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Farm Kitchen:  Does anybody have the definitive recipe for  |
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Utahfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1940 Posts
Portland
Oregon
USA
1940 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 30 2008 : 11:37:28 AM
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BISCUITS!! Stuie and I are on a quest to find the perfect biscuit - light and fluffy but not artifically fluffy if you know what I mean. And fairly easy would be nice. We're willing to do the cutting in of fat and rolling and cutting out thing.
We've gone through a hundred recipes to no avail. We even stopped one lovely Mennonite woman at the supermarket and asked her if she had one. We had a nice talk and she said she'd do some asking around and email me one but so far, I haven't heard from her. She must have thought I was nuts, but that's me.
Thanks in advance.
Patricia
Proud Farmgirl Sister #19
Rusty Chicks Chapter
check out my etsy site http://ThePlayfulFarmgirl.etsy.com
Today I choose faith not fear. |
Edited by - Utahfarmgirl on Mar 30 2008 11:38:03 AM |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2008 : 12:52:23 PM
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Have you tried doing MJ's biscuits? I really love them and the trick is to not over-work the dough.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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Utahfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1940 Posts
Portland
Oregon
USA
1940 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2008 : 1:05:24 PM
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MJ called when she saw this post and gave me some great pointers. I love MJ's baking mix but I want to make some from scratch scratch, not from a mix.
Thanks for your imput, Alee!!
love,
Patricia
Proud Farmgirl Sister #19
Rusty Chicks Chapter
check out my etsy site http://ThePlayfulFarmgirl.etsy.com
Today I choose faith not fear. |
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Peanut
True Blue Farmgirl
603 Posts
Jennifer
Waverly
Virginia
USA
603 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2008 : 1:07:45 PM
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My definitive book for all southern cooking is The Gift of Southern Cooking by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock. There are two big secrets to biscuits - work the fat in with your fingers and leave lumps about 1/2 inch in size (this creates moisture) AND do not twist the biscuit cutter - this "seals" the dough and it cannot rise.
Here's the recipe. It's the best I've found and that's saying a lot coming from this southern girl!
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Hot Crusty Buttermilk Biscuits
From The Gift of Southern Cooking, by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock
5 cups sifted white flour made from soft wheat
(Peacock prefers White Lily)
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
(Homemade version: Combine 1/4 cup cream of
tartar and 2 tablespoons baking soda and measure
out what you need.)
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1/2 cup cold lard
1 1/4 cups cold buttermilk
A few tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add lard and, working quickly, coat it in flour and rub between your fingertips until about half the lard is finely blended and the other half remains in large pieces, about 1/2 inch in size. Pour in buttermilk and stir quickly just until dough is blended and begins to mass.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and, with floured hands, knead briskly eight to 10 times, until it becomes cohesive.
Gently flatten dough with your hands into a disk of even thinness; then, using a floured rolling pin, roll it out to a uniform thickness of 1/2 inch. With a dinner fork dipped in flour, pierce the dough at 1/2-inch intervals.
Lightly flour a 2 1/2- or 3-inch biscuit cutter and stamp out rounds without twisting the cutter in the dough. Cut biscuits from dough as close together as possible for maximum yield. Transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet, placing them so they barely touch. Don’t reroll the scraps. Just arrange them around the edge of the sheet and bake — cook’s treat.
Place the baking sheet immediately on the center rack of the oven. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, checking after six minutes, and turning the pan, if needed, for even baking. When biscuits are golden brown, remove them from oven and brush the tops with melted butter.
Makes about 15 biscuits.
My blog: http://thecottonwife.wordpress.com/
"John Deere. We stand behind everything we sell. Except the manure spreader." |
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Utahfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1940 Posts
Portland
Oregon
USA
1940 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2008 : 1:28:15 PM
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Jennifer!! How exciting. Printing it out now. Stuie and I will use it tonight and incorporate all the tips Maryjane gave me this morning. She talked about using homemade baking power and of course, she does in her wonderful Baking Mix. I'm so excited to have a recipe for it! Many, Many thanks!
love,
Patricia
Proud Farmgirl Sister #19
Rusty Chicks Chapter
check out my etsy site http://ThePlayfulFarmgirl.etsy.com
Today I choose faith not fear. |
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katie-ell
True Blue Farmgirl
1818 Posts
Katie
Illinois
1818 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2008 : 1:36:27 PM
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I always had trouble in working in the butter when baking biscuits. I'm not the best at 'cutting in'. Then I saw someone on a cooking show do this: (1)chill the butter in the freezer and (2) then use a cheese grater to grate the measured, chilled butter into the flour mixture. Boy oh boy that worked out just great for me! It puts the butter into bitty pieces that are so easy to mix into the dry ingredients -- and I made my best biscuits ever, using the Budget mix and the butter!
www.youaretoocreative.blogspot.com |
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Utahfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1940 Posts
Portland
Oregon
USA
1940 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2008 : 1:38:41 PM
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What a great idea. MJ also said NEVER use your fingers to do the cutting in because they're warm and you want everything cold.
Thanks, Katie
Patricia
Proud Farmgirl Sister #19
Rusty Chicks Chapter
check out my etsy site http://ThePlayfulFarmgirl.etsy.com
Today I choose faith not fear. |
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Peanut
True Blue Farmgirl
603 Posts
Jennifer
Waverly
Virginia
USA
603 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2008 : 4:11:41 PM
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The Gift of Southern Cooking also espouses the benefits of homemade baking powder. It's good stuff!
I guess I like using my fingers for the lard (which I keep refrigerated) because well... I just like to get my hands into what I'm baking (!) and also I can get the pieces just right - those larger chunks really make a difference.
Let me know how they turn out, Patricia!
My blog: http://thecottonwife.wordpress.com/
"John Deere. We stand behind everything we sell. Except the manure spreader." |
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Farm Kitchen: Does anybody have the definitive recipe for |
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Does anybody have the definitive recipe for
