Bakes Baking Powder Biscuits From Barbados Food

BAKING POWDER BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few larger clumps remaining.
• Pour in the heavy cream; using a rubber spatula, fold cream into the dough, working in all directions and incorporating crumbs at the bottom of the bowl, until the dough just comes together. The dough will be slightly sticky.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. With floured fingers, gently pat the dough into a round about 1 inch thick, pressing in any loose bits. Do not overwork the dough. Use a floured 2 1/4-inch round biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits as close together as possible. (Use one cut edge as the edge for the next biscuit.)
• Place the biscuits on an unlined baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Generously brush the tops of the biscuits with cream. Bake, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the biscuits are golden and flecked with brown spots, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool.
• Follow instructions for Baking Powder Biscuits, adding 1/4 cup of finely chopped herbs, such as rosemary, oregano, thyme, or parsley, to the flour mixture after the butter has been cut in. Proceed with the recipe.
• Follow instructions for Baking Powder Biscuits, increasing sugar to 1/2 cup, and reducing butter to 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup). Pat dough to about 1 1/4 inches thick before cutting out rounds. Before baking, brush rounds with 1 lightly beaten large egg (do not brush with cream), and sprinkle generously with sanding sugar, if desired.
• While biscuits bake, slice 3 pints hulled fresh strawberries in half (or in quarters, if large). In a medium bowl, toss to combine with 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Let mixture macerate for 20 minutes.
• After baking biscuits, cool them on a wire rack for 15 minutes, and then split in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Place the bottom halves on serving plates, and top each with a dollop of Vanilla Whipped Cream (page 391). Spoon strawberries and juice over each, and cover with the biscuit tops. Serve immediately, with additional strawberries and whipped cream on the side, if desired.

JAMES BEARD'S BAKING POWDER BISCUITS

Steps:

• Sift flour into mixing bowl with baking powder and salt.
• Using fingers, two knives, or a heavy fork, blend butter and flour into very fine particles. (Don't beat any longer than you absolutely must!).
• Add milk and stir just enough to ake particles cling together -- it will be a very soft dough.
• (You may have to add up to another 1/4 cup of milk, for a total of 1 cup of milk in the biscuit dough.) Turn on to floured surface and knead for about 1 minute.
• Drop dough by large spoonfuls on to a baking sheet spritzed with baking spray.
• Bake at 450 for 12-15 minutes.

OLD-FASHIONED BAKING POWDER BISCUITS

Steps:

• Sift dry ingredients together; add cream and egg.
• Mix lightly together and roll out.
• Bake on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven about 20 minutes or until light brown.

BAKING POWDER BISCUITS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg and milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. , Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll to 1/2-in. thickness. Cut with a 2-1/2-in. floured biscuit cutter. Place 1 in. apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

BETTY CROCKER'S BAKING POWDER BISCUITS (LIGHT, FLAKY AND TENDER)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450F degrees.
• Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. Cut in shortening using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in milk until dough leaves side of bowl (dough will be soft and sticky).
• Place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead lightly 10 times. Roll or pat 3/4 inch thick. Cut with floured 2 ½ -inch round cutter. Place on ungreased cooked sheet about 1 inch apart for crusty sides, touching for soft sides (I prefer crusty sides). After cutting as many biscuits as possible, lightly press-don't knead- the scraps of dough together to make 1 to 2 more biscuits.
• Bake 10 to 12 min or until golden brown. Serve warm.
• Note: This recipe doubles very well. Every time that I make these, I always double this recipe. To double, simply double all the ingredients. Also, the key to high-rise, flaky biscuits is having really fresh baking powder and not overworking the dough. Even if your baking powder is not expired, the biscuits will not rise if the baking powder has clumps inside the container. Also, I cannot emphasize enough to just lightly knead the dough 10 times; over-kneading will produce a tough biscuit. When you pat the dough to ¾ inch thickness, the baking powder will already be activating the dough to rise. Do not re-pat the dough down again because the air bubbles forming will make the biscuits flaky.
• Betty Crocker's Tips for Biscuits: Tip One: One secret to making flaky biscuits is thoroughly blending or "cutting in" the shortening and dry ingredients. A pastry blender, which breaks the shortening into little lumps works great for cutting inches If you don't have one, you can crisscross two table knives through the flour and shortening or use a wire whisk.
• Tip Two: Use a biscuit cutter dipped in flour to cut the dough, pushing the cutter straight down through the dough. If you twist as you cut, the biscuits will be uneven. Cut the biscuits as close together as possible. If you don't have a biscuit cutter, use the end of an open 6-ounce juice can or other narrow can or glass, or use cookie cutters for fun shapes. Dip in flour before cutting.

FLUFFY BAKING POWDER BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease two 8-inch cake pans.
• Put the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a bowl.
• Cut in the shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add the milk all at once and stir just until the dough forms a ball around the fork.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead 14 times.
• Pat until 1/2-inch thick.
• Cut into rounds with a 2-inch cookie cutter.
• Place, touching each other, in the cake pans and bake for 15-20 minutes.
• CRUSTY BISCUITS.
• Roll biscuits to 1/4-inch thick and place 1-inch apart in pan.
• Bake in a 450 degree oven for 12 minutes.
• Yields almost double the biscuits.
• BUTTERMILK BISCUITS.
• Use 2/3 cup buttermilk instead of sweet milk, 1/2 teaspoons baking soda and only 2 teaspoons baking powder.
• CHEESE BISCUITS.
• Add 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese to dry ingredients.
• DROP BISCUITS.
• Add additional 1/3 cup milk and use a baking sheet.

MOM'S BAKING POWDER BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• In a bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the shortening and mix until in little pieces. Add milk a little at a time and mix until it forms a ball.
• Roll out on floured board to 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick. Cut out in desired size and dip in melted shortening. Place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes.
• Variation: For shortcakes add 2 tablespoons for sugar to the dough and roll dough out to 1/2 inch thick.