M36 - Posted - 02/24/2011:  06:16:31

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I couldn't find the food forum although I have seen a reference to it. Does anyone have a favorite recipe that results in tall fluffy biscuits? I've looked and tried a lot of recipes from the internet but havnt found the right one.

Thanks!

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Edited by - jazzylynne on 02/24/2011 13:31:22

dat - Posted - 02/24/2011:  06:31:30

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here is an easy recipe that we use sometimes when we go camping, they turn out good in the dutch oven and you don't have a lot of mixing to do

Ingredients:
2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup milk 6 tablespoons mayonnaise

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, milk, and mayonnaise until just blended. Drop by spoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets.
3. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Ronnie - Posted - 02/24/2011:  06:41:17

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My great uncle made a depression in the top of each biscuit and added a spoonful of lard before baking.

Mopick - Posted - 02/24/2011:  06:42:00

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When I was in high school I decided I wanted my grandmother to teach me how to make her biscuits so I could make them for myself. For years I never used a mix, or canned biscuits. I made them from scratch. I've gotten away from that, there are some very good frozen biscuits available now and for a quick fix I'll use canned biscuits like Pillsbury Grands. But now you've got me wanting to make biscuits. I called these high tower biscuits because they are so tall.

Grandma's recipe: (works best if you wear a black shirt)

2 cups AP flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tbs baking powder (grandma always used Calumet)
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup crisco shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk


Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Combine all dry ingredients in mixing bowl.
Cut in shortening with a fork until the mixture resembles corn meal.
Add in buttermilk and mix just until a soft dough ball forms. Do not over mix or your dough will get tough. You want it to be a little dry and crumbly, but if needed add more buttermilk.
Turn dough out on to a floured board and pat it out about 1/2 inch thick. Grandma didn't use a rolling pin to roll out the dough. Remember you want it to be light.
Cut into round biscuits with a biscuit cutter. Grandma used an old tin can that she cut the top and bottom out of.
Place in a baking pan, sides touching. This is what makes them rise. If you prefer browned sides leave space between them but they won't rise as much.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

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Edited by - Mopick on 02/24/2011 06:45:10

Mopick - Posted - 02/24/2011:  06:55:09

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I learned how to make gravy to go with the biscuits too.

Gravy for B and G
Fry up a package of sausage, or bacon.
Let the grease cool down a bit and pour off all but 3 tablespoons.
Heat the grease back up and add 3 tablespoons flour, stirring and browning to make a roux.
Slowly stir in 2 cups milk. I like to use a cup of milk and a cup of evaporated milk or half and half for a richer gravy.
Salt and pepper to taste.
When the gravy starts to thicken I like to crumble in one or two sausage pattys.
Cook until the gravy thickens, constantly stirring.


Randy

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Edited by - Mopick on 02/24/2011 06:56:09

gshall - Posted - 02/24/2011:  06:56:31

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A couple of things I've learned about biscuits:
If you substitute baking powder for baking soda in chocolate chip cookies, they become chocolate chip columns. Baking powder vs. soda makes things rise!
I pat my biscuit dough out by hand rather than rolling, but noticed that the later ones turned out much better than the earlier ones. The difference was that after cutting out biscuits, I would fold and re-mash the dough several times. For flaky layers, fold and mash the dough a lot (once for each layer).
Cutting in shortening until the flour resembles corn meal is a must. You can do it with a knife if you have all day, but a fork or dough-cutter is a lot faster.
Mopick has some good biscuit advice. It has passed the test of time.

There is no separate food forum; preceed your subject with "[FF]."

Mopick - Posted - 02/24/2011:  07:04:49

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Our friend Carol from here in Florida used to make what she called "Cats Head" biscuits because they were the size of a cat's head. She used the above recipe but instead of cutting them out with a biscuit cutter she would use a big spoon and just spoon them onto a cookie sheet or baking pan. They were free form biscuits but man are they good with butter and honey, or home-made guava jelly.


Randy

Mopick - Posted - 02/24/2011:  07:13:48

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quote:

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Originally posted by gshall

later ones turned out much better than the earlier ones. The difference was that after cutting out biscuits, I would fold and re-mash the dough several times. For flaky layers, fold and mash the dough a lot (once for each layer).

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I used to do that too. I wanted my biscuits to have flakey layers liked the canned ones, almost like layers of phyllo dough. Then I realized that I was overworking the dough, now I may knead the dough twice before cutting out the biscuits. I generally turn the dough ball out onto a floured board and knead once by folding the outside edges in towards the middle and pressing down with the heel of my hand. Then rotate the dough 90 degrees and repeat.

Also I used to try to re-use the odd shaped scraps that are left over after cutting out the biscuits by pressing it together and cutting out a few more biscuits, but they were ALWAYS tough. Now I just throw the odd shaped pieces in a pan and bake them. Talk about free form biscuits. Sometimes the birds and squirrells get those, depends on if my wife Debbie has had enough biscuits. Those odd shaped free form biscuits aren't pretty to put butter and jelly on but boy are they good broken up and covered with gravy.

Man I'm hungry for some home made biscuits. I haven't made them in years. I'm going to surprise my wife this weekend by making some.

Randy

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Edited by - Mopick on 02/24/2011 07:29:07

rinemb - Posted - 02/24/2011:  07:42:18

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I have thrown my Scone recipe out before, and by just eliminating the sugar and the cream coating, you got biscuits;

Brad

Brad’s Best Cream Scones
(with hints, options, and traditions)

Ingredients: for 6-8 scones Double recipe: for 12-16 scones
2 cups flour (4)
¼ cup sugar (1/3 for swtr) (½)
4 tspns baking powder (8)
¼ tspn salt (1/2)
4 tblsp unsalted butter (8)
1 cup cream (hvy, or h&h) (2)
(Set aside some extra sugar and cream for coating)

Oven: Preheat to 425 degrees.
Baking Tin: Cover large cookie sheet with foil (dull side out), lightly spray or coat/shortening.

In large bowl: Mix and aerate all dry ingredients thoroughly with whisk. Drop in all butter in tablespoon-size chunks, and cut into flour with pastry cutter until achieving “bread-crumbly” texture. Add cream to pastry mix and blend until flour is just absorbed and begins to ball-up. (Mixture may be slightly loose, but not dry).
Remove from bowl with floured hands onto a lightly floured surface. Knead a few times to prepare dough for rolling. Roll out dough to ¾ inch thickness and cut out scones with two-inch biscuit or scone cutter. Place on prepared cookie sheet about 1 inch apart (1/2 inch apart for more tender). With brush or 2 fingers, lightly coat scones with cream and sprinkle lightly with sugar (may omit).
Put scones in pre-heated oven and bake about 10-15 minutes, watching for a light golden top, soft golden bottom for doneness.
{Best eaten when warm and fresh. Serve with good jam and soft unsalted butter, or preferably with jam and “Devon” double cream, or mascapone Italian dessert cheese}.

Options: Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla to scone recipe.
Fold in ½-1 cup of dried cherries, blueberries, apricot pcs, raisins, or cranberries into dough.
Instead of rolling and cutting dough, may form rough 2” balls and slightly flatten, this
will result in slightly varied browning.
Prepared dough can be tightly wrapped and refrigerated until ready to bake, roll out chilled
dough carefully, or let warm up just slightly for easier rolling.

Hints: Make sure butter is well chilled for cutting.
Do not over-cut butter, just to uneven “pea-size” crumbly texture.
Use chilled cream. Heavy cream is best, half and half will do.
Do not over-work dough, as it will cause tough scone.
Dough may be rolled out slightly thinner to about ½ inch or so, to yield more scones.
After cooled store in Baggies or plastic wrap, though not very storable.
Double cream or Italian dessert cheese available at specialty stores, or on the internet.
Recipe is suitable as a good strawberry shortcake biscuit.
Be sure baking powder is FRESH!
Use super-fine bakers sugar if available (This is not powdered sugar!).

Traditions: For scones use square, diamond or triangle shapes (round is for biscuits!)
While you should be able to nicely break open a tall scone for spreading Condiments on each side, such as butter(or double cream) and jam; one may spread condiments directly on top of thinner scones. A great debate on the Island is: “what goes on first, the jam or the double (clotted) cream?” Serve with tea, or great for breakfast or dessert.

gshall - Posted - 02/24/2011:  10:04:11

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Good thing I just ate lunch or I'd be so hungry reading this stuff that I couldn't stand it!

Brian T - Posted - 02/24/2011:  11:41:16

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rinemb/Brad's scone recipe really is a keeper.
Mopick's Grandma was onto something. . . . just as soon as I get my weekly bread made.

rinemb - Posted - 02/24/2011:  12:00:10

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Brian said:" ...Mopick's Grandma was onto something." see mopicks comment about granny.

So I gotta wear a black shirt next time I make scones or biscuits, eh. Jeez, I just as well before I even start throw a cup of flour all over myself, cause that is what it is going to look like when I'm done. My wife just about has to leave the house when I get into the flour bin. however, I do an immediate cleanup before she arrives for a less than subtle kitchen inspection.

Brad

Mopick - Posted - 02/24/2011:  12:03:59

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quote:

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Originally posted by rinemb

Brian said:" ...Mopick's Grandma was onto something." see mopicks comment about granny.

So I gotta wear a black shirt next time I make scones or biscuits, eh. Jeez, I just as well before I even start throw a cup of flour all over myself, cause that is what it is going to look like when I'm done. My wife just about has to leave the house when I get into the flour bin. however, I do an immediate cleanup before she arrives for a less than subtle kitchen inspection.

Brad

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LOLOL I get flour all over the kitchen as well as myself. My wife was kidding me and told me I should wear a black shirt. That's why I put that comment in there. Grandma wore an apron when she baked or used flour. Your mileage may vary on the black shirt.

RD

pickNgrin - Posted - 02/24/2011:  12:25:20

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quote:

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Originally posted by Mopick

I learned how to make gravy to go with the biscuits too.

Gravy for B and G
Fry up a package of sausage, or bacon.
Let the grease cool down a bit and pour off all but 3 tablespoons.
Heat the grease back up and add 3 tablespoons flour, stirring and browning to make a roux.
Slowly stir in 2 cups milk. I like to use a cup of milk and a cup of evaporated milk or half and half for a richer gravy.
Salt and pepper to taste.
When the gravy starts to thicken I like to crumble in one or two sausage pattys.
Cook until the gravy thickens, constantly stirring.

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That is right on the money. I call it "milk gravy", but others call it "biscuit gravy". It will work for a lot of other things too: fried chicken, country style steak, any kind of fried game, etc. As long as you have some oil and some stuff in the bottom of the pan to scrape up, you've got some good gravy makings.

-matt

gshall - Posted - 02/24/2011:  12:32:20

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If you guys are going to keep making me hungry, I'm going to quit reading this and go make a batch of biscuits and gravy, and try some of these recipes.

My wife gets in the kitchen once in a while and claims to make the "mother of all messes."

KE - Posted - 02/24/2011:  12:41:06

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M36, thanks for kicking off a great topic. Biscuits are the food of the gods.

I do not let my wife in the kitchen. It makes too much work for me.

Old Man - Posted - 02/24/2011:  13:08:47

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Here it's called Cathead bisquits and Sawmill gravey.

rinemb - Posted - 02/24/2011:  13:28:57

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I like squirrel heads and gravy. You can either eat it, or play it.

Brad

M36 - Posted - 02/24/2011:  18:31:15

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I cant wait to try these recipes! I read these at work and the thought of biscuits and gravy with my favorite sausage, Bob Evans, was making me very hungry. My wife likes my chocolate chip cookies and the baking powder substitution is going to be interesting.

Mopick, I have to agree, seem's like your Grandmother was onto something here.

Thanks guys!

Brian T - Posted - 02/24/2011:  19:17:30

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[FF] is the underground Food Forum

GET IN THERE, SON! THAT'S WHY SHOP-VACS WERE INVENTED!
I will "do the kitchen" tomorrow before my honey/partner/hunting buddy gets off the road.
Shop Vac+earmuffs and I'm done after I build a batch of baguettes.
That's what she wants = that's what I will do.

MY sense is that you gotta plow through the recipe at least once to get the sense of whether it's worth doing again.
Brad and Randy don't screw up.

No offense, Eric. We do share some valuable (and old time) recipes here. Better food is better nutrition and that is a benefit to us all.
I have my great grandfather's sugar cookie recipe from the Klondike Gold Rush.
Nothing special but it means a lot to me.

inniepie - Posted - 02/24/2011:  19:45:14

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Now we can all sing The Biscuit Blues by Riders in the Sky

Mopick - Posted - 02/25/2011:  05:11:46

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Publix our local supermarkets have scones in their bakery dept. They are triangular shaped. They have a cranberry scone that is soooooo good. Also the blueberry. I started a thread last year about scones as to whether they should be round like biscuits or triangle shaped. And I learned a lot about scones and heard about a thing called clotted cream. I've never seen it or had it. Now I know I have to have a REAL scone with clotted cream.




Randy

rinemb - Posted - 02/25/2011:  07:38:49

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Randy, that is just plain Mean!

Brad

pickNgrin - Posted - 02/25/2011:  08:26:31

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If you don't have any gravy, try some butter and "lassie" on a hot biscuit.



-matt

ncmedic - Posted - 02/25/2011:  08:43:16

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'them sorgham or grama lasses?

rinemb - Posted - 02/25/2011:  09:01:00

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Old Fashion Cane Syrup

KE - Posted - 02/25/2011:  09:12:23

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This is getting SICK! In the good way.

Steen's is great on biscuits.

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Edited by - KE on 02/25/2011 09:14:21

pickNgrin - Posted - 02/25/2011:  09:24:41

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If you don't know somebody with a sorghum press, this stuff is a close second. I think you can order it online, or you can find it at various places up in the NC mountains.



-matt

Possom - Posted - 02/25/2011:  10:32:21

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just remember Biscuits aint Biscuits lessin' theys made right with MARTHA WHITE! with Hot Rise!

Slingerland - Posted - 03/13/2011:  09:26:56

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quote:

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Originally posted by Mopick

When I was in high school I decided I wanted my grandmother to teach me how to make her biscuits so I could make them for myself. For years I never used a mix, or canned biscuits. I made them from scratch. I've gotten away from that, there are some very good frozen biscuits available now and for a quick fix I'll use canned biscuits like Pillsbury Grands. But now you've got me wanting to make biscuits. I called these high tower biscuits because they are so tall.

Grandma's recipe: (works best if you wear a black shirt)

2 cups AP flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tbs baking powder (grandma always used Calumet)
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup crisco shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk


Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Combine all dry ingredients in mixing bowl.
Cut in shortening with a fork until the mixture resembles corn meal.
Add in buttermilk and mix just until a soft dough ball forms. Do not over mix or your dough will get tough. You want it to be a little dry and crumbly, but if needed add more buttermilk.
Turn dough out on to a floured board and pat it out about 1/2 inch thick. Grandma didn't use a rolling pin to roll out the dough. Remember you want it to be light.
Cut into round biscuits with a biscuit cutter. Grandma used an old tin can that she cut the top and bottom out of.
Place in a baking pan, sides touching. This is what makes them rise. If you prefer browned sides leave space between them but they won't rise as much.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

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Your grandma was a smart lady. We just polished off a double batch of the biscuits with homemade sausage gravy. Thanks very much for sharing, they were great!

brokenstrings - Posted - 03/13/2011:  22:04:31

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Went out for breakfast with my daughter this morning. Biscuits fine, Sawmill gravy--well, I looked at it and asked, "Is that that sort of library paste gravy?" My daughter assured me that it could be pretty good. Well, in this case it sure wasn't, and she agreed.

pandjlocke - Posted - 03/13/2011:  22:54:43

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Simple Fluffy Biscuits

4 Cups Bisquick
4 Ounce Sour Cream
1 Cup Club Soda (room temp)
1 Stick Butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix Bisquick, sour cream and club soda
together. Pour onto floured surface and knead very lightly.
Roll out to about 1/2" thickness and cut with cutter. Melt butter and pour
half into a glass casserole dish. Place biscuits in dish and pour remaining
butter over top of biscuits.

If you would like to use less butter, do not put butter in bottom of the
pan; just pour a little over the top. Also, make sure that the club soda has
never been refrigerated and still has a lot of fizz.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 20#8722;25 minutes or until golden brown.

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Edited by - pandjlocke on 03/13/2011 22:55:17

BobbyE - Posted - 03/14/2011:  09:11:58

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After you get the biscuits done take some syrup (surp) and mash some (a lot of) butter into it with your fork until the syrup is nice and buttery. Sop your biscuits in the syrup for some good eating and mass (not mess) making.

I always liked 'Bile 'Em Cabbage Down' since it was about biscuits.

Bobby

brokenstrings - Posted - 03/14/2011:  23:40:54

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Y'mean hoecakes count as biscuits?

pandjlocke - Posted - 03/14/2011:  23:45:48

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quote:

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Originally posted by brokenstrings

Y'mean hoecakes count as biscuits?

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Not 'round here!

Mopick - Posted - 03/15/2011:  04:33:29

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quote:

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Originally posted by pandjlocke

quote:

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Originally posted by brokenstrings

Y'mean hoecakes count as biscuits?

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Not 'round here!

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I always figured hoe cakes are kind of a corn bread pancake. I heard they used to cook them using a hoe blade or a shovel as a griddle over a fire.

pandjlocke - Posted - 03/15/2011:  06:41:21

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quote:

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Originally posted by Mopick

quote:

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Originally posted by pandjlocke

quote:

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Originally posted by brokenstrings

Y'mean hoecakes count as biscuits?

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Not 'round here!

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I always figured hoe cakes are kind of a corn bread pancake. I heard they used to cook them using a hoe blade or a shovel as a griddle over a fire.

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Hoe cakes, corn cakes, Johnny cakes are loosely interchangeable terms. I'm sure that if someone here uses the term Johnny cakes that they'll be happy to tell us the difference between that and a hoe cake. Doesn't matter. It'll be a fun discussion. I made up a batch of hoe cakes for a church dinner a couple years back. A lot of folks around here had never had them and they flew off the griddle as fast as I could pour batter.

Mopick - Posted - 03/15/2011:  06:42:44

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quote:

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Originally posted by pandjlocke

quote:

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Originally posted by Mopick

quote:

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Originally posted by pandjlocke

quote:

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Originally posted by brokenstrings

Y'mean hoecakes count as biscuits?

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Not 'round here!

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I always figured hoe cakes are kind of a corn bread pancake. I heard they used to cook them using a hoe blade or a shovel as a griddle over a fire.

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Hoe cakes, corn cakes, Johnny cakes are loosely interchangeable terms. I'm sure that if someone here uses the term Johnny cakes that they'll be happy to tell us the difference between that and a hoe cake. Doesn't matter. It'll be a fun discussion. I made up a batch of hoe cakes for a church dinner a couple years back. A lot of folks around here had never had them and they flew off the griddle as fast as I could pour batter.

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They have cornmeal and flour in them.....right?