OK to be fair there not lethal. But they are usually either half done or brick hard. I've read that flour has changed a great deal over the past couple years.

What flour do you use? What is your recipe for great biscuits?

Thanks.

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), July 25, 2001

Answers

Kenneth:

As a northern girl married to a southern gentleman I can safely say that bisquit-making is important to make these mixed marriages last. When we first married bisquits were so bad that you could have used them as hockey pucks. Three kids later I've finally learned the secret that southern girls are born with. There are some tricks. As soon as I find it I will post the recipe from my mother inlaw that makes this marriage work. Hang in there--especially for the children.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), July 25, 2001.

Yummmmmmmy, and so easy to make...

Biscuits

2 C all-purpose flour 1 T baking powder 3/4 t salt 1/4 C margarine 1 C milk **I find slightly less than 1 C works better

Combine first 3 ingredients; cut in 1/4 C margarine with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Add milk gradually, stirring just until moistened.

Pat dough to 3/4" thickness on a floured surface. Cut with biscuit cutter & place on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 450* for 12 min. or until golden brown.

***The secret to tender biscuits is to NOT overwork the dough. Once the milk is mixed in you dump the dough out on a floured plate & *gently* pat to 3/4" thickness. DON'T knead like other doughs.

Here's a variation...Add 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese and 1/4 C chopped fresh chives for biscuits that go good with a dinner.

Hope this works out better for ya! :-)

-- Buk Buk (bukabuk@hotmail.com), July 25, 2001.

As a former city girl - happily transplanted to the country - I have to admit that I cheat and use Bisquick! My husband is quite satisfied, so they can't be too bad!

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), July 25, 2001.

4-3-2-1 baking powder biscuits (my granny's)

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups all purpose flour

4 teaspoon baking powder

mix these dry ingredients well

cut in 3 heaping Tablespoons of shortening (we use crisco-lard works also but not as good)

I take my fingers and mix it to a fine consistancy

Add 1 cup milk and mix well. (some flours are dryer than others and I find I need to have just a handful more than two cups of some flours)

Bake 10-12 minutes in a preheated 450 degree oven.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), July 25, 2001.

I found out by accident that if the flour is kept in the freezer and used cold the biscuits will be far more tender and flaky. I use one stick of real butter for one batch of biscuits, and then as has been mentioned, the milk should be mixed in quickly and gently (I use a rubber spatula to mix with) and the dough handled as little as possible. In fact, I roll or pat my dough out and then cut in squares. If you cut out rounds then the remaining dough has to be gathered up and handled more, making those biscuits tough. I'm sure it's important that the oven be the right temperature, so you might want to test your oven with a thermometer.

-- Elizabeth in E TX (kimprice@peoplescom.net), July 25, 2001.

ahhhhh, biscuits. I used to make awful hard things that I was sooo ashamed of. Then I learned to know a little old southern grandma, and I learned a few lessons. Now, my family always wants my biscuits when we have a reunion. (40+ people)

My recipe now:

2 cups self-rising Martha White flour. (Can use Southern Biscuit brand, too. I have found these two brands to be consistantly of a low enough gluten content to make good biscuits, pie crusts and cakes. Most other brands are made from a combination of hard and soft wheats. You need soft wheat only for good biscuits.)

To those 2 cups of self-rising flour, you can cut 1/4 cup shortening, lard, or butter in, (try bacon drippings!) or you can just pour in 1/4 cup oil, and mix in with the liquid.

Add at least 3/4 cup of buttermilk. If it is at all a stiff dough, add more buttermilk, until it is almost too wet to be called dough. Mix well, dont be afraid of developing the little gluten that is in there. It wont hurt. Allow to set for a minute to firm up.

Dust liberally with flour, and turn out onto a well-floured board or countertop. Cut and place closely together in a well-greased pan. I like to melt butter in a cookie sheet and dip the biscuits tops in the lowest corner first, before setting upright on the greased sheet.

Bake at 410 for only 10 to 15 minutes, or til tops are golden. You can brush the tops with melted butter when they come out, if you like.

The biggest difference comes with the moisture content of the dough, the brand of flour(-low gluten, which comes from using only soft wheat), and the use of buttermilk. By the way, you can culture your own buttermilk easily, by adding warm milk to the 3/4 empty buttermilk container, and setting out overnight.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), July 25, 2001.

Hi let me tell you my very simple way to do bisquits. I take self- rising flour, an egg or 2 depending on how many I am making, oil, and milk if I have it water if I don't. I didn't say amounts because it depends on how many I am making. If for a family on 5 I start with maybe 3cups of flour, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup of oil and enough milk to make the dough thick. I put oil in pan and using a large spoon I drop spoonfuls in pan with sides touching. I know this might not sound fancy as some of the other recipies but when there done they are drop dead good, lol. Good luck.

-- Wynema Passmore/Ar (nemad_72039@yahoo.com), July 25, 2001.

Hello, I use "White Lily" self rising flour,"Kraft" mayonnaise and milk. (I am sorry I don't measure). I mix them with a fork and then roll them in the palm of my hand until they are smooth and pretty. Place them in a greased pan and let set for about 10-15 minutes and then bake at 425* until golden brown. Everyone raves about them. They are wonderful with a vine ripe tomatoe slice , fresh honey or my grape jelly!

The next time I make them I will try to remember to measure things and post it for you. GL

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), July 25, 2001.

If the above recipes don't work, which are great recipes, by the way; try the following 'no fail', 'goof proof' method.

Buy a box of jiffy mix

dump some in a bowl add enough milk to make a soggy mess, but not quit soupy. Dump it out onto a pile of flour and knead it until you get a nice soft ball and then flatten it out by hand to about 1/2 inch thick.

While you are cutting the biscuits (I use a small tomato paste can with both ends cut out) warm the pan in the oven with bacon drippings and shortening covering the bottom.

Cut the biscuits and take each biscuit and dip it into the grease and flip them over so that both sides get coated. Shove them into a corner of the pan and continue until the pan is full.

Bake at 400 degrees until they are golden brown.

Some of the city gals could never get the hang of bisuits from scratch and this is the closest thing they could get the hang of...LOL

Biscuits can make or break a marriage!

-- Stephanie Nosacek (pospossum@earthlink.net), July 25, 2001.

Hey Ken, I believe if my wife and your wife would get together and mix their recipe together they might have the perfect biscuit. I always tell my wife she should market her biscuit to Wal-mart. You know: "Wal-mart-fall apart". Every time I try to cut one of her biscuits open it completly crumbles up in my hand.

-- Russell Hays (rhays@sstelco.com), July 25, 2001.

The secret to fluffy biscuits is to handle the dough as little as possible. Mix only until the ingredients are all wet, roll out on lightly floured board, knead four or five times, press out by hand, and then cut the biscuits for baking.

-- Skip in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), July 25, 2001.

I have no clue what the secret is to making biscuits. Oddly enough, I USED to make great biscuits. Then stopped while I was a yuppy money grubber married to an East Indian who knew nothing about what biscuits were. I tried a batch after a 20 year hiatus, and the dog wouldn't even eat them.

OK, I lied. The dog DID eat the biscuits (though the kid wouldn't touch them anymore after the first bite). It was the alleged French Bread (rose not at all, came out of the oven the size of breadsticks and hard enough to bludgeon diamonds into powder) that the dog was wise enough not to eat (or leastways not desperate enough to leave alone)

-- Sojourner (notime4@summer.spam), July 25, 2001.

I use whole wheat pastry flour, and make the dough as sticky wet as I can get away with handling. Instead of rolling them out, I avoid overhandling by using a heavily floured hand to pinch out a biscuit sized ball. Toss it back and forth a few times to coat with flour and shape, then pat it into biscuit shape on the pan. Using cold flour and butter also helps.

-- Connie (Connie@lunehaven.com), July 26, 2001.

Oh dear! Sounds like timing is more of a problem, Kenneth. I use Ceresota unbleached flour (Martha White and other southern brands are hard to find up here in N IL). And biscuit dough MUST be cut or dropped. Oil? Eggs? Oh dear! Here's my favorite recipe: 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup butter (or shortening, lard, maybe bacon grease), 3/4 cup buttermilk. In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt; cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk; knead dough gently. Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. CUT with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 10 biscuits. Hope this helps!

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), July 26, 2001.

Russell, I have found that when my biscuits fall apart, I have used too much shortening in relation to flour and moisture. Use no more than 1/4 cup of fat per 2 cups of flour. and make sure the moisture content is enough to make a *sticky* dough.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), July 26, 2001.

My wife (and me and my daughter) Thank you. She admitted to over kneading the dough. After reading your post she had a light bulb moment. Her batch this morning was not only purty but very tasty.

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), July 26, 2001.

She's a keeper then.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), July 26, 2001.

Early in their marriage, my father-in-law made a comment about his new wife's biscuits. Not a biscuit crossed his table for the next ten years! If my husband has something bad to say about my cooking, I ask him how he likes his biscuits.

-- Mona in OK (modoc@ipa.net), July 26, 2001.

heheheheheh Mona you lighten my day. Luckily both the wife and I have very good sense of humor. :o)

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), July 26, 2001.

Footnote: What is a perfectly wonderful recipe at one altitude, can be a flop at another altitude.

-- paul (primrose@centex.net), July 27, 2001.

I'd say you're blessed with a special wife to give it a try and then try to improve upon biscuit making. I admit I use the Bisquick stuff and sometimes if I overknead, add a bit too much or too little liquid, I get some interesting biscuits. They're generally edible. Ummmm maybe I'll make some in the morning, I love them with butter and a fresh tomatoe slice and my tomatoes just starting coming in. Thanks for prompting me with that thought! Sharon

-- Sharon (spangenberg@hovac.com), July 28, 2001.

I just made some 100% whole wheat biscuits the other day... boy were they gooooood. I didnt bake them in the oven, though, I did skillet biscuits, where you heat an iron skillet on the stove and put them in dry and cover them. turn them when half done. They were sooo good. My kids were sad I didnt make more.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), July 28, 2001.

LOVED it Mona, I must remember that line!!!!!

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), July 28, 2001.

Ours are "lethal" so we stick to homemade bread. I was thinking about grinding my bisquits up for shotgun loads but figured they'd be to hard on the environment. I think I'll try some of the recipes listed.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), July 30, 2001.

Hey Jay, that could damage the inside wall of your shotgun barrel also.

-- Russell Hays (rhays@sstelco.com), August 01, 2001.

My Granma in southern Alabama made the best biscuits ever. My mother makes them the same way too. Unfortunately Granma is hundreds of miles from me and stuck in a bed in a nursing home. (Mom is too far away as well.) My mother has shown me the method a few times but I'm slow and I just don't get the knack for it but here's a general idea.....

Granma kept a bowl of flour covered with a plate on the counter. She would sift the flour occaisionaly to get bits of old dough out. She would take her hand and make a hollow in the flour and then pour in buttermilk and some shortening (don't remember any eggs being used), never measured, directly into the flour. There may have been something else but I don't know. Then she would stick her (clean) fingers into liquids and gently start pulling flour away from the sides of the bowl, mixing with a circular motion as she went. (It's all in the wrist.) When she had gotten enough flour pulled into the liquids and the dough had gotten thick enough, she would clean off her hands, flour them and start pinching off dough, roll it into a ball, and then lay it in a well greased iron skillet, and press it down a bit. Bake until golden brown and just right.

Then came the best part...eating them. The method I usually preferred was to mix a liberal amount of butter with a liberal amount of honey and the "sop" the bisquit.

My Dad grew up in New York and for the longest time would not sop his bisquits. He would cut his open, put butter on each 1/2 and pour syrup or honey over that and eat it with a fork. He wouldn't eat his eggs mixed into the yellow grits either. For him, grits were eaten like cream of wheat with butter and sugar on them. (I confess that is how I liked them as a kid. But my kids know better.)

I hope the Lord takes Granma soon 'cause it's hard bein' all the way up here knowin' she's probably lonely down there and there is nothin' I can do about it.

-- LBD (lavenderbluedilly@hotmail.com), August 03, 2001.