Country Biscuits Recipes

Steps:

• FOR THE BISCUITS:.
• Wash Hands.
• Sift flour into a medium or large mixing bowl. Shake the bowl side-to-side lightly to even out the flour.
• Beat the eggs slightly to blend yolks and whites.
• Combine oil and egg with half the buttermilk and pour into the flour. Mix thoroughly with a large spoon or fork, or use your hand to squeeze the dough through your fingers, until the dough is well blended.
• Add the remaining buttermilk, a little at a time, blending into the dough after each addition, until the right consistency is achieved.
• The dough should be just firm enough to form into balls but light enough to slump slightly when placed onto the baking sheet. Experience will enable you to tell from the feel of the dough. If dough is too light, add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing thoroughly each time, until the dough is the right consistency. If dough is too dense (stiff), add buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, blending well into the dough after each addition, until the dough is the right consistency.
• Clean the dough off your hands, then rinse and dry them. Flour the palms and fingers of both hands to prevent the dough from sticking to them.
• Pinch off a handful of dough roughly 2/3 the size you want your biscuits to be and roll it between your hands in a circular motion, using just enough pressure to form a ball. Shaping the dough will flour the outside of the biscuit.
• Place the ball of dough onto an ungreased baking sheet and press down with fingers just enough to flatten the dough slightly and form the biscuit shape. Repeat, flouring hands after each dough ball is formed and placing biscuits about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch apart, until all the dough is used up.
• Cathead Biscuits.
• For cathead biscuits, use about half again as much dough for each biscuit as you would use for regular size biscuits, leaving them thicker than for regular biscuits. Place cat-head biscuits about 3/4-inch apart on the baking sheet.
• Place the pan of biscuits as close to the vertical center of the preheated 350-degree oven as your rack guides will allow and bake for 20-30 minutes. Check biscuits after 20 minutes and periodically thereafter until done. Biscuits will be done when the tops are golden brown. Cathead biscuits will take longer to bake. The lower edges of the biscuits may be slightly lighter than the center.
• Remove biscuits from oven when done. Serve hot.
• Makes 8 to 10 biscuits, or 4 to 5 cathead biscuits.
• FOR THE GRAVY.
• Mix evaporated milk and water and set aside within reach.
• In a large, cast iron skillet, combine oil (or meat fat), flour, salt, and pepper.
• Over medium-high heat, stir in flour until blended with oil. With a fork, tines flat against the skillet's bottom, stir the mixture constantly, using a back-and-forth motion, until it begins to brown very slightly. Do not allow the flour to scorch or burn.
• When flour has browned slightly, pour in milk, all at once, stirring constantly.
• Continue to stir, scraping the bottom of the skillet as you stir, in the manner previously described, to keep flour and milk from scorching and to keep lumps from forming. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• As soon as the mixture boils, marked by a sudden foaming up of the mixture, reduce heat to medium so that mixture simmers but does not boil over. Briefly lift pan from heat if necessary to keep contents from boiling over. Don't forget to use a pot holder to avoid being burned.
• Continue to stir vigorously, as described above, until gravy achieves desired thickness, usually within a minute or two after boiling. When the gravy is the desired thickness, immediately remove from heat. Serve from the skillet or pour into a serving bowl.
• Add additional salt and pepper if needed.
• Serves 4.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375F and grease baking sheet.
• Soften yeast in water.
• Sift flour sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium sized bowl.
• Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Pour buttermilk over cereal; mix well.
• Add to dry ingredients with yeast mixture.
• Mix just until well-moistened.
• Drop by heaping tablespoons two inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden.
• Serve warm.

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 the oven to 450 degrees. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven to heat.
• For the scallion-pimento cheese: Stir together the cheese, pimentos, mayonnaise and scallions in a large bowl. Set aside, or if making ahead, place in the fridge until ready to use.
• For the country ham biscuits: Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Using a pastry blender or 2 table knives, cut the cold butter cubes into the flour until it resembles coarse meal. Use a fork to stir in the buttermilk to make a soft dough that comes together and leaves the sides of the bowl (make sure all the flour is worked in). Stir in the ham. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead 3 or 4 times until smooth and manageable.
• With your hands or a floured rolling pin, flatten the dough to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Cut the dough out with a 2-inch floured biscuit cutter.
• Remove the skillet from the oven and melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in it. Place the biscuits in the skillet. Bake until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes.
• To serve: Split the biscuits and serve with a generous spread of pimento cheese.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Gently cut in butter then add yogurt. Mix with hands without overworking dough. Dough should be slightly sticky. Pour onto lightly floured counter and roll to 1-inch thickness. Cut out 2-inch rounds and place on unlined non-stick baking tray. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Brush tops with heavy cream and bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Make buttermilk biscuits: mix flours, baking powder and soda, salt, and pepper in mixing bowl. Cut 6 T. butter into small pieces and add to flour mixture. Cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles fine meal. Melt remaining 4 T. butter and set aside. Make well in flour mixture, pour in buttermilk, and gradually work flour into buttermilk using fork.
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Roll or pat evenly 1/2-inch thick. Using 2-1/2" biscuit cutter or rim of glass, cut out 12 biscuits. Brush both sides with melted butter and place on ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake until golden, 10-12 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet at least 5 minutes before splitting.
• Split warm biscuits in half. Spread bottom half with mustard and top with butter. Place 2 slices ham on each bottom half and cover with top. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
• In greased 12x8 baking dish, layer the bacon, chicken, vegetables, tomatoes, and then 1 cup of cheese.
• Blend the soup and 3/4 cup milk with 1/2 of the French fried onions. Pour over the casserole, cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
• While the casserole is baking, combine the biscuit mix, 2/3 cup milk, and the remaining french fried onions - mix thoroughly.
• Drop the biscuit dough on top of the casserole by the spoonfuls to form 6 biscuits around the edge. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Return to the oven and bake uncovered for 15 - 20 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown.

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 450°F.
• Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor.
• Cut the butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles course meal.
• If using a food processor, just pulse a few times until this consistency is achieved.
• Add the buttermilk and mix JUST until combined.
• If it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be very wet.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured board.
• Gently, gently PAT (do NOT roll with a rolling pin) the dough out until it's about 1/2" thick. Fold the dough about 5 times, gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick.
• Use a round cutter to cut into rounds.
• You can gently knead the scraps together and make a few more, but they will not be anywhere near as good as the first ones.
• Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet- if you like soft sides, put them touching each other.
• If you like"crusty" sides, put them about 1 inch apart- these will not rise as high as the biscuits put close together.
• Bake for about 10-12 minutes- the biscuits will be a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom.
• Do not overbake.
• Note: The key to real biscuits is not in the ingredients, but in the handling of the dough.
• The dough must be handled as little as possible or you will have tough biscuits.
• I have found that a food processor produces superior biscuits, because the ingredients stay colder and there's less chance of overmixing.
• You also must pat the dough out with your hands, lightly.
• Rolling with a rolling pin is a guaranteed way to overstimulate the gluten, resulting in a tougher biscuit.
• Note 2: You can make these biscuits, cut them, put them on cookie sheets and freeze them for up to a month.
• When you want fresh biscuits, simply place them frozen on the cookie sheet and bake at 450°F for about 20 minutes.