FRESH BISCUITS-SIMPLICITY ITSELF

When the weather roller-coasters as it has this season, with temperatures varying as much as 30 deg. in as many hours, a mug or plate of hot soup is often more welcome and satisfying than a sandwich or entrée platter. And nothing pairs better with any hot liquid than a fresh biscuit.

 

Actually, in reviewing my posts recently, I was surprised to find I’d discussed bread accompaniments only twice. On Jan. 14, 2014, I wrote about all types of muffins for all occasions. On May 25, 2016 I discussed using commercial, frozen bread dough to make everything from artesian loaves to cinnamon buns.

 

Biscuits, however, are in a class by themselves. Muffins, cake-like in texture, start with a beaten batter, must be baked in a mold to gain form and depend on eggs for leavening. Bread starts with kneaded dough which can be formed, even braided into free-standing shapes and uses yeast to rise.

 

Biscuits are in between both in texture and composition. Although, they are based on batters, can be baked in molds as well as be altered into dough, allowing them to be rolled and cut, only biscuits can be dropped by spoonfulls onto cookie sheets and baked. Also they rely on baking powder to expand rather than eggs or yeast. Moreover, they are quickly made, simply needing a spoon to stir the batter, often consisting of just 3 ingredients and they bake in few minutes. It takes little time or effort to serve them fresh.

 

In this post, I’ll show you exactly how easy it is to have biscuits ready for the table. To emphasize this point, most of the biscuits below have only 3 ingredients. Although these recipes are basically standard in most cookbooks, my main source was The Best of Cooking with 3 Ingredients by Ruthie Wornall, because she had them so well organized. I also used the antique classic The Settlement Cookbook and my Some Saint Patrick’s Day Recipes.

 

There are a few exceptions in this listing. Popovers are more of a muffin in composition but the texture is pure biscuit. They’re reputed to be so darned difficult they scare people, and this recipe is so quick and easy, I couldn’t resist sharing it. Baking Powder Biscuits exemplify how the batter can be turned into dough, rolled and cut. Scones are made as dough, but the ingredients are biscuit, not bread. It just shows the range of the category.

 

One final tip: Most of the recipes stipulate either a biscuit mix, such as Bisquick and Jiffy or self-rising flour. Substitutes for both can be easily made from pantry staples. Here are the formulas:
1)Biscuit mix=1 cup sifted flour+1 ½ tsp. baking powder +1/4 tsp. salt + 1 Tbs. melted butter or oil
2)Self-Rising flour=Same as biscuit mix minus the shortening

 

RECIPES

 

Quick Popovers: Yield 8
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
Combine ingredients and mix well. Fill greased custard cups or popover tins* ¾ full. Place in a cold oven and bake at 450 deg.30 min. DON’T PEEK or they won’t rise!
*NOTE: Regular muffin tin cups aren’t deep enough to allow the dough to rise to the point of forming the large central air bubble which is the hallmark of popovers. They will still be good but they won’t have the hollow center or be so light.

 

Mayonnaise Rolls: Yield 8
2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup milk
4 Tbs. mayonnaise
Combine ingredients and mix well. Pour into greased muffin tins and bake in a preheated 400 deg. oven 22 min. Can be garnished before baking with a sprinkling of dried herb ofchoice.

 

Cheese Biscuits: Yield 8-12 biscuits
2 ¼ cups baking mix
2/3 cup milk
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
Options*
Mix ingredients to form soft dough. Beat 30 sec. adding more biscuit mix if dough is too sticky. Drop by rounded spoonfulls unto a greased baking sheet and bake in a 350 deg. preheated oven for 15 min. or until golden.
* These rolls are the same recipe as the famous Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits. To duplicate the restaurant ones – melt 4 Tbs. butter with ¼ tsp. garlic powder and brush the tops of the biscuits then sprinkle with dried parsley flakes before serving. NOTE-If intending to add the butter and parsley, spoon flatten the tops of the biscuits before baking

 

Party Biscuits: Yield 12
1 cup flour
1 cup whipping cream
2 Tbs. sugar
Mix ingredients and pour into greased mini-muffin cups. Bake in a preheated 400 deg. oven for 10 min.

 

Sour Cream Rolls: Yield 12
1 cup self-rising flour
½ cup melted margarine
1 cup sour cream
Mix ingredients and pour into greased mini-muffin cups. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 15 min.

 

Clover Leaf Rolls: Yield 1 doz.
2 ¼ cups biscuit mix –divided
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½ cup melted margarine
Combine 2 cups biscuit mix, sour cream and margarine and mix well. Sprinkle ¼cup biscuit mix on a sheet of waxed paper. Drop dough by level tablespoons onto paper and roll in mix to form 36 small, coated balls. Put 3 balls in each of 12 greased muffin cups. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven 15-20 min. or until golden.

 

Ice Cream Biscuits: Yield 10
2 cups self-rising flour
1 pint vanilla ice cream
2 ½ Tbs. melted butter or margarine+ for cups
Blend flour and Ice cream until moistened; batter will be lumpy. Fill 10 buttered muffin cups ¾ full and top each with a bit of melted butter. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 20 min.

 

Onion Drop Biscuits: Yield 10-12
2 cups biscuit mix
¼ cup milk
(1) 8 oz. tub French Onion Dip
Combine ingredients and mix to a soft dough. Drop by rounded mounds on a greased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven 10-12 min. until golden.

 

Baking Powder Drop Biscuits: Yield(12) 1 ½ inch biscuits
1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
Pinch salt
1 ¼ Tbs. shortening*
½ cup water-or milk**
Optional flavorings***
Mix dry ingredients, cut in shortening. Stir in just enough water to make a soft dough easily dropped by rounded spoonfulls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 450 deg. oven 12-15 min.
*TIP: Try Crisco. It seems to bake-up lighter
** Using buttermilk increases flavor
*** Adding sugar and/or cinnamon, herbs and/or spices to taste to the batter and/or as a garnish tailors the biscuits to the meal and adds a personal touch
NOTE: To fit the 3-inregient theme of this post, self-rising flour can substitute for the first 3 items, but the baked biscuits may not rise as well because the recipe has a slightly higher percentage of baking powder. It also requires a higher percent of shortening than found in biscuit mix.
To make these into cut-out biscuits: Reduce liquid to 1/3 cup. Blend the shortening and sifted dry ingredients in a bowl. Make a well in the center and add liquid. Stir only until contents are moist, then turn out on a lightly floured board and knead about 20 sec. Pat or roll dough to ½ inch thick, cut into rounds, place on a sheet and bake in a preheated 45 deg. oven for and bake for 10-15 min. Yield is same as for Drop Biscuits..

 

Scones:
2 cups flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
½ cup butter or margarine softened
½ cup sugar
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup raisins, currents or craisins – optional
To sour milk, put one drop lemon juice or vinegar into regular milk and let sit for 15 min. or substitute buttermilk. Combine butter, sugar, salt and mix until well blended. Sift flour and baking powder and add alternately with milk to other ingredients with fruit if using. Stir as little as possible with quick strokes. Roll onto a floured board and pat into a ¾ inch circle. Put on a greased cookie sheet and cut into 8 wedges but leave the circle intact. Bake in a preheated 450 deg. oven for 15 min. Serve warm with butter.