Archives for November 2016

This is for my co-worker friend Ashley who asked me one day how I make biscuits…

I can’t remember how old I was when my  mom first taught me how to make biscuits, but I can remember how excited I was to be IN HER KITCHEN.  My mom didn’t often let me in there as a kid, so the night she first introduced me to biscuit-making, it was something to be cherished.  I remember standing there in the kitchen of my childhood home, with that old beat-up aluminum pan {they still have it…and one day I hope I get it!}, with all the ingredients set before me…  She told me step-by-step what to do…and I was so excited to be making biscuits that night for my daddy!

You can make these without a cast-iron skillet…but you’ll be missing that crispy bottom if you do!

Take a paper towel, cover your fingers with it and get you a nice glob of Crisco to cover the bottom and sides of your skillet.

Next, with your sifter in a bowl, use a generous-sized spoon {mine belonged to my Nama and is larger than a soup spoon, but smaller than today’s serving spoons}.  I usually spoon out 6-8 heaps of Self-Rising flour {pending on how many biscuits you want to make!}.

Sift up the flour {don’t spin the handle completely around!!!!  Just use a back and forth motion…}

Once your flour is sifted, grab a fork and that Crisco again and scoop out another generous size {who needs actual measurements anyway?!}

With your fork, knead the Crisco into the flour so that you end up with some good crumbles 

Once you’ve mixed those two together, you’ll add your milk.  This is where I would get into trouble as a kid…start off slowly so you don’t end up soupy! Ha!

Mix as you go so you can anticipate how much more milk you’re going to need.

Adding more milk will get you the consistency almost like a scone batter.  You want the dough just tacky enough to be able to work it into the balls to press into biscuits.

Next, grab a little flour to dust on your fingers and then scoop up some dough!  Roll it within the palms of your hands to make the balls.

Then I start in the middle of my pan and work my way out and around, almost in a circle {like you’re making a pretty flower}

I press my biscuits down…to the point where my brother would always comment, “Michelle made the biscuits tonight because they’re all smushed…”  He ate them anyway :-P

There always has to be a baby one…My mom always made a little one just for me…so I have kept that tradition and make sure that there’s always a little baby one in there somewhere.

Then you do a little happy dance…and fix the rest of your supper!

Bake at 400 degrees for ~25 minutes, to when they are a light golden brown.

My mom would only let me butter half of them because my daddy didn’t always want a buttered biscuit.  I buttered all of these and they were delicious!  Just ask Reynolds or Eliza Jane.

And here’s the little baby biscuit with just the perfect amount of honey…

I recommend eating biscuits with any kind of homemade jelly, apple butter, honey, syrup even {yes, the kind you put on waffles or pancakes!}…and my daddy eats his with Sorghum syrup.

If you use this recipe, good luck – I hope you love Grammy’s Homemade Southern Biscuits!!