My Best Biscuits

When the weather is cold I often get up and make biscuits from scratch and make either sausage or (more often) chipped beef gravy to ladle on top of them.  My gravy is always good, but my biscuits sometimes don't "rise" to the occasion.

I had planned to get up early this morning and have home made biscuits and gravy with my coffee... But I slept later than I'd planned.  So I hurried and was less meticulous in my biscuit making.  I sort of measured the flour and baking powder, but guessed with the salt and shortening... And I spent less time blending in the shortening with my pastry knife.  I did measure the buttermilk that outdated last spring, but didn't kneed the dough much... I just wasn't in the mood...

In the oven my biscuits raised beautifully.

I figure this:  My Great-Grandmother Lawrence made biscuits most every day. (My Mother still dreams of them) She didn't measure anything and she probably didn't blend her shortening to perfection because she probably used a table knife, not the five blade pastry tool that I use... nor did she kneed the dough to death.

So I've decided that the next time I make biscuits I'll review the recipe on the label of my Clabber Girl Baking Powder tin... but I'll simply wing it from there and use my best judgement... I'll carelessly mix and kneed... and think of my Great Grandmother Lawrence... How she cooked for her husband Alonzo... Her beloved "Lonnie."

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