Traditional Southern Biscuits Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Add 1 tablespoon of the cold butter and the cold shortening and work it into the dry ingredients, using your hands, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk. The dough will be sticky. Dust your work surface with some flour. Turn the dough onto the floured surface. Gently fold each side toward the center. Pick up the dough and dust the work surface with additional flour. Return the dough to the floured surface and fold each side towards the center again. Turn the dough over and press it out to 1-inch thickness. Cut the biscuits, straight down, do not twist the cutter, with a 2 1/4-inch round cookie cutter. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and add to a 10-inch round cake pan. Place the biscuits in the pan, turning once (to coat both sides with butter), about 1/4-inch apart. Let the biscuits rest for 15 minutes before baking. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.
• Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light as those from the first, but hey, that's life.)
• Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 10 muffin cups with paper muffin liners.
• In a large bowl, combine self-rising flour and sugar. Stir in milk and mayonnaise until a smooth dough is formed. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and doubled in size.

Steps:

• 1. After pouring flour into mixing bowl, cut in shortening with pastry blender (or fork) until mixture is like coarse meal. THE FAT MUST BE COLD!
• 2. Then pour buttermilk into mixture and stir ingredients together. DO NOT OVERMIX!
• 3. Add more buttermilk (if necessary) and stir left over dry ingredients in bottom of mixing bowl to become part of dough. (The dough should be as "wet" as possible and still be able to handle it without sticking to flour-dusted hands). Shape the dough into one large lump on a flour-dusted surface. DO NOT KNEAD DOUGH!
• 4. Shape or lightly roll dough to desired thickness. Cut out biscuits and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees F for about 10-12 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Makes about one dozen biscuits.
• 5. Traditional Variations: (In case your grandmother's biscuits had a slightly different taste . . . ) #1 Instead of Crisco, substitute cold lard in order to get crisp tops and soft middles; or #2 Instead of Crisco, substitute cold(not melted) butter (not margarine) for a soft buttery taste; or #3 Instead of Crisco, use 3 tablespoons of cold lard and 1 tablespoon of cold butter for the perfect Southern biscuit! My personal favorite. #4 Instead of self-rising flour, substitute the following ingredients: 2 cups of all purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt
• 6. Cheese Variation: #5 Same as #3 plus 2/3 cup of shredded Jack or Sharp Cheddar Cheese placed into the dry ingredients prior to adding the buttermilk. The addition of the Jack Cheese will result in a more subtle cheese flavor than the Sharp Cheddar.