Drop Everything

Sometimes, the kids kinda have to be bribed, indirectly, to eat leftovers.  Especially if they didn't like the meal in the first place.  I find warm bread usually helps.  Fresh cornbread, a warm loaf of beer bread, and, last night, hot drop biscuits to make the leftover broccoli cheddar soup more palatable.

And, as usual, it worked.  The leftovers are gone . . . as were all of the extra biscuits by morning!

Drop Biscuits
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk

Preheat to 450F.

Combine dry ingredients.  But in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add milk and stir just until dough clings together.  Drop by tablespoon onto baking sheet.  Bake until golden, approximately 10-12 minutes.

Makes 10-12 biscuits.

Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

Family Biscuit Lore

I made my usual sourdough biscuits when Gommie and Pop were here and I swear I recall Gommie asking if they were her mom's (Bammie's) recipe for biscuits.  I didn't know there was a Bammie biscuit recipe--I love her bread, so this excited me--so I wrote to the person in the family who would know:  my Aunt Quilter (aka Aunt T.)

And today I got a reply, which I include here.  Not what I expected, but I'll try them soon.

     Well, your grandmother could not make a decent biscuit if her life depended on it.  They were like hockey pucks.  Her pie crust was not far behind.  She only made a decent pie crust when the oil and milk recipe came out.  That is the one I use today for pies and cobbler. She never did make biscuits.  I could not either until I met W.C. in E.C. and he taught me how.   These seem to turn out OK.  I have no idea if this is his original recipe or from some book.  It is probably very similar to yours.

Old Time Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder ( I must admit I use 6)

1/4 teaspoon soda

5 Tablespoons shortening

1 cup buttermilk

Blend shortening and dry ingredients until crumbly. Add buttermilk all at once.  Mix until pulls away from bowl. Turn onto floured board and knead about 1/2 minute. Cut and put on ungreased sheet.  Brush tops with melted butter.  Bake in 450 degree over for 12 to 15 minutes.  Makes about 14 or 16 biscuits.

Pie Crust(actually for 2 pies or 1 crust and 1 top. I, however, use it for one large pie crust, like 10" or 11")

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup milk

One Pie Curst

1 1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 oil

3 Tablespoons cold milk

Both of these are rolled out between sheets of waxed paper.