When I was a kid, there was this book my mom used to read me sometimes called Grover's Bad Awful Day.
Basically Grover has a day where nothing goes his way (full plot description here). Although it's a children's book, it really does amazingly capture that hopeless feeling when you have one of those days (luckily Grover's mom is there to turn his mood around at the end).I'm having one of those days today.
A little back story: Hubby is posted on a ship in the Canadian navy. Said ship is away for ten weeks (argh) and was meant to be making port on a lovely Caribbean island, where I was going to meet him next week. Sun, sand, R&R with my husband... I was so looking forward to it. Then yesterday I get word that the port visit is no longer happening. Insert multiple expletives here.
SO on top of the fact that I now won't get to see Hubby until after both our birthdays and our anniversary (grumble, grumble), I had the lovely task of trying to cancel all the bookings that I made in preparation for this journey. And of course because no one gives a damn about the plight of the little people, and despite having travel insurance on our credit card, I'm left with $475 worth of cancellation fees. This is the most expensive non-vacation I've ever taken.
Oh, and did I mention hurricane Gabrielle rolled in today?
I'm seriously contemplating solo day-drinking...
I bet you're so happy you came to see me today! In my world a bad day = baking. And baking comfort food most importantly. So there was nothing to be done today but make some buttermilk biscuits.
I've been making biscuits for years, but I was never really happy with them. The ones made with buttermilk had great flavour, but always ended up a little dry as they often had no butter at all. Other biscuits would be filled with butter and cream and while amazingly flaky and melt-in-your-mouth, I always felt just a teensy bit guilty (but only a little).
So what is a girl to do but come up with her own recipe? The first time I made these, Hubby raved and ate like four, so I named them Steffan's biscuits (the astute readers will also notice that I changed the address of this blog, at his suggestion. Apparently I'll do anything for that man...)
Ed note: please excuse the photos in this post. Since the last time we talked my computer has been having continued blue-screen-related issues, and refuses to open any photo editing program, so they're all SOOC.
Steffan's Buttermilk Biscuits
These are the biscuits that I had with my Lemon Garlic Shrimps
Yield: 6-8 biscuits, depending on size
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour (I usually also sub 1/2 whole wheat)
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1 tbsp
baking powder
¾ tsp baking
soda
¾ tsp
(seasoned) salt*
4 tbsp cold
unsalted butter
¾ cup
buttermilk
Directions:
1.
Preheat oven to 400 °F and cover baking sheet
with parchment paper. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda
in a large bowl.
2.
Using a fork or a pastry cutter, cut butter into dry ingredients until pea-sized chunks remain (this can also be done in a food processor if you have one; continue with remaining steps by pulsing everything in).
3.
Add buttermilk and stir until the dough just comes together. Knead with your hands briefly until it just
holds together (don't over-knead or the biscuits become tough).
4.
Transfer dough to floured counter and pat out
until 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick. Using a round cutter (I use one about 2 1/2 inches), press straight down (don't twist!) and transfer rounds to baking sheet (you can also drop 1/4-cup balls onto baking
sheet for drop biscuits).
5.
Bake until biscuits are golden brown on top,
about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly and serve warm (generously slathered with jam and Devonshire cream if you're me).
6.
Do ahead: make the biscuit dough and form the
individual biscuits, then freeze them until needed. They can be baked directly
from the freezer, with just a couple more minutes baking time.
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| MMMMmmmmmmmmmmm... |
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