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Reva Paul’s Southern Biscuits

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Real southern biscuits are a delightful treat, and they’re surprisingly easy to make. Thanks to Ellen Easton for sharing her mother’s recipe with us today.


Reva Paul’s Souther Biscuits

Reva Paul’s Southern Biscuits

This was my beloved Mother’s recipe.  I hope you will enjoy making and serving these biscuits as much as I always have done. 

Reva’s Prep tips:

  • Reva used White Lily Flour, but all –purpose (AP), such as Gold Medal, is also OK.  If using AP, add in a little extra buttermilk one tablespoon at a time.
  • Butter MUST be ice cold, crumbled to medium size.
  • Real buttermilk is best but homemade can be substituted. See recipe below.
  • Whisk the dry ingredients together before adding to the mixture.
  • If adding herbs, spices, cheese, fruits, chocolate chips include with the dry ingredients.
  • If adding fruit, dust with flour before adding into the dry ingredients to avoid discoloring the dough.
  • Biscuit dough has a wet texture. Do NOT roll the dough; use your floured hands to form small balls of dough.
  • Use a cookie cutter 1 to 2 inches in size to cut straight down into the dough. Do not twist the dough.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups White Lily flour or all-purpose (softened wheat flour) NOT self-rising;
  • 1-tablespoon baking powder;
  • 1-teaspoon salt;
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar;
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted very cold butter, crumbles;
  • 3/4-cup buttermilk (see recipe below); 1/8-teaspoon baking soda for buttermilk;
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted sweet butter, melted;
  • 2 tablespoons milk, to glaze tops

OPTIONAL: Herbs~ chives, parsley, spices~ cinnamon, cheddar or Parmesan cheese, fruits~blueberry, chocolate chips or anything your imagination wishes.

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  • In a small bowl, whisk all dry ingredients together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
  • Cut ice-cold butter into the dry flour mixture with pastry cutter or fork until butter looks like medium size crumbs.
  • Place the flour and butter mixture into the freezer for 15 minutes. Remove the mixture from the freezer. 
  • Stirring with a spoon, add in the buttermilk. The mixture should now be wet.
  • Flour a sheet of wax paper or baking mat. Also flour your hands.
  • Gently use your hands to form the wet dough into a small ball. Knead very gently until the dough comes together. The less you touch the dough the lighter your biscuits will bake.  Touch no more than 8 times with hands.
  • Flatten the dough to an inch and a half thickness. 
  • Cut the dough using a 1 to 2 inch wide biscuit or round cookie cutter.
  • Place on a baking sheet spaced a few inches apart.
  • Brush with milk.
  • Bake for 12-18 minutes. Check at 12 minutes. Watch biscuits until light, golden brown.
  •  Remove from the oven and immediately brush with warm butter. Serve with gravy or jam and preserves.

HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK

Ingredients:

  • ¾ cup of whole milk;
  • 2 teaspoons of white vinegar;
  • 1/8-teaspoon baking soda;
  • Place vinegar and baking soda in a bowl, add milk. Allow to sit approximately 15 minutes, until the milk thickens.

Recipes and photos are ©Ellen Easton


Ellen Easton, author of Afternoon Tea~Tips, Terms and Traditions(RED WAGON PRESS), an afternoon tea authority, lifestyle and etiquette industry leader, keynote speaker and product spokesperson, is a hospitality, design, and retail consultant whose clients have included the Waldorf=Astoria, the Plaza and Bergdorf Goodman. Easton’s family traces their tea roots to the early 1800s, when ancestors first introduced tea plants from India and China to the Colony of Ceylon, thus building one of the largest and best cultivated teas estates on the island.

Ellen Easton, author of Afternoon Tea~Tips, Terms and Traditions(RED WAGON PRESS), an afternoon tea authority, lifestyle and etiquette industry leader, keynote speaker and product spokesperson, is a hospitality, design, and retail consultant whose clients have included the Waldorf=Astoria, the Plaza and Bergdorf Goodman. Easton’s family traces their tea roots to the early 1800s, when ancestors first introduced tea plants from India and China to the Colony of Ceylon, thus building one of the largest and best cultivated teas estates on the island.

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