Biscuits

SOUTHERN BISCUITS

1/3 cup shortening (butter, Crisco or lard)
3/4 cup milk or buttermilk
Self-rising flour

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. In large bowl, using a pastry blender or two knives, cut shortening into flour just until the shortening is the size of peas. Stir in milk until dough forms a ball. Turn dough out onto surface dusted with additional flour. Fold dough in half 5 to 7 times to knead (do not over work dough), adding just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to your hands. Gently roll out dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter or cookie cutter coated with flour, cut dough into biscuits. Place on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 500 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Makes 14 to 16 biscuits.

I have watched Beulah Rykard, our neighbor in Madison, make biscuits many times. She kept her flour in a large wooden bowl. When she wanted to make biscuits, she just added the shortening (probably Crisco or lard) and buttermilk in a well in the center of the flour and worked it enough to make a dough of the right consistency. She didn't use all the flour, the dough was just a ball in the center of the flour in the bowl. She then would pinch off a ball, about the size of a lemon, and roll it gently to smooth and then pat into a flatter round shape with her knuckles. She baked them in round steel cake pans, putting them in the pan with the sides of the biscuits just touching, so that when they were done, they were moist and tender everywhere except the crispy brown top and bottom. Boy were they good.


ULTIMATE CREAM BISCUITS
2 cups self rising flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. In medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar and cream until dough forms a ball. Turn dough out onto surface dusted with additional flour. Fold dough in half 5 to 7 times to knead (do not over work dough), adding just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to your hands. Form and bake as for Traditional Biscuits on previous page.

SIMPLY SIMPLE BISCUITS

3 cups self rising flour
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
2/3 cup buttermilk
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cream and buttermilk until dough forms a ball. Knead as for Traditional Biscuits, above. Pat dough evenly into 8 x 8 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. With a knife, cut into 16 squares. Drizzle butter over top. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.