Biscuits

Biscuits Recipe: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar (if using). Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (use a pastry blender, two knives, or fingertips). Add the milk and lightly beaten egg and mix just until the dough comes together (the texture should be sticky, moist, and still lumpy).

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead gently until it just comes together. Roll or pat the dough to about a 3/4 inch (2 cm) thickness. Cut out biscuits with a lightly floured 3 inch (7.5 cm) round cookie cutter. Place on the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with the milk or cream. Bake for about 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a biscuit comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Serve warm with butter.

Makes about 8 - 3 inch (7.5 cm) Biscuits.

In North America a "Biscuit" refers to a small quick bread that is made with flour, a fat (butter, lard or shortening), chemical leavening (baking powder or baking soda), a liquid (milk or buttermilk), and sometimes eggs and a little granulated white sugar. A good Biscuit, in my mind, should have a golden brown crust and when you split it in half, it should be soft, flaky and moist enough to absorb a pat of butter.

The American Biscuit is very similar to the British Scone. To make a good Biscuit, the correct mixing of the ingredients is crucial. Although you could use an electric mixer, I prefer to mix the dough by hand using either a pastry blender or just my fingertips. Mixing by hand helps to prevent over mixing of the dough. To begin, the dry ingredients are mixed together in a large bowl. Next, the butter is cut into the flour until it looks like coarse crumbs. It is important that the butter be cold so when it is worked into the flour mixture it becomes small, flour-coated crumbs, not a smooth dough. This method is similar to how a pie pastry is made and gives the Biscuits a wonderful delicate and flaky texture. The wet ingredients are then added to the flour mixture. Mix the dough just until it comes together.

Biscuits need to be baked in a hot oven so the dough sets quickly thereby producing a light Biscuit with a golden brown top and bottom with white sides. The texture of the interior should be light and soft, and white in color. If you want crusty Biscuits, cool them uncovered. If a softer crust is desired, then wrap the hot Biscuits in a clean dish towel. Biscuits are also excellent for making another American favorite, the Strawberry Shortcake.

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