Light and Fluffy (reliable!) Biscuits

Thirteen years ago, I made my first batch of biscuits for my husband. Those will never be forgotten. I was feeling domestic and happy as I kneaded and kneaded and kneaded the dough. I quite literally kneaded that dough for at least 30 minutes. Little did I know that I was absolutely killing the biscuits. While they baked, I noticed that they weren’t really rising, but I figured that I’d just made them thinner than I should have. Ha! They were inedible. My sweet husband attempted to eat them, but oh my. They were horrid. We declared them hockey pucks and I was scared away from biscuit making for several years following that attempt.

When I finally decided to attempt making biscuits again, I was thrilled to find this recipe after a few more failed attempts. I've now been making these biscuits for the past ten years and they are fluffy, delicious and they melt in your mouth. They are versatile enough to use for biscuits and gravy or with honey or your favorite jam.

Confession time: I haven’t made these in a while. This is a picture I snapped from my phone this past Valentine’s Day. I’ve been playing with the recipe, trying to find a great new version using whole wheat and butter. So far, I’m unimpressed with the versions I’ve tried. However, these biscuits, they are perfection. So, I’m sharing them today. Because I feel like making perfect biscuits, but instead, I’ll try another version while I show you these lovely ones.

Light and Fluffy (reliable!) Biscuits 
recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup butter flavor shortening

1 cup milk (approximate amount)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a big bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually stir in milk just until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. I like to use a Silpat mat that has been lightly floured. Knead just a few times (seriously, just trust me on this – knead the dough no more than 15-20 times MAX, learn from me here). Pat or roll the dough out to 1 inch thick. Cut biscuits with the cutter or glass of your choice. Feel free to use a heart shape. It will make you happy.  Repeat until all the dough is used. Brush the excess flour off the tops of the biscuits and place them on an un-greased baking sheet.

If you want to enjoy a few moments of peace and quiet, give extra pieces of dough to your kids to play with at the table. Make sure to discreetly toss that particular dough in the trash when it is time to put everything on the baking sheet.

Bake for 13-15 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until the edges begin to brown.

Click here for printable recipe