My grandmother is probably the best cook in the state of Georgia. She makes delicious homemade biscuits, and when I first started cooking, I thought about how nice it would be to prepare these. I’d get ready to make them, however, then change my mind at the last minute. Why? I had my grandmother’s method of making biscuits in mind. She’d get flour, shortening, milk, foil, rolling pin, and a cutter to make the biscuits exactly round. While that may not sound like much to the woman who enjoys cooking, to someone fairly undomesticated and impatient it brings to mind extra work and mess. Take me, for instance. The last time I made biscuits the old fashioned way, I was in the kitchen longer than I wanted to be. I got flour everywhere–but mostly on myself.
And yet biscuits are just too good not to make. Those who live in the southern part of the USA know how delicious homemade gravy and biscuits can be . Even people not keen on the idea of gravy enjoy biscuits in other ways. You can cut a biscuit in half and top it with jelly, peanut butter, honey, or preserves. You can put a sausage patty between a biscuit and have a sandwich. McDonalds knows this, and their sausage and egg biscuit meal is a popular choice for breakfast. You can eat a biscuit with chicken, or any dinner really. Biscuits are a nice change from regular bread.
So how does a lazy girl (or guy) make homemade biscuits the easy way?
Three words: Cat Head Biscuits.
Never fear, the family kitty is safe. This recipe is called cat head biscuits probably because on seeing one a southerner said “Well look at that, ya’ll. Them biscuits are the size of a cat’s head.” The biscuits were so tasty the name stuck. “Hey Ruby, why don’t you make me some of them cat head biscuits like last time!”
Yes, the biscuits are big, and they have a unique texture. They’re not smooth like the delicate biscuits my grandmother makes, but they’re just as delicious. People’s eyes light up when you bring these biscuits to the table. Why? They’re large, interesting, and if you serve them up on a nice plate they look like you put some work into making them.
Cat head biscuits require just three ingredients. You don’t have to get flour on your hands, and you don’t need a rolling pin or anything to cut them with.
Ingredients
2 Cups Self Rising Flour
1 Cup Buttermilk
2 Tablespoons Shortening
1 Tablespoon Butter or Margarine
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. You will be cooking on a greased cookie sheet, so get that ready. For mixing you will need a huge bowl. Put all the ingredients in it and simply mix them together. A fork works best for me.
If you prefer, you can use just shortening in this recipe and leave off the butter. I add a little margarine for a buttery flavor, but I do not recommend making these biscuits with just butter or margarine alone. (They will turn out too soft if you do.)
After you mix the dough drop a forkful onto the greased cookie sheet. Keep doing this until you fill up your cookie sheet. Leave a small space in between each biscuit. They do not have to look round or neat, and it is ok if they are fairly big. Now, pop the sheet into the oven and bake until the biscuits are golden brown. This usually takes 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven.
If done right these are the tastiest biscuits you can make. Unless you really prefer your biscuits little, smooth, and neat you will never want to make biscuits any other way after this. Enjoy!
