Almost Momma's Biscuits

Nothing harks one back to childhood better than aromas from the kitchen.  Nothing is more fitting to revive this blog than homage to Mom.  For over forty years I have tried to recreate her biscuits.  Even side by side with her in her kitchen, no go.  She had a deft hand and measured nothing with anything other than finger tips and 'eyeing' it.  After a few months of marriage, I was home to visit.  As if that wasn't strange enough, I took notes while she made biscuits noting each hand movement and addition of ingredients.  It was all about the flour, the buttermilk, a hot buttered glass pan and her magic touch.  She convinced me mine didn't turn out because I hadn't used Martha White Flour.  Tried that, no go. There was still something.  What was it?  I got  her to do it all again, after all there were more people in the house.  None would go wasted, for sure.  And she said something.  It didn't stick then or even return in my replay over the years.  But the other night, during a deep sleep, a nudge, ever so slight.  I awoke with a hankering for Mom's Biscuits and went to the kitchen.  Mizzen place~ all on deck.

Pre heat oven 425 degrees F.  2 tablespoons butter in glass baking dish (9X9)
2 cups flour, all purpose          Blend first three ingredients in large bowl.
3 tsps  baking powder
1  tsp  salt
1/4 c   butter                            Cut in butter to size of peas
1 3/4  buttermilk                      Fold in gently only until all is moist. (was that part of the nudge?)

All in the bowl.  Butter cut in.  Add the buttermilk.  FOLD, not stir.  Oh yes, there is a difference.  Deft of hand I recalled.  Mom was deft of hand.  That has been my problem all the decades.  A yeast bread baker, I even taught her how to make yeast breads, my handling of the 'stirring' utensil was heavy.  Oh, how could it take  all these years to recall such a fine detail. All the breads I have made.

The butter milk pooled in a well of dry ingredients. With a rubber spatula, I scooped the flour from the side of the bowl and FOLDED it over into the pool.  I rotated the bowl and gently repeated.  Three times.  Then I ran the spatula under the center and folded, turn and repeat.  All was MOIST.  I reigned in the desire to do more.  Onto a floured board I plopped the dough.  Again, resisting the temptation to fold and knead even once, I floured hands and patted the dough easily to a 1/2 inch thickness.  I floured the cutter, placed each in the hot glass dish after a touch and flip in the hot butter.  The biscuits all in the pan, touching, I allowed them to sit for 5 minutes.  That is when Mom washed everything up.
Five minutes over, I slid my prize into the hot oven and set the timer for 19 minutes.  The timer buzzed, I checked, they had risen to the top edge of the pan but not quite separating at seams.  I shut the door and set the time for 5 more minutes.  Timer buzzed.  I pulled the glass pan out, enveloped by heat and luscious aroma.  I removed the biscuits to a rack atop a platter to prevent steam from softening the golden crust, my favorite part.

I chose a corner biscuit.  Did I say the golden crust was my favorite part?  The jewel opened to a fluff, steaming.  Give it a second, a burned tongue is useless.  Finally, a bite.  Part crust, part inner fluff and Mom must've been in the kitchen.  So close, so close I'll claim this batch as Almost Mom's.  My closest ever and it is all in the FOLD not stir, the hot glass pan and  a nudge ever so slight in the night.  Thanks, Momma~ nudge anytime.

Parker House Rolls, My Grandmother's Recipe

And in her handwriting from 1963.  This is the only page saved from a gardening book she kept with her cookbooks. Notice the bookworm hole in the corner.  I loved this book and was saddened to learn it was gone.  But I do hav and treasure this handwritten recipe~  No one has penmanship like this anymore.  Sad!  I collect hand written recipes.  Some are great becasue the dish is tasty nad others are good becasue the penmanship is fabulous.  The are fun to flip through.  Pne day, (soon) I will make a framed arrangement.  Meantime, I try tomake a good collectiof for my nephews, Riley and Davis.  They love to eat and will adventure into the culinary realm one of these days.

Because it is hard to read:
Parker House Rolls, Nettie Delores Stotts
1 cup scalded milk     2 Tbsp. shortening
2 Tbsp. sugar              1 tsp. salt
1 pkg yeast            1/4 c. luke warm water
1 well beaten egg    2  1/2 c flour
Combine milk shortening and salt.  Cool to warm. Add yeast in warm water, add egg, gradually stir iin flout to form soft dough.  Beat vigorously, cover and let rise in warm place till doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.  Turn out on floured surface and make into rolls.  Bake in hot oven, 400 degrees about 15 minutes.  Makes three dozen.

Now, like many grandmothers, hse thought many kitchen tasks were intuitive!  Here I will add details for "Turn out ... make into rolls..."  that I needed.  Punch down dough and turn out.
Nettie kept a pastry cloth in a plastic bag and her rolling pin had a cloth cover on it as well.  She swore this kept any dough or pastry from sticking. I watched hours upon hours and never saw her fight a dough.  No, my mat and pin are not wrapped!  Some kids won't learn.  And yes, I fight with stuck doughs on many occassions!  Back on task here, rol dough 1/2 inch thick and cut with 3 in iscuit cutter.  Brush each circle with melted butter and fold in half.  Place each half circle in a 13 X 9  buttered pan.  Allow to rise about 45 minutes and bake.

Blue Cornmeal Pancakes

We visited Sante Fe  years ago.  We couldn't get enough of the black bean soup, blue cornmeal tortillas and blue corn meal pancakes.  Of course, it all came with a choice of red or green chile sauce.  We have a passion for the green chilies.  I was happy to find Arrowhead Blue Corn Meal at my local grocer last week.  Ooo-la-la. I knew there would be bcm pancakes in the near future.  The near future arrived this morning.
mise en place

I love the bread book, Breads of the Southwest.  Beautiful photos, history and traditions of culture pull the baker in me back to the southwest.  The batter comes together quickly.


    

Heat the skillet and add the batter.  Leave, adjusting the heat as needed, until the cakes show a dry edge and a few bubbles.  I love how the blue hue shows in the batter.  

Once the edges show a bit dry, the cake will flip easily.  You won't need long on the second side.  Plate, serve, and enjoy.

Small Oven Projects

I do have a small side oven.  I only have a couple of baking plans that will fit.  What does work is a pie plate.  I did make buttermilk biscuits yesterday.  They rose tall, caught a nice browning on the top and bottom.  Glass is good for that. The inside crumb was near perfect for biscuit:  light, tender, airy.  The buttermilk gives the biscuit a tenderness so different from regular milk plus that wonderful hint of a sour taste.  The Combsman likes his bread and isn't happy with the heat related hiatus I have been on lately.  Biscuits, that was the ticket.  This would have been a great pan to photo for a post but  GONE, they are.  I will have to be quicker with the camera next time.