The heavenly aroma of homemade buttery biscuits basking in the oven and Maxwell House coffee brewing in Mr. Coffee's vintage pot are two scents that endearingly carry me back to the early years of my childhood. Oh, how I remember my mother making these mouth watering biscuits from scratch without a recipe handy or an exact measurement for each ingredient. She taught me what it meant to 'eyeball' an amount and probably took it to an entirely different level. At least for a brief period of time.
You see... By the time I was eleven years old, my mother's vision began to deteriorate rapidly, placing a significant amount of pressure on me to become the cook for my family. I remember how distraught I felt at that time, however, I was also determined. Determined to do what I had no choice but to do - learn how to cook.
What seemed to be a curse then turned out to be such an incredible blessing.
I'm saddened to report that my parents probably ate their unfair share of bland and burnt meals but what a joy to say that they never complained. Truthfully, their lack of comments were the most encouraging part of my 'learning to cook' journey. They allowed me to make my mistakes, learn from them, and therefore, develop my skills and a true love for being in the kitchen.
While my cooking skills have developed immensely over the years, so has my passion for baking. Specifically wedding cakes for those who are preparing to celebrate one of the most special moments in their lives.
Food does that, doesn't it? It brings us together for all of the reasons whether it be a casserole for an ill friend, a candlelit meal to share with the one you love most or a birthday cake to acknowledge another year of life. All to speak a common language of love.
By the way, what is your favorite anytime dish? Celebratory desert? Go-to meal? Maybe you like to be in the kitchen or maybe you're afraid to get started. Whatever the case may be, my hope is that today you will pull out that recipe and those kitchen utensils and get to mixing, preparing, and sharing.
After all, happiness is homemade. Use your good dishes and never forget to show your food love language.
Happy kitchen time, friends!
Braddy Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients: 4 cups White Lily self-rising flour (sifted), 1/3 cup cold shortening, 1 & 1/2 cup whole buttermilk
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
In a medium size bowl, place flour and shortening.
Now for the messy part. Mix with your hand until incorporated. It will look like course cornmeal. Add buttermilk. Mix by hand until the dough comes together. Sprinkle a little flour on a clean countertop and knead until the dough feels smooth and completely together. Then, roll out your dough. I like the thickness to be around 1 & 1/2 inches. My momma never uses a biscuit cutter. You can pinch off the dough or if you have a biscuit cutter, use it, but don't twist the dough when cutting. Place your biscuits on a greased pan or cast-iron skillet if you have one.
Place your pan of biscuits on the middle rack. If you forget and put them on the top rack in the oven, they will be charcoal black. I speak from experience friends! Bake until golden. It doesn't take long. Every oven is different. Serve with butter and your favorite jar of preserves. Happy baking friends!
