BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Ingredients

2 cups All purpose flour (I use 1 cup whole wheat, and 1 cup unbleached)
3 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp Baking soda
1/4 tsp Salt (optional)
1 tsp Sugar
3 tbsp Plus one teaspoon chilled butter (or other suitable shortening)
3/4 cup Low fat buttermilk (You may use 6 tablespoons of buttermilk powder and 3/4 cup of regular skimmed milk in place of the buttermilk)

Directions

1) In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and if using the buttermilk powder, add it now also. Stir to mix.

2) Add the shortening and cut into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

3) Add the buttermilk (or milk if using the buttermilk powder) and stir until just moist. Use a folding motion to stir these or they will get very tough.

4) Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead 15 to 20 times. Roll dough into a ½ inch thickness; cut with a 2 ½ inch biscuit or cookie cutter. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a 450 degree oven for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 1 dozen.

VARIATIONS ON BISCUITS

CINNAMON-RAISIN

Add:
1 ½ tsp Sugar
½ tsp Ground cinnamon

Combine these additional ingredients in step 1) above and continue.

Add:
½ cup Raisins

Add raisins at the end of step 2) above and toss well to mix into the flour/shortening mixture above. Complete the recipe as listed above including baking.

Additional step:
½ cup Powdered sugar
1 tbsp. Milk

Stir well to combine and drizzle over the biscuits. Serve warm and enjoy.

SWEET POTATO BISCUITS

Add one more teaspoon of baking powder in step 1) above and proceed with the recipe for buttermilk biscuits above through step 3)

At step 3) add ½ cup mashed sweet potatoes and complete the recipe including baking as shown above.


SOUR CREAM-AND-CHIVES BISCUITS

Using the buttermilk biscuit recipe above, add 3 tablespoons of fresh or freeze dried chives to step 1)
Skip step 2) shown in the buttermilk biscuit recipe and go directly to step 3)

In step 3) above, substitute for the cold shortening, buttermilk (and buttermilk powder, if you were using it instead):

2 tbsp. Melted shortening or margarine
3/4 cup Skim milk
1/3 cup Low-fat or no fat sour cream

Add the melted shortening to the buttermilk and sour cream and stir well. Add to the dry ingredients, stirring until just moist. Drop batter by heaping teaspoons onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 11 minutes at 425 degrees or until golden brown.

BLUEBERRY-BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Using the buttermilk biscuit recipe above, add the following ingredients at step 1):

3 tbsp. Sugar

Complete step 1). Eliminate step 2). At step 3), eliminate the cold shortening and add:

½ cup Fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
1/4 cup Low fat buttermilk (this is additional)
3 1/3 tbsp. Melted shortening or margarine

Combine the buttermilk and the melted shortening, mix and add to the dry ingredients. Stir until dry ingredients are just moist. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons onto a cooking sheet coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar evenly over the biscuits. Bake for 11 minutes at 425 degrees or until golden brown.

BANANA BISCUITS

Using the buttermilk biscuit recipe above, delete the 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, one cup of buttermilk. Add at step 1):

2 tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg

Complete steps 1) and 2) of the buttermilk recipe above.
At step 3) add:
½ cup Mashed banana
½ cup low fat or no fat milk.
Complete the recipe as shown in the buttermilk recipe but baking time should be 11 minutes or until golden brown at 425 degrees.

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