Shortcake Biscuits

Insanely Delicious!

These were simple, easy to make and absolutely delicious!  I've been wanting  a good, easy shortcake biscuit recipe that tastes like the ones in the bakery, and this hit the nail on the head!  

They were light and airy!  Perfectly crisp on the outside and tender and falling apart on the inside.  If you don't want to roll them out,  just drop by 1/3 cups and they still bake up beautifully.  Cover with your favorite berries or fruit, and enjoy delicious shortcake.

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup chilled, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup buttermilk 
2 Tbsp. cream (for top, if desired)
1/4 cup turbinado sugar (sprinkle generously on top, if desired)

Preheat oven to 425'F.

Lightly spray baking sheet with cooking spray.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl.

Cut in cold butter with fork or pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  (If desired, use your food processor to cut in butter, pulse several times.  Transfer to a mixing bowl.)

Stir in buttermilk until flour mixture is moistened.  If it appears on the dry side, add more milk 1 Tbsp. at a time.

Turn out onto floured board.

Gently pat dough into a 1/2" thick round.  Fold and pat down few times, then press down to about 1" thick.  Cut into rounds.  

Gently fold together left over dough press out to make more rounds.  Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.

Brush with melted butter, if desired, or brush with cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
(Mine were left plain and still delicious!)

Bake 10-12 minutes until a beautiful golden brown.  Do not over-bake.

1. Note: The key to real biscuits is not in the ingredients, but in the handling of the dough.
2. The dough must be handled as little as possible or you will have tough biscuits.
3. I have found that a food processor produces superior biscuits, because the ingredients stay colder and there's less chance of over mixing.
4. You also must pat the dough out with your hands, lightly.
5. Rolling with a rolling pin is a guaranteed way to overstimulate the gluten, resulting in a tougher biscuit.
6. Note 2: You can make these biscuits, cut them, put them on cookie sheets and freeze them for up to a month.
7. When you want fresh biscuits, simply place them frozen on the cookie sheet and bake at 425°F for about 20 minutes.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."  -Matthew 5:9