Home-made Biscuits

We Canadians don't typically do biscuits. Which confuses me.

I mean, we take on [often] cheesy, crummy American movies & music, and Tim Horton's has even adopted American cup sizes (a small is now medium-sized - what?!?) But we won't borrow the tradition of biscuits with our meals?

No one ever said we were bright. We DO allow the US to affect a lot of our social & economic development (digression?)

I think Canada needs a good biscuit recipe.

But I'm a little reluctant to share this recipe so quickly. I mean, it's my go-to "secret" for pretty much a lot of things.

After church on Sundays there's often a friend get-together. At someone's house. Sometimes (a lot of times) we all bring food to contribute. If I have nothing else, I whip up a batch of these. Because I always have the ingredients on hand and they're super quick & easy!

Also, I top my chicken pot pie with these. Best move I ever made (I was too lazy to make pie crust.) Just make the fillings, pop these on top, & bake as usual.

Baking Powder Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• (½ tbsp parsley - optional)
• 1 tsp salt (or 1 tsp sugar, if you want them with something sweet.)
• ½ c. Butter or shortening or hard margarine
• ¾ c. Milk
• (cheese - optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450°F
2. In medium bowl, mix flour, salt or sugar, baking powder, & (parsley). Cut in butter/shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions) until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in milk until dough leaves side of bowl (dough will be soft & sticky)
3. Place dough on lightly floured surface, Knead lightly ten times. Roll or pat ½ inch thick. Cut with floured 2-2 ¼ inch round cutter (or small coffee mug/glass). Place on ungreased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart for crusty sides, touching for soft sides. (Sprinkle with cheese.)

Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

Basically, you can spice these or sweet these however you like. 

Herb & garlic? No problem, just throw in your fave herbs and a bit of garlic powder.

Raisins? Sure, throw in what you'd like (these are called scones/tea biscuits if they're sweet.)

Down-south style?  Serve them warm & topped w/ sausage gravy.

I'm getting all sorts of ideas here. Oh my... I think I know what I'm whipping up when I get home from the "spa night" tonight! (Marsha won a package for all of her bridal party. Sweet!)

Or, maybe the promised storm will bring enough snow for a snow day, and I could whip them up tomorrow, after I sleep in but before I leave early for boarding.