Easy Biscuits

(with help from BettyB)

• 2 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons margarine, grated or cut into little bits
• 1 cup ice cold water (without ice, of course!)
• 1/3 cup dry powdered non-fat milk

Heat oven to 450 degrees

Sift dry ingredients together
Cut margarine into dry ingredients until THOROUGHLY blended (use pastry blender or two knives, or just mix it in with your hands until margarine is thoroughly mixed).

Add dry milk to ice water, stir thoroughly, then add to dry ingredients. Blend thoroughly with wooden spoon or fork, just until well mixed.

Dump onto lightly floured board; knead about 10 times (the less handling, the better -- too much handling, they lose lightness), then press to about 3/4 inch rectangle. Cut into rounds with biscuit cutter (or drinking glass). Wad up remaining dough, press flat again, cut again. Wad up last remaining dough, roll into a ball and flatten
into the last biscuit shape.

Arrange on NONgreased baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart. Bake 7-8 minutes, or until rich golden brown. Rub tops with stick of margarine immediately as they come out of the oven, allow to cool slightly on the baking pan before moving them to serving basket, wrapped in a biscuit towel.

Makes 12-14 biscuits.

*****

These came out so good that I split 3 of them open still hot and filled them with grated cheese. EXCELLENT evening supper for when I don't feel like heavy cooking after a long day.

And a friend from the Frugal-Folks-Life group that I belong to just sent this note:

Ray,

If you add the grated cheddar cheese to the biscuit dough before baking and brush the biscuits with garlic butter when you take them out of the oven you will have biscuits very similar to the ones Red Lobster Restaurant serve.

BettyB

Wow! No wonder I like the Frugal-Folks-Life group -- everyone is SOOOO helpful with new ideas to share! I can't wait to try this variation!

I'm also wondering what might happen if I maybe roll the dough out thinner, and put the cinnamon-sugar and raisins in between and make breakfast biscuits... or modified scones... hmmmmmm.....

And here's another idea from BettyB:

Here's a recipe to turn home-baked biscuits into dessert. (Also good for breakfast treat.)

CHOCOLATE GRAVY
I take about 2-3 tablespoons of butter (real butter is best) and melt it over low heat. Combine about 2-3 tablespoons of Cocoa and about 3 tablespoons of flour and 1/2 cup of sugar. Stir together to mix and put in with the melted butter and cook just a little to get the flour taste out. Add milk, a little at a time and keep stirring so as not to let it lump. Amount of milk depends on how thick you want your gravy. Not too thick because you want it so that you can sop your biscuits in it. You can add a smidgen of vanilla if you like. When it is done, spoon over hot buttered homemade biscuits and enjoy.

BettyB