Beauteous Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
Ingredients for buttermilk biscuit recipe:
- 2 1/2 cups self-rising flour (additional for flouring the surface)
- 2 teaspoons Domino Sugar (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 4 tablespoons Land O’ Lakes butter (chilled)
- 1 cup chilled Borden buttermilk (1 to 2 tablespoons more if needed)
- 1 tablespoon melted butter (optional: to brush on baked cookies)
Sausage gravy ingredients:
- 1 pound sage-flavored pork sausage
- 1/4 cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
- 6 tablespoons Gold Medal all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon powdered nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 dashes of Tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper, or other hot sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons butter or bacon fat (if desired)
Beauteous Buttermilk Biscuits
Instructions:
buttermilk biscuits
1 Preheat oven to 450°F. Prepare a floured surface to shape the dough and an ungreased baking sheet (or line it with a Silpat sheet if you have one).
2 Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Using a fork or pastry blender, add the shortening and butter. Work quickly to prevent the oil from melting. The secret to fluffy cookies is minimal handling. The mixture should become crumbly.
3 Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Stir with a spoon until the liquid is absorbed and the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of buttermilk. Do not over mix. The dough will be sticky whether it’s wet or not.
4 Using lightly floured hands, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and gently fold it over two or three times. Form into a 3/4-inch thick circle. If using a rolling pin, be sure to flour it to prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin.
5 Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut the cookies in straight lines (avoid the temptation to rotate the cutter, as this will prevent the cookies from rising). Dip the cutter in flour between cuts to prevent the dough from sticking to the cutter.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet. Place the cookies so that they are just touching each other (leaving some space in between so the sides get crispy). Continue cutting the remaining dough into shapes. Be careful not to touch the dough as much as possible.
6 Bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly golden brown on top. Halfway through the baking time, flip the baking sheet.
7 Optional: Brush the tops of the cookies with melted butter. braten sauce
1 Preheat a 4-quart pot over medium-high heat (add a few drops of water to the pot – you’ll know the pot is ready when it evaporates). Crumble the sausage into the skillet and brown for a minute or two, then reduce the heat to medium.
Continue cooking until no longer pink, then break the sausage into small pieces. Add onions and fry until translucent.
2 Remove the sausage with a slotted spatula or spoon, leaving the drippings in the pan. If you have less than 3 tablespoons of drippings left, add enough butter (or bacon fat) to make about 3 tablespoons of drippings.
Return the cooked sausage to the pot over medium heat and sprinkle with flour.
Stir in the flour and cook until the mixture begins to bubble and is slightly golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.
3 Stir in the chicken seasoning, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and salt and cook for 1 minute to intensify the flavors.
Slowly add the milk, heat over medium heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened (about 15 minutes). Be patient, it gets thick!