Southern Biscuits

Tonight I made a "honey I'm sorry" dinner for my husband. We had a fight. I was wrong. I needed to cook. He needed to eat. So I made biscuits. And this time, they weren't just good. They were hell-a good. I can't count how many times I've tried to make biscuits & they never turned out quite right. Too hard, no taste. But these were good. And you call them Southern because they use shortening (AKA Crisco) the good stuff. Not butter (Sorry Paula). I was so excited I wanted to share my recipe. Hope you like it. Hope you bake them. Hope you enjoy them with a slice of onion like a good southerner. 

p.s. I'm always amazed when I finish off a can of Crisco. So much so I took a picture. I had to use my fingers and scrap enough out of the can for the 1/2 cup I needed. Which brings me to....

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

3 generous teaspoons of sugar ( a tablespoon is perfectly acceptable)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening

1 egg

2/3 cup milk 

Step 1:

Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar and salt). 

Step 2:

Cut in shortening until your flour + shortening = coarse crumbles. I use my hands for the majority of mixing this recipe. 

Step 3:

Beat egg & milk together. Here's the exception; please use a fork for this one.

Step 4:

Pour wet into dry and combine until moistened. I didn't take a pic of the wet into dry but I did of my hands. Not sure why. But I did. So you get to see it. Purdy.

Step 5:

Plop your dough out onto a well floured surface. Time for a sentimental break....it wasn't until we moved to Kentucky that I really started to enjoy cooking. I had mentioned this to my grandparents on occasion in my letters. During our first visit back home to SC my grandpa gave me his rolling pin, mat, and biscuit cutter. See, my grandpa is famous for his biscuits at his church. Once a month he makes them for the men's breakfast. If my house were on fire I'd save these before the family bible. (OK, the family bible isn't at my house but you get the point).

Step 6:

Knead your dough about 4-5 times. You don't want to over work it. We ain't makin' bread. We're makin' biscuits to get your man to forget what a butt you were 3 hours ago. Once you do that, roll them out to about 3/4 inch thick. You want to be able to cut as many biscuits as you can from the first roll. The more you handle it, the tougher your biscuits will be.

Step 7:

Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush tops with milk. Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

That's it. Lovely biscuits. I like them with onion. In the morning I'll have them topped with butter and honey. Heaven on a plate ya'll.