As a Family Manager, one of my goals is to spend quality time in the kitchen with our kids.
In a previous post, I asked my readers when you all learned to cook. It hit me just how emotional of a topic learning to cook can be. So many of your answers were tied with such strong memories, both endearing and painful.
I want my children to look back on the kitchen as a shared part of our family time, and with that, I am finding recipes that are so easy that any one can learn them quickly, whether you are a seven year old child, or a seventy seven year old kid at heart.
This easy homemade baking powder biscuit recipe is one for every household. The ingredients are ones we all have on hand (especially if you use only butter, instead of shortening). Biscuits are so inexpensive to make, and it’s a true lesson in self discipline.
The key to wonderfully fluffy biscuits includes a technique that is completely opposite of learning to make homemade bread. Unlike homemade bread, where the goal is to knead until a perfect consistency occurs, with biscuits over kneading will result in a hard texture. With kids, this is where the self discipline comes into play.They love to knead. 😉
To cut out the biscuits, we use what ever we have in our cabinets. No need to buy a biscuit cutter when a cup will work just as well. We made the batch in this picture a bit too thin, but perfecting homemade biscuits takes some practice, and we’ll get there.
Doubling the recipe results in a LOT of biscuits, and they are always best served fresh and hot right out of the oven.
Have fun and enjoy making these yummy, yet delightfully easy homemade baking powder biscuits.
Homemade Baking Powder Biscuits
Ingredients:
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Milk
- Shortening (butter works as well and will make the biscuits flakier, where as shortening makes them fluffier.)
- Salt
Directions:
Stir together the following with a fork until mixed well:
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Measure 2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon of shortening, and cut in with pastry blender (or knife) until mixture resembles cornmeal. This is the step where less is more. Don’t overdo this part, but do be sure all flour is mixed in with the shortening.
Add one cup of milk, a little bit at a time, and stir with fork until the mixture forms a ball. The key to fluffy biscuits is always taking the “less is more” approach. Do not work and roll the dough any more than absolutely necessary or the result will be tough biscuits.
Roll or pat out the dough on a pastry cloth or wax paper to 3/4 of an inch.
Bake on ungreased baking sheet 12 – 15 minutes at 475 degrees or until lightly browned. Yields approximately ten biscuits.
I love these!! My daughters would really enjoy making some with me.
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These sound delicious, and remind me of how I started learning to cook. My mom is a home economics major. When, at about age 6, I was yearning for an Easy-Bake oven, she took a different approach. She said if I wanted to bake and use an oven, I might as well learn to use a real oven. So, for Christmas, she assembled a baking kit. She made me an apron and oven mitts, a Betty Crocker kids’ cookbook, measuring cups, measuring spoons and an assortment of mixes for things like desserts and muffins. I had my own tools to use in the kitchen, and I developed good cooking skills I use to this day!
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Thanks for the biscuit recipe and tips! I have been teaching myself about making homemade bread and biscuits, and it is sometimes hard to figure out the tricks without an experienced person showing you the ins and outs. Your comment on over-kneading made me realize that this was the problem with my biscuits that I made this weekend. Whoops! At least I have a husband who gladly eats any and all mistakes!
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These look delish and would be perfect for this months Iron Chef Challenge, where the themed ingredient is baking powder. The linky opens this Friday and I hope you will consider linking up. Clabber Girl is the sponsor and the winning recipe will get $100 gift basket. It should be a lot of fun! http://alattewithotta.blogspot.com/p/iron-chef-challenge.html
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Thanks for the “less is more” tip for the biscuits. I think I messed that up on Sunday…not in the kneading, but in the cutting in the butter and in the stirring. I’ll have to remember next time! 😉
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You mentioned it makes a bunch. I am not so good at making biscuits so when my mom comes down she makes a few batches and before cooking we freeze them on a cookie sheet until frozen and them put them in a Freezer ziploc. They are like Grands biscuits from the freezer section but homeade 🙂 You could try this with your recipe as well.
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Love the simplicity of the recipe and the explanations of the critical instructions, such as mixing in the fat and the milk. Curious as to what would happen if you used cooking oil for the fat instead of shortening or butter?
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