Extraordinary Buttermilk Biscuits

I've never had much luck making homemade biscuits so I usually just go with the canned kind.  The darn things are soo expensive though - and this particular night we were scraping the bottom of the pantry.  Also my friend Elizabeth had made some yummy ones and inspired me to try again.

I found this recipe on the back of the Gold Medal Flour bag.

2 1/2 cups Gold Medal Self Rising Flour*

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 cup butter or shortening

3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk, milk or whipping cream**

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  In medium bowl, stir together flour and sugar.  Using pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.  Stir in cream until dough leaves the side of the bowl.  (If dough is dry, stir in 1-2 tbsp additional cream)

On lightly floured surface, knead dough just until smooth.  Roll to 1/2 inch thickness.  Cut dough with floured 2 1/2 inch round cutter.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  For crusty sides place 1 inch apart, for soft sides place biscuits touching each other.  I opted for the soft sides.  I also brushed the top with melted butter which the recipe did not call for.

Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown.  Makes about 12 soft and fluffy biscuits.  My kids gobbled them up with a little bit of real butter and some honey.  Yum - Yum!

Want a sweet biscuit?

Cinnamon Sugar Biscuits:  Increase sugar to 1/2 cup, add 1/2 tsp cinnamon to flour mixture.  After baking, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

*I actually didn't have enough flour in the bag for this recipe.  So I used some all purpose flour - for each cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

**I always have heavy cream in my fridge so this is what I used.  Plus I have an aversion to buttermilk.  I don't mind eating things with buttermilk in it, as long as I don't see it being poured in there.