My Grandmother made the most amazing biscuits. I would love to be able to taste them one more time. Alas, she never could teach anyone how to make them. She just sort of threw everything into a flour bowl (a metal bowl that always had flour in it) and baked them. She didn’t know how to teach anyone because she never thought about how she did it. Sadly, she eventually lost the ability to make them. She went home a long time ago.
And she left behind a granddaughter who is forever searching for a wonderful biscuit recipe. I’ve got many, many recipes. I don’t know where this one came from. And it’s not like my Grandmother’s biscuits. But, hey, none of them are.
Buttery Baking Powder Biscuits
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup cold butter or margarine
¾ cup half-and-half
Additional melted butter (about 2 tablespoons) for brushing
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the cold butter into flour mixture until coarse crumbs form, using a pastry blender or two knives. Add half-and-half, all at once, mixing gently just until a soft dough forms.
Gather dough together with your hands and transfer it to a floured board or pastry cloth. Knead gently, just enough to form dough into a uniform ball; turn to coat lightly with flour. Roll or pat dough out to about ½-inch thickness. Using a 2 ½-inch round cutter, cut dough into biscuits.
Place biscuits about 1-inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush tops lightly with melted butter. Bake until biscuits are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve hot.
Makes 1 dozen.
