# Why don't my biscuits taste good?



## trotter (Aug 9, 2005)

I need some tips and recipes for making biscuits. I would like to make them from scratch, but they don't taste good at all. So we buy the canned pillsbury ones. TIA!


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## ashleyhaugh (Jun 23, 2005)

i always had issues with homemade biscuits til my dh got me the joy of cooking, their recipe is awesome

2 cups of flour
2.5 tsp baking soda
1tsp salt

mix those together, then cut in 1 stick of COLD butter til the mixture is crumbly.

slowly add 3/4 cup of milk, sometimes i need a little more.
mix together just until the dough comes together

roll it out , cut with a circle cutter, or an upside down glass, bake at 400 about 10 minutes


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## 425lisamarie (Mar 4, 2005)

I think with whatever recipe you use, the key is to not mix much, at all. I use my hands from the start, once it looks a bit like dough dump on the board and use my finger tips to fold it over and pat untill it JUST comes together.

The perfect cutter is a can with both ends cut off


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## trotter (Aug 9, 2005)

Thank you for the tips and recipe. I think we will have biscuits and gravy for breakfast and see how they turn out.

Thanks for the cutter idea. I couldn't find anything that would work good.


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## Malva (Nov 2, 2005)

On the topic of biscuits, my mil always told me she mixed biscuits by hand and it always turned out fine and that the part about not mixing by hand was a myth.

One day it dawned on me, she always always has freezing cold hands! No wonder mixing by hand doesn't melt the butter when she does it.

A good way to cut in the butter is to keep some butter in the freezer, then you can grate your butter stick using your cheese grater.


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## Ms. B. Sprout (Nov 30, 2006)

Trotter, hope your biscuits turned out well.

Here's The Joy of Cooking's Quick Drop Biscuits:

Preheat oven to 450.

Mix together:

1 3/4 C flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Cut in 4-6 tbsp chilled butter

Add 1 cup milk. Stir briefly, about 1 minute. Then drop your biscuits out onto parchment paper. Joy says walnut sized. I thnk so long as they're evenly proportioned it's fine. Bake for 12-15 min., or until lightly browned.

Enjoy!


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## ladylove (Mar 6, 2006)

Another tip for biscuit cutting is to not cut and twist. Just put your cutter on the dough and press straight down. The twisiting will prevent the perfect biscuit rising!

(This is a trip from the Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook.)


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## calla lily (Nov 23, 2002)

I think in the first recipe, that should be baking powder, not baking soda. I accidently used baking soda instead of powder once with not good results.


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## trotter (Aug 9, 2005)

Well, the biscuits were a little tough, I probably just worked them a little too much. They were edible though and had good flavor.

Thank you for all the tips!


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## californiajenn (Mar 7, 2007)

but I make awesome biscuits, thanks to America's Test Kitchen. The secret is to use WHIPPING CREAM instead of butter and milk. I get rave reviews every time I make these.

This recipe is from America's Test Kitchen, by the way.

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl.
4. Add 1 1/4 cups cream and stir with wooden spoon until dough forms, about 30 seconds.
5. Transfer dough from bowl to countertop, leaving all dry, floury bits behind in the bowl.
6. In 1 tablespoon increments, add up to 1/4 cup cream to the dry bits in the bowl, mixing with wooden spoon after each addition, until moistened.
7. Add these moistened bits to the rest of the dough and knead by hand just until smooth, about 30 seconds.
8. To shape the biscuits, you can make round or wedge biscuits, by pressing the dough into an 8-inch cake pan, then turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured work surface.
To make wedge biscuits, use a knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into eight wedges.
To make round biscuites, use a biscuit cutter. Push together remaining dough into a 3/4-inch-thick round and cut out several more biscuits. Discard remaining scraps.
9. Place wedges or rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Serve immediately.

Variations:
Cream Biscuits with fresh herbs: whisk 2 tablespoons of minced fresh herbs into flour along with sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Cheddar Cheese Biscuits: stir 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese cut into 1/4-inch pieces into flour along with sugar, baking powder, and salt. Increase baking time to 18 minutes.


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## Ms. B. Sprout (Nov 30, 2006)

I







America's Test Kitchen! Thanks for posting thast recipe, *californiajenn*.


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## Doodlebugsmom (Aug 1, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ms. B. Sprout* 
I







America's Test Kitchen! Thanks for posting thast recipe, *californiajenn*.


Yeah. They have a recipe for a sweet potato casserole that is OFF THE HOOK! Not all sugary sweet like most of them.


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## KathinJapan (Mar 25, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Doodlebugsmom* 
Yeah. They have a recipe for a sweet potato casserole that is OFF THE HOOK! Not all sugary sweet like most of them.

could you post it please







:
got lots of sweetpotatoes around here.
Kathryn


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## pixie-n-hertwoboys (Aug 17, 2003)

right off hand I can't remember the recipe but I do know it calls for cram of tarter - lol not sure if thats the trick but regardless they come out every single time! I make em drop biscuits (recipe calls for more liquid) though because this mama doesn't have patience to roll it out and cut


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## Doodlebugsmom (Aug 1, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *KathinJapan* 
could you post it please







:
got lots of sweetpotatoes around here.
Kathryn


http://www.americastestkitchen.com/r...2641&iSeason=6

I didn't post it, because I think it may violate copyright rules!







:


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