Biscuit Recipe for Dana

Everyone has their own biscuit recipe but basically there isn't any difference between the recipes. The lightness of the biscuits, like the flakiness of pie crust, is in the flour and the skill of the cook. On a bad day mine double as pale hockey pucks. Two weeks ago, I was baking on autopilot, which is to say, half asleep.  I threw the first pan in the oven and instead of turning on the timer, turned off the oven.  They rose nicely when I checked in 10 minutes.  Turned the oven back on and they were still edible.

This is the family recipe, from a Robin Hood Cookbook that my Aunt Eva gave Ella and I as a wedding gift more than 37 years ago.  Best cookbook ever and out of print.  I contacted Robin Hood a few years back but they said no plans to reprint it.  It was WELL used, while every one of her other two dozen cook books gathered dust somewhere in the house.

Tanya doesn't use recipes, in the grand tradition of Ukrainian cooks everywhere. But she does experiment.

Baking Powder Biscuits

3 1/2 cups flour.

2 tbs baking powder

2 tsp salt 

1/2 cup shortening (I use cooking oil or butter)

1 1/2 cup milk (preferably sour).

Spoon or pour flour into dry measuring cup. Level off and pour into mixing bowl. Add baking powder and salt. (I add a hand full of sugar so the biscuits brown nicely). Stir well to blend. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender (I use a fork) until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add milk all at once and stir with fork until all ingredients are moistened. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Round up and knead gently about 20 times. (It is nice to be kneaded). Roll out dough (the rest of the paragraph is missing or illegible).

Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes.