Sunday Morning Biscuits

When I was growing up, Sunday mornings always meant biscuits with honey. Homemade biscuits, of course. My mother was a biscuit maker, and her mother before her. It’s amazing how many memories are built around food. My parents were raised on farms and thought a big breakfast started the day right. Mom wouldn't have served us a cold bowl of cereal if she'd had two broken arms! Eggs and bacon were required so that your brain could function properly at school. The honey for our biscuits often came from hunting trips Dad made into the woods. He would come across a "bee tree," a hollow dead tree that the bees had claimed. He would go back later and smoke them out, then gather the honey in a pail to bring home. Mom put the honey in Ball canning jars. It was beautiful golden stuff, sticky sweet and perfect on a biscuit or drizzled across berries. We didn't have the word "Organic" or "Natural" in the 1950's,my parents called it real food. When something was good, they'd say, "Now that's the REAL thing!" I am tempted from time to time to buy healthier choices. You know what I'm talking about. The products that have something added or something removed. Real food but "tweaked" to make it better for us. It never tastes as good as the original product. Get the rolling pin out and make something delicious for breakfast this weekend. Someday, somebody’s gonna remember what you fixed for them~make it yummy!

Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House-Style Biscuits come from Paula Deen's cookbook
"The Lady & Sons, Too!"

To make these great biscuits you'll need:
2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons margarine
1/3 buttermilk
1/3 cup milk
*enough water to make the milks measure 3/4 cup
*I opted to just use Criso's Butter Flavored Shortening in place of adding the additional 2 tablespoons of margarine.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl and make a well in the center.

Cut in the shortening and margarine until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

Pour the buttermilk and milk into a measuring cup and *add enough water to make 3/4 cup.

Pour this into the dry ingredients. Mix lightly and quickly with your hands to form a dough moist enough to leave the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by turning the dough away from you, pressing down with the palms of your hands, and pushing the dough away. Repeat 6-7 times. Work the dough into a large ball while kneading; keep your fingers dry by dipping them into dry flour frequently.

The recipe say to pinch off portions of dough, but I used Grandma's little rolling pin to make them extra~purty and placed them on a well-greased baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown on the top. You can give them a good brushing of melted butter before baking to add extra yummy~ness!

Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House-Style Biscuits
Yields about 16 Biscuits
2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons margarine
1/3 buttermilk
1/3 cup milk
*add enough water to make milks measure 3/4 cup
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Cut in the shortening and margarine until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Pour the buttermilk and milk into a measuring cup and *add enough water to make 3/4 cup. Pour this into the dry ingredients. Mix lightly and quickly with your hands to form a dough moist enough to leave the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by turning the dough away from you, pressing down with the palms of your hands, and pushing the dough away. Repeat 6-7 times. Work the dough into a large ball while kneading; keep your fingers dry by dipping them into dry flour frequently. Pinch off portions of dough and place them on a well-greased baking sheet. Press lightly to flatten the biscuits slightly. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown on the top.
*Recipe from The Lady & Sons , Too! Paula H. Deen

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