RECIPE of the Day - 12/04/2006

This is a great recipe for tender, fluffy biscuits. Follow the tips following the recipe and you have a fool-proof biscuit.



Easy Homemade Biscuits

1/3 C. butter, softened and cubed
2 1/4 C. self-rising flour
1 C. buttermilk
3 T. melted butter

Cut softened butter into flour with a pastry blender until butter cubes are coated with flour. Using your hands, gently combine until mixture resembles small peas. Stir in buttermilk with a fork just until blended. (Mixture will be wet.)

Turn dough out onto a generously floured surface, and pat to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut dough with a well-floured 2 inch round cutter and place on lightly greased baking sheets.

Bake at 450 degrees for 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter while warm. Serve immediately.

Biscuit Tips:

Soften butter at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Butter that is too cold will overwork the dough and produce a tough biscuit. Butter that is too soft will coat the flour and prevent the pea size pellets from forming, thus producing a flat biscuit. It is important to form the pea size pellets because they are distributed evenly through dough and release steam, which causes the biscuit to puff and make a fluffy, tender biscuit.

When you're cutting out the biscuits, don't ever twist the cutter. Just press straight down and pull straight up. Twisting the cutter will compress and seal the edges of the biscuit, preventing it from rising as it should.