Grandma's Buttermilk Biscuits

If you grew up in the southeastern part of the United States, you are very familiar with homemade biscuits. Everyone's mother or grandma had a recipe that made them light and fluffy, yet still firm enough to hold up to the homemade jams and jellies that were slathered on top of them. Smothering them with sausage gravy was the stuff dreams were made of. No matter what the occasion, if these biscuits were being made, you knew it was going to be special.

These biscuits are very easy to make and only take about five minutes to put together. Speed is actually one of the keys to this recipe. When mixing the fats into the flour, the goal is to just get them just incorporated. The same idea applies to the buttermilk. Mix just enough for the dough to come together and moisten all the flour.

These can be baked in a 9-inch round cake pan, but I prefer a cast iron skillet, just like grandma used to do.

Grandma's Buttermilk Biscuits

3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 Tbsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In medium mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut butter and shortening into small cubes and add to flour mixture. Using pastry blender, cut butter and shortening into flour until thoroughly mixed.

Stir in buttermilk until flour is just moistened. Do not overmix or else biscuits will come out tough.

Place dough on floured surface and pat out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Using 2-3 inch biscuit cutter or drinking glass, cut biscuits. Transfer to baking pan.

Bake at 450 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Serve immediately.