Midnight Biscuits Recipes

Steps:

• Put sugar and butter in a bowl and cream until light and fluffy (or until your arm really aches if having the food mixer on will wake the whole house!).
• Sift the flour and cinnamon into the bowl and mix to form a smooth dough.
• Roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8in (3mm) thick.
• Cut out rounds using a 2in cutter and place on a greased baking sheet.
• Knead and reroll trimmings until you have no more dough left.
• Dredge the biscuits with caster sugar and bake at gas mark 4/180degC/350degF for 8-9 minutes until just firm to the touch. These biscuits do harden up as they cool - if you leave them to cook until they feel cooked enough you will end up with something which sounds just like a ceramic tile when you tap it against the worktop!
• Leave to stand for a minute or two and then transfer to wire racks to cool.

Steps:

• Sift together the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening until the mixture has a fine crumb or cornmeal texture. Stir in the buttermilk with a fork until a soft dough forms.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, pulling off any pieces sticking inside the bowl. Gather dough into a ball and knead about 20 times, until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Working on a floured surface, roll or pat the dough out to 1 inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a 2 inch biscuit cutter, or the floured rim of a glass, by pressing straight down and up. Twisting the cutter will prevent the biscuits from rising as high. Place biscuits about 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet, and allow to rest a few minutes.
• Bake in preheated oven until lightly brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.