One time, in 2000 I made biscuits. 

These little hockey pucks of Bisquick and water were terrible. Dry, hard, and flat, they really could have been used for an icy sport. I didn’t really like biscuits all that much anyway and was only making them for a friend who wanted biscuits and gravy, so I gave up. I had followed the instructions exactly, so I figured biscuits just weren’t my thing. Besides, what was the point in making homemade biscuits when you could conveniently pop open a tube of dough and have perfect (soft) biscuits in 12 minutes?

Fast forward six years and I was married and living 35-miles out of town. If my husband and I wanted biscuits and gravy and I hadn’t picked up a tube of biscuit dough there was no way I was wasting the gas to head into town for just that, especially since by then breakfast time would be past anyway. 

So, I started testing biscuit recipes. I still didn’t like biscuits much but was determined to find at least one really good, really easy recipe that I could fall back on.

I now have two pretty solid recipes that I use on a regular basis depending on the ingredients I have on hand and what the biscuits are for. I have also grown fond of chocolate gravy on top of my biscuits when the family wants something a little different. 

Basic Biscuits 

These are the biscuits we routinely eat with sausage gravy. I modify for strawberry shortcakes or chocolate gravy and we eat with soups and stews.

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening (very cold)

2/3 cup of buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 450. This pre-heating part is extremely important. Sometimes you can throw things in a cold oven but not biscuits. Part of the fluff of the biscuit is created when the hot air hits the pockets of fat (in this case shortening) causing the fat to melt and create steam which lifts the biscuit.

Stir together all the dry ingredients. Then using a dough cutter or fork cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse, pea-sized crumbs. Do not use your figures for this step. The dough needs to stay as cold as possible. 

Make a well in the center of the ingredients and pour in the milk. I use a “scrap and cut” type motion with a cooking spoon or spatula to mix the dry ingredients in. Do not over mix. Stir only until the ingredients come together in a rough ball. On a lightly floured surface pat the dough out until 1/2 inch thick and then fold it over itself. Do this 3-4 times to create layers in the dough. The pat or roll out to one inch thick the final time. 

Using a biscuit cutter or knife cut out dough and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

As a note, buttermilk can be made by adding 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk and putting it back in the fridge to sit for at least five minutes.

I don’t recommend using a glass to cut out the biscuits because this “seals” the biscuit edges and they won’t bake up as high.

To make sweeter biscuits increase the sugar to three tablespoons and add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. 

Seven-up Biscuits

These biscuits are super easy but turn out amazing. These are my favorite of the three recipes and are very tasty the next day too. These are also easy for beginning cooks. They are not as dry as typical biscuits. If you want to wow someone at dinner time feed them these biscuits with a little butter and maybe honey or jelly.

4 cups Bisquick or homemade biscuit mix

1 cup sour cream

1 cup 7up (I use either the short cans or measure 1 cup out of the regular 12 oz can)

1/2 cup butter

Preheat the oven to 425. Place the butter in the bottom of a 9x9 glass pan and place pan in the oven so the butter melts while you make the biscuits.

Combine Bisquick and sour cream until dry and coarse. Add 7up. Mix until well blended. This will be very soft and sticky, almost like a batter. Shake more Bisquick onto a cutting board or parchment paper and then turn dough out. Sprinkle with more Bisquick and pat the dough into a rectangle 2-2.5 inches thick. Cut into squares and using spatula to place in preheated buttered dish.

Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

This recipe yields moist, buttery biscuits with wonderful crunchy edges.

Orange biscuit rolls

These are a yummy addition to any breakfast, brunch or tea. My girls love to help sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar and eat them warm for an afternoon snack. Preheat oven to 450.

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup shortening

3/4 cup milk

4 tab Cinnamon/sugar mix like used for cinnamon rolls (3 parts sugar 1 part cinnamon)

In a saucepan, combine orange juice, sugar, butter and orange zest. Cook and stir over medium heat for 2 minutes. Divide among 12 muffin cups; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. With a fork, stir in milk until mixture forms a ball. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 1 minute. Roll into a 9-in. square, about 1/2-in. thick. Brush with melted butter.

Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the dough and roll up. Cut into 12 slices, about 3/4 in. thick. Place slices cut side down, over orange mixture in muffin cups. Bake for 12-16 minutes. Cool for 2-3 minutes; remove from pan.

Chocolate Gravy

This is a southern favorite and something I started serving my family when we wanted a sweet treat for breakfast. We like it with fresh strawberries and bacon. The gravy should not be runny like a chocolate sauce but thick and smooth, just like any good gravy. Serve over warm sweet biscuits.

1/4 cup cocoa

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

pinch of salt

2 cups milk

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In a large saucepan whisk together the dry ingredients. Turn on medium-high heat and whisk in milk. Continually whisk until thoroughly mixed and no lumps remain. Bring to a boil stirring often enough to keep from scorching. Cook on a low boil 7-10 minutes until thickened and it coats a spoon well. It should be velvety smooth. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla extract. Serve while warm over biscuits.