t-minus 10 days and counting to Homegrown Gourmet #6 deadline!

That’s right. Time flies when you’re having fun, doesn’t it? As of today, we are a mere ten days out from the deadline for the sixth Homegrown Gourmet challenge… BREAKFAST! So, not only did I think it was time I posted my own entry, I thought it was also time to remind all of you that I’m depending on you to help me make this… my very first event hosting experience… a success. No pressure, people, but help a girl out, would ya? Send me your best “homegrown” breakfasts by March 13th. Details can be found back at the original post.

I’ve talked before about how Southerners just do some things undeniably well. Buttermilk biscuits happen to be one of those things. In these parts, they’re often served with country ham. The dry, salty ham isn’t really my thing – I’m more interested in the biscuit itself (though I’ll happily take one drowning in country gravy).

But, it’s true… buttermilk biscuits in these parts are truly an art. Moist, fluffy, and golden, I’ve mused for a while that I really want to find that “perfect” biscuit recipe. I’ve looked. I’ve experimented. And, though I can turn out a decent enough biscuit, they’re never that stop-you-dead-in-your-tracks, I-can-now-die-happy, perfect biscuit that I’ve been dreaming of.

This is my current biscuit recipe. It’s just a little finicky… requiring that you don’t over-flour, overwork, or overcook the dough. But, if you can avoid doing those three small, but important, things, it turns out a pretty nice biscuit – moist on the inside, golden on the outside. Good, but… still not THE ONE.

So, I’m putting this one out there and making a request at the same time. Have a phenomenal biscuit recipe? Share it with me! Help me put this search to rest so that I can move on to other things… like tiramisu.

Pretty Good for Now Buttermilk Biscuits
2 cups self-rising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons confectioners sugar
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
3/4 to 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Stir together the flour, baking powder confectioners sugar. Cut in the shortening until pieces are about the size of grains of rice. Stir in the buttermilk – start with 3/4 cup and add more as needed until the dough pulls away from the bowl.

Knead a few times, roll out on a floured surface to 3/4-inch thickness. Be careful not to overwork the dough or add too much flour, or you’ll have dry biscuits. Cut with a floured biscuit cutter or glass.

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, brush with butter, and bake about 12 minutes, until just golden brown.