Buttermilk Biscuits

So, I bought a half gallon of buttermilk recently to make my Buttermilk Pie, which was delicious, by the way. I hate to be wasteful, so I'm forced to find ways to use up this buttermilk sitting in my fridge. I have big plans for it... I'm thinking Chicken and Waffles, Italian Creme Cake (which is not an Italian invention, but a Southern one), and today - buttermilk biscuits!

I wish I could say that I had my own recipe for buttermilk biscuits, or that this recipe was handed down to me by generations of Southern cooks in my family. But it's not. Unfortunately for me, out of all the extraordinary cooks and bakers in my family, none of them were good biscuit makers. My Grandma Carter was notorious for burning her biscuits, but Grandpa said he loved burnt biscuits so it all worked out. My mom usually made "drop biscuits" rather than take the time to roll them out and cut them. Or (sorry mom) she made refrigerated canned biscuits. Once you see how easy it is to make your own, you'll never make biscuits any other way.

This recipe is no secret - it's on the back of the 5 pound bag of White Lily self-rising flour. You can pretty much find it anywhere. I'm just here to walk you through the steps and to give encouragement! I'm a biscuit cheerleader.

Buttermilk Biscuits

• 2 cups White Lily self-rising flour

• 1/4 cup Crisco shortening

• 2/3 + cups buttermilk or regular whole milk (do yourself a favor and use buttermilk)

Heat oven to 500 degrees F. Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray. Measure flour into a large bowl. Cut in shortening with a fork until it crumbs. Add the milk and blend together with a fork until the dough leaves the side of the bowl. It will look a little like play-dough.
Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead gently 2 to 3 times. (DON'T kneed more or your biscuits will turn out hard). Cut out with a floured biscuit cutter. (Use a small, tea biscuit cutter for bite size pieces of love). Place on your prepared baking sheet and bake at 500 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes. Check them at 8 minutes. They should be a lovely golden brown. 

If you really love the people you're making these biscuits for, brush the tops with a little melted butter right when they come out of the oven. 

The dough has pulled away from the side of the bowl

Little bites of love.

Served with blueberry jam and lemon curd.