Something So Simple............

.....yet so enticing! What can a person say about biscuits that already isn't known, with regards to their place in the culinary scheme of a full laden dinner table. The thought of biscuits fresh out of the oven is akin to the aroma of freshly baked bread. I remember vivdly my father pulling his chair up to the table with a couple of freshly baked biscuits and a small bowl of molassses, creating a fine line of sticky brown syrup from the plate to his belly and on up to his chin. At times, that was the only breakfast he had, and many times, that was all that was needed. Slightly crumbly on the outside, but milky white and moist on the inside, these discs of goodness were all my parents served at their restaurants with all entrees.

    I well remember the work involved when, it seemed, my mother was on a never ending battle to keep up with the demand at the restaurants. The stress she must have faced making batch upon batch of these, along with the scowl and attitude I gave her everytime she had to come over to my dishwashing sink in order to wash the dough from her hands. She never said a cross word to this 14 year old though, preferring instead to give me a look of "Get over it", while leaving those hated little white, slippery balls of white dough lining the sink and faucet handles. But upon reflection, she was making something that all our customers enjoyed and it was one of the perks that kept them coming back(along with the free relish tray that always graced the tables).

The trick to a perfect biscuit can be argued again and again, but one or two things will never change however. Use all purpose flour for the high gluten and handle the dough as little as possible. By minimal handling, you won't develope the gluten further, ending in a tough biscuit.

Everything should be cold as well. The warmer the fat in a biscuit recipe gets, the stickier the dough will be when handling.

And one more thing that I have found moderately successful. When cutting biscuits, try not to twist your cutter. Straight down, shake a little and that's it. Some say that by twisting, you actually seal in the sides, preventing them from rising. Although I have noticed a slight increase in height, I can't definatetively state that this is the reason, but why take a chance?

Let me give you some of the old time biscuit recipes that have been tried and are true. I could go on and on about other types of biscuits, Drop Biscuits for example, but then there wouldn't be anytime to cook!



　

Light and Fluffy Baking Powder Biscuits

This is a basic biscuit recipe that doesn't limit itself to any type. Simple and delicious, use this recipe as a base for add-ins, such as cheese, diced meat, herbs and spices......whatever your heart desires. As for the leftover scraps of dough after cutting the initial biscuits? Simply gather up, quickly knead into one mass, roll out and continue cutting, just keep the kneading to a minimum.


2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening
3/4 cup cold milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350-degrees f. In a large bowl, blend together flour, baking powder and salt. Add the vegetable shortening and crush with your fingertips, pastry knife or a fork until the shortening resembles little pebbles. Stir in the milk until just combined. Turn out onto floured work surface and knead for only a minute, using extra flour if needed. Roll dough to an inch thick, or thicker if desired. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, constantly dipping in extra flour. Place biscuits onto ungreased baking pan. If you would like crispy biscuits on all edges, place these with an inch separation. Otherwise, snuggle them up close to one another. Brush the tops with melted butter and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven, let cool slightly and transfer to serving dish.

　

Makes about 8 biscuits

　

Sweet Biscuits

These biscuits are the perfect vehicle for shortcakes. With the tangy, slightly sweet flavor of this recipe, I eat these all by themselves or slathered with more sweetness in the way of jellies, jams or preserves.

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
1 egg, beaten
1 cup cold, plain yogurt
1/4 cup honey
Milk to brush onto tops

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. In a large bowl, blend together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add butter and crush with your fingertips, pastry knife or a fork until the shortening resembles little pebbles. Stir in the egg, yogurt and honey until just combined. Turn out onto floured work surface and knead for only a minute, using extra flour if needed. Roll dough to an inch thick, or thicker if desired. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, constantly dipping in extra flour. Place biscuits onto ungreased baking pan. If you would like crispy biscuits on all edges, place these with an inch separation. Otherwise, snuggle them up close to one another. Brush the tops with milk and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven, let cool slightly and transfer to serving dish.


　

Buttermilk Biscuits

This recipe is a classic but I have a shortcut(both financially and 'in a pinch' kind of way) that was used by the first and second Yankee Chefs many times over. Using whole milk, put a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar of lemon juice into a cup of milk. Let it sit for at least an hour or do as my father did and let it sit overnight at room temperature. By morning, the milk will have curdles quite well. Add this to your recipe below and you will have one flaky, tasty biscuit that is thoughtful of our foremothers.

　

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. In a large bowl, blend together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the vegetable shortening and crush with your fingertips, pastry knife or a fork until the shortening resembles little pebbles. Stir in the buttermilk until just combined. Turn out onto floured work surface and knead for only a minute, using extra flour if needed. Roll dough to an inch thick, or thicker if desired. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, constantly dipping in extra flour. Place biscuits onto ungreased baking pan. If you would like crispy biscuits on all edges, place these with an inch separation. Otherwise, snuggle them up close to one another. Brush the tops with melted butter and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven, let cool slightly and transfer to serving dish.


　

　
Bakewell Cream Biscuits

Words can't describe the memories that come with this recipe below. I, and my parents, have been making these biscuits for decades, and for good reason. They are exceptional. We have not altered the recipe at all, being the same that is on the side of the Bakewell Cream can itself.  So why change a good thing? My father and his father before him, baked these biscuits as directed below, but if you feel more comfortable, preheat your oven to 350-degrees F and bake 10-12 minutes. And if you can't find Bakewell Cream on your store shelves, look online. It is Maine product, but shouldn't be limited as such but can be found at The New England Cupboard.



4 cups flour
4 teaspoons Bakewell Cream
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine, cold(or use shortening)
1 1/2 cups cold milk

Preheat oven to 475-degrees F. In a large bowl, blend together flour, Bakewell Cream, baking soda and salt. Add butter and crush with your fingertips, pastry knife or a fork until the shortening resembles little pebbles. Stir in milk until just combined. Turn out onto floured work surface and knead for only a minute, using extra flour if needed. Roll dough to an inch thick, or thicker if desired. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, constantly dipping in extra flour. Place biscuits onto ungreased baking pan. If you would like crispy biscuits on all edges, place these with an inch separation. Otherwise, snuggle them up close to one another. Brush the tops with melted butter and bake for 5 minutes. Turn off oven to continue baking an additional 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven, let cool slightly and transfer to serving dish.

Makes about 16 biscuits

Blameless

First off, I want to apologize for not contributing to my blog as much as I have in the past. With my new website, I simply haven't had the time to sit back and just plain write on a personal level. I am also not the kind that enjoys talking about myself or even writing on a personal level, but there are more people than I thought that enjoys reading Those types of posts.

I titled this post Blameless because it does lead into the theme of this discussion, albeit in a round about way. My Dad, the second Yankee Chef, Jack Bailey(1938-2001) and I talked about so much on our down time. He was the only one I could sit down with and really discuss subjects that were thought provoking and just plain fun. Anything from extra-terrestials to food to love to.....anything really!

I remember before he passed he told me that he was glad he wouldn't be around much longer because our country was fast becoming a "blameless society". He was referring to a many different things(we having just had one of those special chats that lasted many hours) but mostly about how more and more people were 'entitled'. If you didn't like the word Christmas, you could easily have it expunged from a schools curriculum. If you walked out into traffic and get hit, YOU could sue and win, regardless if YOU were the one breaking the law in the first place. You could be in a deplorable social condition, but expect the government to take care of your needs without attempting to improve your own life.

This list goes on and on, and new laws are being enacted and passed based on these desires, making our world seem as though more and more of our freedom is being taken away every day. And in essence they are, all because of those who declare themselves blameless.

I recommend a few things, as did my Dad. If you don't like the word Christmas, you don't have to! The word Christmas is simply a way of people to exude their love of the season and to spread merriment. Regardless if you believe Christ was born and should be celebrated during this time of year, others do. Offended? You shouldn't be offended, because others have joy in their heart! If I believed in any other religion and expressed my joy that conformed to that religion, I would NEVER expect everyone to agree with me, but it certainly would never cause me to bring others down to make myself feel better(and I do believe there is a psychological term for that).

Take a look around you and notice those in need. I can tell you first hand that there was a time in my life that is both embarrassing and hurtful. I was homeless, no (or very little) food and just plain distraught. I didn't have the best home even when I worked, at times. BUT...I tried. I always had a great work ethic and I truly tried. There were times that I let liquor rule my actions in the way of truly understanding the meaning of responsibility. All I cared about was partying and having fun. And I suppose it is ingrained when you are younger, regardless of what your parents taught you. BUT.....I never blamed anyone else other than myself. I didn't go around saying "The economy is bad" or "There isn't a job around that pays enough". I preach all the time even today that I would shovel horse&*#% if I had to in order to put food on the table .  Those times were MY fault because of MY bad choices, not because of anything or anyone else!

You wouldn't believe how many people I have hired over the years that WERE homeless. Heck, I even went to the homeless shelters personally to hire, only to be told no one would work for minimum wage or under a certain amount. There were times when I had to walk to work, ride a bike to work and hitchhike to work(and my father did at his low points in life as well). I have had employees quit after hiring them because they couldn't find a ride to work when they lived a mere mile away.

But having said all that, there are families out there that truly need help. What touches me the most is the families that have children. I simply cannot bear the thought of a child going without the necessities of life, even the non-necessities, such as a present, toy or amusement. To me, even those are necessities! To grow means to expand your mind as well, and without the happy thoughts of playing with that special toy while young means just as much as not having a roof over your head.

That's why I do things that I never NEVER tell anyone. I have no desire to put the emphasis on my book selling or publicity when it comes to helping others. The only time I do so is to increase sales of an item to help raise funds, It's Just That SIMPLE! It's not about me and will never be.

And one more thing. I will always believe in the mantra, "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all!". Certainly opinions can never be controlled, nor should they ever be. But when someone employs their time demeaning others with no cause or spending their time trying to degrade, humiliate or otherwise harm someones integrity or life, I feel bad for them. Shouldn't they focus on doing good and helping others? The end result of the former is self-fulfillment in a twisted, ego maniacal way that shows that you think of yourself as "holier-than-thou", while the advantage of the latter is not only helping those in need and feeling good about yourself in a righteous way but it shows others that you have a heart, are level-headed and caring. Let's get our values together and stop thinking of ourselves as BLAMELESS.

If you want personal fulfillment, take the lead! There are things you can do that simply shows what kind of person you are. Pick up the phone and call someone you know has a "tough life" and simply talk to them. Get a $5 dollar card from a fast food restaurant and give it out to someone that's homeless. Go to a homeless shelter and offer your time or maybe pick up a few things to drop off at that same shelter. Buy an inexpensive bouquet of flowers to drop off at a nursing home. Ask them to give them to someone whose birthday or special event is at hand. If you are going to the park with your children, call a relative that doesn't have a vehicle but has children, and offer to bring those children along as well.

I am imploding with ideas as to how to help those less fortunate but I really can't spend all day telling you. Just stop and think. Do what you think is right and good. And always bear in mind that if you are fortunate to have a good life(and that doesn't mean rich...just have what you need is a good life) there are many that simply can't feed their kids. They can't take them to a park, they can't buy that special stuffed animal for that child or they can't seem to break that cycle.

 'Nuff said!