Biscuits.
So with the wonderfully cool fall weather, I'm starting to have a craving for warm things for meals. So I took a few biscuit recipes from around the 'Net, and as is my normal style, I tweaked and modified them. Extremely successful so far.
The Base:
Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix dry ingredients well in a large mixing bowl, then cut in shortening. Stir in milk until completely mixed. For best results, use warm milk (simmering it in a saucepan on the stove works quite well). You may optionally knead out the dough gently 15-20 times on a flat board, lightly sprinkled with flour, or you may simply choose to make drop-style biscuits (I prefer the latter).
Either knead and cut biscuits using your preferred method or drop them directly onto a lightly-greased baking implement. Makes about 6 cut biscuits, 12 large drop biscuits, or 18 small drop biscuits. Bake for 14-18 minutes, depending on the size of your biscuits (smaller ones will require less time).
Variation 1 - Garlic and Herb
When warming the milk, mix in some fresh garlic or garlic powder, to taste. Also add various herbs to the dry mixture. Garlic powder, cilantro, sweet basil, thyme, and sage all work quite well, from my experience. No further changes necessary. This will give you a nice herb taste to the biscuits, which makes them better as a side for a full dinner.
Variation 2 - Chocolate!
Add 2-3 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 1/4 cup sugar to the milk while warming. To the dry mixture, add 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 cup sugar, and decrease flour to 1 1/2 cups. You may optionally sprinkle the biscuits before baking with granulated sugar for a nice carmelized effect.
More variations as I come up with them. The chocolate ones are baking now... yum!
Oh, and I'm going to start using tags now, for what that's worth.
The Base:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup vegetable shortening, such as Crisco
- dash salt
- dash granulated sugar
- 1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix dry ingredients well in a large mixing bowl, then cut in shortening. Stir in milk until completely mixed. For best results, use warm milk (simmering it in a saucepan on the stove works quite well). You may optionally knead out the dough gently 15-20 times on a flat board, lightly sprinkled with flour, or you may simply choose to make drop-style biscuits (I prefer the latter).
Either knead and cut biscuits using your preferred method or drop them directly onto a lightly-greased baking implement. Makes about 6 cut biscuits, 12 large drop biscuits, or 18 small drop biscuits. Bake for 14-18 minutes, depending on the size of your biscuits (smaller ones will require less time).
Variation 1 - Garlic and Herb
When warming the milk, mix in some fresh garlic or garlic powder, to taste. Also add various herbs to the dry mixture. Garlic powder, cilantro, sweet basil, thyme, and sage all work quite well, from my experience. No further changes necessary. This will give you a nice herb taste to the biscuits, which makes them better as a side for a full dinner.
Variation 2 - Chocolate!
Add 2-3 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 1/4 cup sugar to the milk while warming. To the dry mixture, add 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 cup sugar, and decrease flour to 1 1/2 cups. You may optionally sprinkle the biscuits before baking with granulated sugar for a nice carmelized effect.
More variations as I come up with them. The chocolate ones are baking now... yum!
Oh, and I'm going to start using tags now, for what that's worth.