In which a ten year old boy obsesses over... Biscuits. (substitute, health)
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I grew up the same way and started making biscuits myself at the age of 8.
I still do.
For starters I will not touch frozen or packaged biscuits with a 10 ft pole. Barf. Made with all kinds of chemicals, hydrogenated oils and other garbage.
Biscuits
Ingredients:
Two cups of flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of sugar (can add more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 stick of butter, cold (8 tablespoons)
3/4 cup of buttermilk, cream or half-and-half
Method:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Mix all the dry ingredients together.
Cut the stick of butter into pieces, and work into the flour mixture with your hands or a pastry blender until it resembles pea-sized crumbs.
Add the liquid, mixing until a bit loose and sticky.
Pour dough out on a floured surface, and knead for a minute. Dough should be smooth and no longer wet. You can sprinkle more flour on the surface if you find it’s sticking.
Take dough into a ball, and hit it with a rolling pin, turning it and folding it in half every few whacks. Do this for a couple of minutes.
Roll out dough until it’s 1/4 of an inch thick, and then fold it in half.
Using a round cutter (can use a glass or a cup if don’t have a biscuit cutter) cut out your biscuits from folded dough.
Place on a greased baking sheet close together (so they rise up not out), and bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
Makes 10-12 biscuits.
If you don’t want to roll and cut them out, after kneading and beating the dough you can drop the dough onto the baking sheet with a spoon. They’re not as symmetrical (dropped biscuits are also known as cat head biscuits) but they’re no less delicious.
For this recipe I use half and half and instead of 3/4 cup of it, I use about 7/8 cup. I also bake for 12 minutes. I also use these to make sausage biscuits and bacon and egg biscuits.
Mmmm, I love good biscuits and while I love the old standards, here are two that I like even better. For success, use fresh baking powder and make sure the oven is completely heated before putting them in. That goes for any kind of biscuits.
Quote:
Angel Biscuits
Part soft yeast roll, part tender biscuit, these buns are an interesting composite. Sometimes called Bride's Biscuits (because even a new bride was supposed to be able to make them easily), they include both yeast and baking powder, for a guaranteed rise.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into pats
1 cup room-temperature milk
2 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing on top
Directions
1) Whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
2) Add the shortening, mixing till evenly crumbly.
3) Add the butter, mixing till roughly combined. Pea-sized bits of butter can remain.
4) Add the milk, mixing till just combined. The dough will be quite wet.
5) Transfer the dough to a well-floured work surface, and quickly and gently pat it into a 7" diameter, 1"-thick circle.
6) Use a 2" round biscuit cutter to cut 16 biscuits. Place them close together on a lightly floured or parchment-lined tray or baking sheet. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap or the cover of your choice, and allow the biscuits to rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
7) After an hour, cover the biscuits with plastic wrap, and place the pan in the freezer for at least 1 hour. Overnight is fine. Alternatively, biscuits can be frozen up to 2 months.
8) When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F.
9) Remove the biscuits form the freezer, remove the plastic, and space them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
10) Bake the biscuits for 16 to 18 minutes, till they're golden brown.
11) Remove from the oven, and brush with melted butter, if desired.
Yield: 16 biscuits.
Quote:
Sourdough Biscuits
Ingredients:
Two cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon of sugar (can add more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 stick of butter, cold (8 tablespoons)
2 cups sourdough
Make up dry ingredients just like regular biscuits, and then use the sourdough starter for moistening. It may be more or less than 2 cups, depending on how thick it is. Make the rest up just like regular biscuits and these can be frozen and thawed, then baked. If you don't put the sugar in these, they won't brown.
A funny: I was talking to an Australian and an Englishman one time and the Aussie asked me what an American biscuit is. The Englishman piped up and said, "Oh, it's just a failed scone" I'll show him a failed scone!
And no worries about an overblown obsession, LiveUrban . He's definitely intent on learning to make them, but so far in a very healthy sort of way. He's just really been into baking in general lately.
Yesterday he asked me to show him how to make gingerbread, so that's what we did. Yum! It was a cool and drizzly day yesterday here in Oregon so gingerbread was perfect for it. Gingerbread, spice cake, quick breads, carrot cakes,... those kinds of things I can do well.
We're planning on trying biscuits again over the weekend...
A funny: I was talking to an Australian and an Englishman one time and the Aussie asked me what an American biscuit is. The Englishman piped up and said, "Oh, it's just a failed scone" I'll show him a failed scone!
A funny: I was talking to an Australian and an Englishman one time and the Aussie asked me what an American biscuit is. The Englishman piped up and said, "Oh, it's just a failed scone" I'll show him a failed scone!
I have always considered scones a biscuit made by one who doesn't know how. The British bakeries I have been to make scones that would break a toe if you dropped it on your foot.
Hnestly, I do NOT eat biscuits in the northern states as they are generally just not very good.
I have always considered scones a biscuit made by one who doesn't know how. The British bakeries I have been to make scones that would break a toe if you dropped it on your foot.
Hnestly, I do NOT eat biscuits in the northern states as they are generally just not very good.
Why would you think like that? Scones are not even supposed to biscuits. They are not "a biscuit made by one who doesn't know how". I guess cupcakes bother you, too. Right? Don't you think that cupcakes are biscuits made by someone who doesn't know how? I mean, look how sweet they are! Biscuits aren't supposed to be sweet like that! Worst biscuits, those cupcake things are! Hell, I once went into a Dunkin' Donuts...I saw them biscuits all in them racks. I bought one and you wouldn't believe it! It wasn't like a biscuit at all! Those people just can't even make a biscuit! Plus they called it a "donut"! What, they can't call it a biscuit since they don't even know how to make one. The damn thing would stick to the window if you threw it at it.... Scones are NOT biscuits...cupcakes are not biscuits...donuts are not biscuits...Scones are scones, biscuits are biscuits...and they can vary just like anything can vary. You essentially just compared apples with oranges, only with a tinge of antisentiment for the British. That's bloody ridiculous.
Oh, my goodness! I do love biscuts. With sausage gravy. And hash browns. And a couple of nice sausage patties. And a couple of scrambled eggs. I judge a restaurant by their biscuts. I judge my friends by their biscuts.
I usually just use the frozen ones because I don't usually do a great job on homemade ones. They usually come out somewhere akin to a hockey puck.
Can't stand the canned ones, though.BLEH!!!
My mom did give me a great biscuit recipe a few years ago that is wonderful. I had actually forgotten all about it until I saw this post. The recipe calls for some unusual ingredients including sour cream and 7-up. They are wonderfully light and fluffy, with just a touch of sweetness. I'll see if I can find it.
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I'll show him a failed scone!
. He's definitely intent on learning to make them, but so far in a very healthy sort of way. He's just really been into baking in general lately. 
I guess cupcakes bother you, too. Right? Don't you think that cupcakes are biscuits made by someone who doesn't know how? I mean, look how sweet they are! Biscuits aren't supposed to be sweet like that! Worst biscuits, those cupcake things are!
