Granny's Biscuits

Hi, everyone! I have been so busy for a couple weeks now and it has me seriously behind on my blogging.  I guess you could say I've had spring fever lately and it's kept me busy with all kinds of stuff.

One of my favorite things to make, regardless of what the item actually is, is something that reminds me of someone.  Food has a way of taking you to a happy place filled with love and memories of people that you have cared about.  As I have said before, there are a million ways to make biscuits and it seems that every cook has her own, unique, trademark way of doing it.  Granny's biscuits are no exception.

Granny's biscuits are one-of-a-kind and oh-so-good!

Granny's biscuits are very unique; I have never known anyone to make them the way she did, and she said that she didn't either.  As a rule, biscuits are simply a mixture of flour, baking powder, salt, milk and fat.  Granny however, simply used self-rising flour (which already includes the baking powder and salt) and buttermilk.  That's it!  And they are soo good! She claimed that she came upon making them that way accidentally as she and my grandfather (who was slowly dying of heart failure) had very little money after my grandfather could no longer work.  She said she just started leaving the fat out of the biscuits in order to conserve resources, and had no idea that she was creating a masterpiece in the process!  So, here's the recipe:

Granny's Biscuits

2 c. self-rising flour (plus more for handling)
1 c. buttermilk (approximately)
About 2-3 T. oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In a large, cast-iron skillet (or an old-fashioned black bread tin, if you happen to have one) pour enough oil to coat the bottom of the skillet or tin. Pour off any excess. (There should be a generous amount of oil in the skillet, but you don't want any to be standing.) In a mixing bowl, pour buttermilk into flour all at once, and stir vigorously until blended.  Be careful to not over-beat.  Turn out onto generously floured surface and sprinkle with flour.  Dip hands into flour, and using index fingers, pinch off enough dough for one biscuit.  Roll gently between hands to form and then lay in skillet.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Using a spoon, coat biscuit dough individually with oil, but be careful to remove any excess oil that may run-off and pool up between biscuits. (The idea is to make sure biscuits are well-coated on all sides with oil, but not soaking in it.)  Place in oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until well-browned on top.  Remove immediately and serve hot.  These are especially good with homemade apple butter. 

If you're like me, and you like the crunchy part of any bread, you can also fix yourself an individual "biscuit" by using a separate skillet and patting out about 2 biscuits worth of dough in it like you would pat out a pizza crust.  It will bake up crisp and delicious!!!

The interesting thing about her biscuits is that they are crunchy on the outside (due to the oil basically frying the dough) and very moist and chewy on the inside.  I promise they are unlike any you have ever had, but if you make them right, you will be making them again. 

Pineapple Breakfast Muffins

I had some crushed pineapple left over from my pineapple & ham pizza, so I thought I would throw it into some muffins for a tasty, quick morning snack.   If you don't like pineapple, you could always substitute in your favorite fruit.  These muffins are incredibly light and moist! They go just perfect with your morning coffee!

These muffins are very light and delicately textured.

Pineapple Breakfast Muffins

2 c. all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. milk
4 T. melted butter
1 egg
3/4 c. crushed pineapple

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tin with paper liners or generously grease.  Combine all dry ingredients; then add milk, butter, egg and crushed pineapple. Stir until combined.  Batter will be lumpy.  Fill muffin tins until 2/3 full.  Bake about 15-20 minutes or until delicately browned on top.  Serve hot with butter if desired.  Makes 12 average-sized muffins.

Substitute the pineapple with your favorite fruit if desired.

Mom-ma's Homemade Biscuits

Mom-ma's Biscuits: my absolute favorite

Every cook makes biscuits differently.   If you put my grandmother's biscuits on a plate beside my mother's, I could instantly tell the difference, even though they're both delicious. Biscuits are sort of like a trademark...many people will recognize you for the bread you make (cornbread, especially, but I'll post about cornbread later...).  Like many other foods that are made from scratch, there are all kinds of ways to make biscuits, but the basic principle is always the same: flour + fat + milk + high heat = biscuits. 

Fortunately, I come from a good line of biscuit-makers (haha!): both of my grandmothers made heavenly biscuits, and my mom is also pretty darn-good at it. However, I find that I am constantly trying to perfect my own, as so much of how they turn out is in the handling. If my sisters stay with us, or my husband requests biscuits, I will usually ask "What kind do you want?" This means: Do you want Granny's biscuits, or Mom-ma's biscuits...etc.? 

Today, I'm going to give you Mom-ma's (my grandmother's) biscuit recipe. She makes my absolute favorite biscuits, which are incredibly light and delicately textured. They are just perfect no matter how you eat them!  One thing that's kind of different about Mom-ma's biscuits is the fat she puts in them.  Almost every biscuit recipe in a cookbook will call for shortening to be cut into the flour before the liquid is added.   What Mom-ma does differently than most is use oil instead of shortening. If you have always used shortening, I think you'll be surprised at how well the oil works. I think it also helps make for a lighter biscuit. Not only does using oil save time and effort (because you don't have to cut the oil in), but it's also healthier for you.

Mom-ma's Biscuits

2 c. self-rising flour
1/4 c. oil
3/4-1 c. milk
1-2 T. softened butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place flour in mixing bowl, and add oil and milk.  Add only 3/4 c. milk at first, and add more as needed.  Dough should be very soft, but should still hold its shape.  Stir vigorously for about 10-15 seconds, but only until ingredients are combined. (Over-stirring will cause bread to be tough.) Place dough onto a floured counter top.  Sprinkle top of dough with flour, and be sure to coat fingers so dough will not stick.  Don't knead the dough, but simply pat-out until about 1/2" thick, then cut with a biscuit cutter.  Place onto ungreased pan and spread softened butter over tops of biscuits. (You could also just spray them with a quick blast of non-stick cooking spray.) Bake in hot oven (450 degrees) for about 8-10 minutes or until tops are delicately browned. Serve hot with favorite topping, or serve plain.

Mom-ma uses oil instead of shortening, which also saves time, because you don't have to cut it i.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured counter top, pat-out, and cut with biscuit cutter.

Place on ungreased pan, spread tops with softened butter, and bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Serve hot, plain or with favorite spread.



Top left to bottom right: apple butter, apple jelly, honey and blackberry jelly
(all homemade--except for the honey--it was locally made).

 These are excellent with anything: gravy, sausage, butter, jelly, apple butter, molasses, honey, or plain.  These biscuits are so good, and so light, you will be perfectly satisfied eating them with nothing but a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee! Here in the South, biscuits aren't only a breakfast bread: they are often served with dinner, especially if the main course is fried chicken or ham.  Try them, and let me know what you think!

Egg & Muffin Breakfast Sandwiches

  OK: I'm not an expert on copyright, but I'm pretty sure I can't use the famous food chain's name for this breakfast sandwich because that would be trademark infringement or something; but you probably know what I'm going for here...hopefully.

  

First of all, if you love bread and have never tried an English muffin, you must! They are my favorite pre-made breakfast item (unless you count cereal...) And they are a great, quick breakfast bread. The texture is so much better than toast, and they're perfection when simply toasted and topped with homemade jelly. You can get them at practically any grocery store (I bought 12 for $1.99 at Kroger!) However, if you would like to eat something a little heartier than just a muffin with jelly, try making an egg and muffin sandwich!  They're delicious (not to mention cheap and easy)!   

Egg and muffin sandwiches are a great and easy way to start the day!



Egg & Muffin Breakfast Sandwich

1 English muffin

1 egg
1 slice of American cheese
1 slice of Canadian bacon

butter or buttery spread

nonstick cooking spray

dash of salt

dash of pepper



Split and toast the English muffin.  While the muffin is toasting, heat a small skillet that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray over medium high heat.  When hot, break the egg into the skillet and fry for about 2-3 minutes, or until it holds together enough to flip over. Dash with salt and pepper before turning.  Flip the egg, break the yolk, and dash with salt and pepper.  Place the Canadian bacon on top of the egg and continue frying until done (about 2-3 more minutes).  Add the slice of cheese during the last minute of frying so it will melt.  Spread the toasted English muffin with butter or buttery spread, and place the egg so that it is situated between the layers of the muffin. Cut in half if you wish. Serve hot!

Best Blueberry Muffins

These blueberry muffins are the best I ever ate! I frequently get asked to make them for breakfast when my sisters visit.  They are super-easy to throw together and oh-so scrumptious!  Why buy muffins from the store when home-made ones are cheaper and tastier?

Even if you aren't much of a baker, these are pretty-much fool-proof.  If you don't like blueberries, you could substitute any other fruit of similar size. I have also made them with black raspberries and they were just as good. This recipe will make 12 average sized muffins. 

Best Blueberry Muffins

2  cups all-purpose flour

1/2 c. granulated sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. oil
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1 cup blueberries




Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a muffin tin or line with paper baking cups. (I suggest quickly spraying the paper liners with a non-stick baking spray.) In mixing bowl, blend flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add oil, egg and milk, and stir just until blended.  Carefully add blueberries and gently mix into batter.  Fill muffin cups until 2/3 full. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Serve plain or with spread of your choice.

Since fresh blueberries are often out-of-season, and therefore very expensive, I keep a bag of frozen blueberries on hand to use whenever I want.  This not only prevents you from having to use the fruit before it turns, but the frozen berries are also easier to blend into the batter, as they are more resistant to "mushing-up."