Light, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits. You can tell if someone baked them from scratch or popped them out of a can. Mind you, not everything tastes that way, but biscuits? They fall into the category of homemade baked goods you want to teach your children to make.
“Making great biscuits isn’t rocket science, but it requires a certain finesse,” according to “The Southerner’s Cookbook.”
The authors share two caveats to making sure they turn out light and fluffy. First, be flexible when adding the buttermilk. Second, don’t overmix the dough or work it too much with your hands as the warmth can cause the butter or lard to melt.
One of my instructors, Lee Boblitt of Springfield, believed in simplicity when making biscuits. He subscribed to the 4-3-2-1 Biscuits method, which literally uses 4 tablespoons of shortening, 3 teaspoons of baking powder, 2 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt – all mixed with a cup of buttermilk. He also recommended cutting his biscuits with a drinking glass (“One doesn’t need a fancy biscuit cutter,” he’d say), or simply cut them into squares with a knife.
To make your own flavored butter, combine the following ingredients with ½ cup softened butter, and stir together in a mixer or by hand:
Honey Butter: 1 tablespoon honey and ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pecan Brown Sugar Butter: 2 tablespoons finely chopped toasted pecans and 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Lemon Herb Butter: 2 teaspoons lemon zest, 2 teaspoons fresh finely chopped flat-leaf parsley and ½ teaspoon finely chopped thyme