Bad but Good Southern Boy

By: Brandon Nichols

 
Sometimes, I am a bad Southern boy. I do not care much for sweet tea or country music. I know…it is dreadful. You would think after years in Virginia I would have acquired a taste for both. Alas, it was not meant to be.

To make up for these shortcomings, I try to be a good Southern boy in the kitchen. Quite frankly, it is not that hard. I love a good Southern meal! There is something about the food that is just so…comforting. Like all good Southern boys, I know that a meal just is not a meal without biscuits (and something fried). Biscuits are a versatile treat. You can enjoy them in the morning with butter and/or jam or for lunch/dinner with gravy (or butter, again). However, a great biscuit can be enjoyed without any accompaniment. Below, you will find such a biscuit; or at least a recipe for it.

These biscuits get rave reviews every time I make them (as if the empty plate was not compliment enough). Best of all, they are simple. No more need for the biscuits that come in the can. You will be surprised by just how easy these are to make. Give me your thoughts!

 

Ingredients

• 3 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
• ¾ cup butter, cut up
• 1 cup milk (I prefer 1% milk)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 ºF. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar.
2. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add milk all at once. Using a fork, stir just until mixture is moistened.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surfaced (preferably a baking mat). Knead the dough by folding and gently pressing it just until the dough holds together. Pat or lightly roll dough until ¾ inch thick. Cut dough using a floured 2 1/2-inch round cutter; reroll scraps if necessary. Dip the cutter in flour between cuts.
4. Place dough circles 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until golden. Remove biscuits from making sheet and serve warm.