Sunday, May 3, 2009

Blue Plate Mondays - Biscuits Supreme

Thanks go to Kelly for hosting Blue Plate Mondays at (un)Deniably Domestic. Stop in to see what yummy recipes others have to share this week.

I also must thank Kelly for leading me to EllynAnne Geisel's FABULOUS not-a-contest GIVEAWAY at her blog, Apron Memories. I was one of the six winners! WOOHOO! Click here to see what I won. I'm going to have to send Kelly a thank you gift.

Seeing Kelly's post about Biscuit Donuts brought to mind my struggle with making home made biscuits. I finally found the right recipe and the *tricks* to making fabulous biscuits. They are almost as easy as opening a tube of biscuits.
Biscuits Supreme

2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening (I use butter flavored Crisco.)
1/2 cup milk*

Sift together the first five ingredients. Cut in the shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (Avoid blending the fat completely with the flour. This makes for mealy biscuits. Use a fork and blend until the shortening is the size of lima beans.) Make a well in the center of flour mixture; add milk all at once. Stir just until dough clings together. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for ten to twelve strokes. PAT the dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter, dipping cutter in flour between cuts.

Bake on ungreased baking sheet for 10-12 minutes at 450F.

*My recipe calls for 2/3 cup of milk, but this made my biscuits to "runny". I started using 1/2 cup milk and they are perfect.

The key to making the best biscuits, noodles and pie crusts is to handle them as little as possible. That's why you should not knead them very much and pat the biscuits instead of rolling them.
Now that I have learned the trick to making great biscuits, Hubs wants them all the time.

I've been busy getting ready for Daughter P and SIL A's wedding reception. On Tuesday, I fly back to my hometown for a week. I decided to take a blog vacation during that time so I won't be posting next Monday. I will be checking out the yummy recipes you share when I return.

Have a great week!




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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bea - This is almost exactly my biscuit recipe! I use a cold, cold, cold cube of butter in mine. I think it was originally called Quick Biscuits Supreme - out of an Amish cookbook, Cooking from Quilt Country - I think. Thank you for sharing and congratulations are your win! I am so excited for you! ~Kelly

Patty said...

I am soooo jealous you won! Uh, I mean, congratulations! What did you make? I guess I will have to go read more of your blog now to find out. Thanks for visiting me for Vintage Thingies Thursday a few weeks ago when I posted my HOSTAGE Girl Scout badge (I'm a little slow with checking on my visitors). Now I'm wondering how I've missed your blog. You live in an older house and you have rescue dogs? And you're doing Finished For Friday? I love you already. I'm off to check your posts under Embroidery...

Laura said...

This recipe is similar or the same as the biscuit recipe our family used for years. I had our oldest son do the biscuits for supper every night - he started when he was 12 and now he's 31 and is a great all-around cook!

lilcountrymom said...

Bea, I have never made homemade biscuits. I'm going to try this. I sure hope they are as pretty as yours.

Charlene ♥ NC said...

Thanks for sharing this recipe. I've looked and tried for years to make good biscuits - they're always HARD. I look forward to trying this one - sounds simple and easy enough!