Who’s craving hearty homestyle eats this summer? It’s the time of year when the days slow their pace and there’s a moment or two to spare for some old school scratch cookin’!
Now there are a number of foods we take to heart down South. As for biscuits, we’re not interested in the kind that resemble hockey pucks. We want the lighter than air, fluffy like a cloud kind or the flakey, buttery bombs…warm and toasty right out of the oven, homemade and ready to eat.
Good biscuits are typically made with buttermilk, some with a slight hint of ginger. No two cooks make the exact same biscuit! Some drop the batter from a spoon, some cut them out. Others swear by lard, while some folks like butter or shortening. And yet there are those still who dunk them in butter before cooking…
Bottom line: there’s not many wrong ways to go about creating them. It’s what you do with them once they’re done that’s the fun part!
Take the Cheesy Biscuit Bombs you see above – what a name! Stuff’em with chunks of your favorite cheese (we used Mozzarella) and just 15 minutes in the oven until golden brown and firm. Hallelujah! They’re a great way to start or end your day…with some snacking in between. 😉
Chef Brian West’s Perfect Biscuit…
Brian West is a not only a graduate of the esteemed Culinary Institute of America, he’s also a former CIA instructor now at the helm of the wonderful new SMOKE restaurant on Sonterra Blvd (SMOKE the popular food truck is his too). I asked this expert chef for some expert advice when it comes to making the perfect biscuits. I learned a thing or two…
Crumble the butter into flour with your hand (allow your body heat to soften it).
When adding wet ingredients, do it in 3 parts and work quickly. Don’t overmix! You’ll form too much gluten on it and make your biscuit tough.
After punching out the biscuits, chill them for about 20 minutes to allow the butter to harden.
Place in a high heat to sear the outside and keep butter fat from melting out. This allows the water in the butter to steam the biscuits upward.
Pull the biscuits out of the oven fire before they’re totally done.
Additional Tips:
1. Make sure all of your ingredients, including the dry ones, are cold.
2. Don’t over work your dough. Get all of the liquid enveloped and knead until the dough comes together.
3. Make sure the dough is an inch thick, this will make the “high” biscuit.
4. Cut the biscuits and make sure not to twist the cutter so the edges aren’t pinched.
5. Biscuits need to be eaten sooner than later as they don’t preserve well.
Recipes:
Buttermilk and Black Pepper Biscuits
Breakfast Biscuits
from the award-winning St. Philip Pizza Parlor + Bakeshop in Austin, TX…
Cornmeal Biscuits
Lavender Brie Biscuits
compliments of the Black Swan Inn in San Antonio…
Cheddar Cheese Biscuits
a copycat of that famous menu item from Red Lobster…
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