recipes@decwrl.UUCP (09/25/87)
BISCUITS-1(B) USENET Cookbook BISCUITS-1(B)
BISCUITS SUPREME
BISCUITS-1 - Simple, fluffy biscuits
This originated in The Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook,
which I consider basic equipment for genteel middle-class
living. Here "biscuits" is the North American meaning of the
word and not the Commonwealth meaning of the word. In Eng-
land these would be called "scones."
INGREDIENTS (makes 10-12)
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cup milk
PROCEDURE
(1) Preheat oven to 450 deg. F. Stir together the
flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar, and
salt. Cut in the shortening until the mixture
resembles coarse crumbs.
(2) Make a well in the center. Pour in the milk all
at once.
(3) Stir just until dough clings together; no more.
(4) Knead gently on a lightly floured surface for
10-12 strokes.
(5) Roll or pat to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a 2
1/2-inch
biscuit cutter, dipping the cutter into flour
before each cut.
(6) Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a
450 deg. F oven for 10-12 minutes, or until gol-
den.
NOTES
Lots of cookbooks tell you to use two knives, or some such,
to do the cutting-in of the first step. Forks work fine for
me (I'm a klutz.)
All of the trick to making light, fluffy biscuits is in how
you handle them: the less, the better. You can make these as
drop biscuits (skip the rolling; drop batter by tablespoons,
and bake); they're even better for the lack of handling.
Outside North America you might not know what "shortening"
is. Use butter, margarine, copha, or lard. Vegetable shor-
tening really is better for this recipe, but don't forget
lots of butter to put *on* them.... I make these for study
breaks. They disappear at an exponential rate....
RATING
Difficulty: easy. Time: 10 minutes preparation, 10 minutes
baking. Precision: measure the ingredients.
CONTRIBUTOR
Jean Marie Diaz
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass., USA
Ambar@athena.mit.edu