Homemade biscuits are worth the effort

My daughter came across a recipe for cream biscuits that can be made up and placed in the oven during the time it takes for the oven to heat up. This was intriguing to me, as I had always made them with recipes that called for cutting the fat into the leavened flour, then adding the liquids, and finally rolling out and cutting the dough.

I recall making biscuits with older adults when I was a kid, and I was always amazed with how they rose so much in the oven. I was also allowed to taste the dough. What fun! This has made it a pleasure to make these with my daughter, who has become quite capable of making them on her own.

Want to buy those pre-made biscuits in a tube from the refrigerated case at the local megamart? Go right ahead. Read the ingredient list too. Here is the list from a popular brand found in most any store that carries them. “Enriched Flour Bleached (wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Water, Soybean and Palm Oil, Sugar, Hydrogenated Palm Oil*, Baking Powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate). Contains 2 percent or less of: Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil*, Salt, Vital Wheat Gluten, Dextrose, Whey, Mono and Diglycerides, Xanthan Gum, Propylene Glycol Alginate, TBHQ (preservative), Natural and Artificial Flavor, Color Added. *Adds A Trivial Amount Of Trans Fat”

Compare this list to the recipe below. There are a lot of other ingredients to help stabilize the product so it can last on the shelf for a few weeks or so. Also note that they have to add flavor.

Anyway, the biscuits below are best served right after pulling out of the oven, which is when everyone wants them anyway. I always like mine just barely cooked through, with just a little bit of browning. The recipe does call for rolling them out, but the ones in the picture were made by taking chunks of the dough and gently rolling them into balls by hand and then lightly pressing them flat. The recipe does make a large amount of biscuits this way, but they are so tasty all of them were gone by the end of the meal.

For the cream biscuits, I used 40 percent heavy cream. I added a bit more than the original recipe called for, to make it work better. If using whipping cream, cut it back by 1/4 cup.

CREAM BISCUITS

6 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

4 3/4 cups heavy cream

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Stir in cream with a spoon until a dough begins to form. On a floured surface, turn out dough and lightly knead just until the dough comes together. Roll out to 1 inch thick and then cut into 2 inch rounds with a cutter. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the edges just start to brown. Remove from oven and serve.

OVERNIGHT ROLLS

1 package active dry yeast

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup warm milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

4 cups flour

2 eggs, beaten

In a large bowl, mix together yeast, milk, and sugar. Let stand for 30 minutes. Mix eggs, butter or margarine, and salt into yeast mixture. Mix in flour, 2 cups at a time. Cover with wax paper. Let dough stand at room temperature overnight. In the morning, divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a 9-inch round circle. Cut each round into 12 pie-shaped wedges. Roll up each wedge starting from wide end to the tip. Place on greased cookie sheets. Let stand until ready to bake (up to 12 hours). Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

ANGEL BISCUITS

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

2 cups buttermilk

5 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup shortening

Combine yeast and warm water; let stand 15 minutes. Add buttermilk to yeast mixture. Set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and sugar in a large bowl; cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk mixture, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead 4 or 5 times, or until not very sticky. Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness; cut with a 2 inch biscuit cutter. Place on lightly greased baking sheets, barely touching each other. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cover and let rise in a warm place free from drafts, for 1 hour. Bake for 10 minutes or until browned.