbed and it looks like dough.


Heavily flour your work surface and pour the dough onto the floured area.
Flour the top of the dough.


 Next, knead the dough 10 to 15 times.


Here it is!  Your PERFECT biscuit dough!


Now this is where, in my old biscuit days I started to make my biggest mistakes.
I would follow these recipes that said to ROLL out the dough to a 1/4 inch thick, etc.
First of all...DON'T ROLL OUT YOUR DOUGH!
Just simply pat it out to about the circumference of a dinner plate.
Also, you want the dough to be no thinner than an inch thick.  Yes, if you want BIG, FLUFFY biscuits the dough has to be thick!


Then, using a biscuit cutter, a glass, or as my friend's grandmother used to use, a can cut your biscuits.
Depending on the size of your cutter, you should be able to get 8-10 biscuits out of this dough recipe.


Place your cut biscuits in a baking dish, pie pan, iron skillet, WHATEVER.  I like to grease mine with a little butter to help give it a yummy, crispy bottom.


 Now place your biscuits in a 450 degree oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.


 Then remove them from the oven.
So you see how big and fluffy these are!
No, they are not perfectly smooth like the ones from the can, but homemade is seldom perfect.


 Brush the tops with a little melted butter.


And here you go!
BIG, BEAUTIFUL, FLAKY, and DELICIOUS old fashioned, Homemade Biscuits!  You can serve them with gravy, butter, jelly, or, if you are like my husband and I, some lovely, local, West Virginia honey.  No matter how you serve them your family is going to sing your praises and you are going to feel like the culinary diva you are!!!  So I DARE you to give these biscuits a try, heck, shake things up and have biscuits and gravy for dinner tonight!  You won't regret it!

As always...

Happy Reading, Happy Eating, and Happy Living,
~The Kitchen Wife~


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