Sep 4, 2011

I Remember Grandmama Making Biscuits



Chuck and I rode to McLeod Farms in McBee, SC Saturday. I love the fresh produce and also wanted to try this new milk. The dairy is in South Carolina, called Hickory Hill Milk.  It is whole milk that is pasteurized but non homogenized. It is also artificial hormone free, a plus for me. The cows are allowed to graze on high quality forage. They are not confined and do this year round. If anyone knows me they know that I detest Factory Farming CAFOS. So this product I had to try.


As a child I remember standing and watching as one of the sweetest people Id ever known made biscuits. She was my Grandmama Cora. She wasn't very tall at all and always wore an apron. She was a very soft spoken, gentle natured woman. I never heard her utter a harsh word about anybody. I remember visiting her often. In later years she couldn't walk around very well. She would do needlework and she would read her Bible.  You always knew that you were the most important person to her. The truth is everyone was important to her. Her love for everyone was shown daily. She had the most beautiful hands, long slender fingers with beautifully kept nails.


Grandmama Cora
I would watch her with those soft hands sift flour and then put it in her biscuit bowl as she called it. She would make a well and put lard into that well. They used lard in those days. She would then add milk and take her hands and mix that lard and milk until it was thoroughly mixed then gradually add the flour in. She would only knead a few times then pinch off a biscuit sized piece and gently roll in her hands. Those were the best biscuits.
My mama Dot has inherited that ability to make a good biscuit but she does hers a little differently. I however do not have their born talent for making biscuits. I decided to try anyway, perfect it in my own way maybe get it right one day.
Neither one of them used a recipe. They just poured in the ingredients no measurements and they turned out perfect everytime! 

Today I tried:










I am pleased to say they taste delicious!!!  It could be the new buttermilk I don't know but I sure like it. These would be good with The Strawberry Banana Jam that Carly and I make yearly.


Dolly's Biscuit Recipe

2 cups self rising flour
(I used White Lily today. Have used Southern Biscuit Flour but my favorite is King Arthur)
1/3 cup crisco shortening
2/3 cup buttermilk
Small amount of melted butter apoximately 2 tablespoons to brush tops when cooked

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

I did not sift, put flour into bowl
Put crisco in bowl with flour
Take pastry cutter work the crisco into the flour thoroughly, until the consistency of cornmeal
Make a well
Pour milk in
Stir little flour into well with fork until you get as much flour mixed in as possible to make a mound
Take hands add flour as needed to work with dough ball, don't work any more than you have to
it makes biscuits tough if you overwork the dough
Put ball of dough onto flat surface
Pat with floured hands into a flat circle do this as flat as you wish
your biscuits will rise of course and be bigger than your dough so keep that in mind.
Cut with 2" biscuit cutter
Place on ungreased baking sheet
Bake 15 to 20 minutes

watching them to check for browning on bottom
If they have browned sufficiently on bottom then
turn oven to broil and stand there to watch for browning on top
when they have browned to your liking remove from oven

Brush tops with melted butter if you wish
Cool pan on rack
after a minute or so flip biscuits over
put in bun warmer or tea towel and serve while warm




5 comments:

  1. Those look yummy. Thanks for posting the recipe. I can hardly wait to try it. Have a GREAT week.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Heidi, you have a great week too!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for your visit to my blog. Biscuits are one thing I have never made very well,I remember watching my Mother and I try to do just as she did, but mine come nowhere close to hers,I am going to try your recipe! Elizabeth

    ReplyDelete
  4. oooooohhhhhh, I dearly love biscuits and these look wonderful! I use Hudson Cream flour from Kansas and it makes wonderful biscuits as well. When the store is out of Hudson Cream, I'll use White Lily.
    I did a post once on Cat Head Biscuits.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I just got some fresh goats milk. I am going to try making biscuits with it. Your biscuits sound so good.

    ReplyDelete


HOUSE AND GARDENS