We got home about 7 p.m. last night and of course, there’s no bread in the house and I was too tired to make bread. Vince said “But . . what about breakfast in the morning?” I like biscuits better than toast anyway but rarely take the time to make biscuits. This morning, I made biscuits. Too bad one of Vince’s yolks broke but . . that’s what happens sometimes around here. Could’ve been worse . . he could be eating cold cereal! 
Here’s my favorite recipe, which I usually only make half the recipe when it’s just the two of us. Half the recipe makes 6 biscuits.
Buttermilk Biscuits:
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 heaping tsp. sugar
6 T. shortening
3/4 cup milk or 1 cup buttermilk (I use buttermilk)
Mix first 4 ingredients. Add shortening and cut with a fork til about the consistency of cornmeal. Add the buttermilk. Stir with a fork til everything is mixed. Do not stir more than necessary.
Sprinkle a bit of additional flour on a board, gently knead several times. Roll to about 1/2″ thick. Cut and bake, with sides touching, on ungreased baking sheet, at 450° for 10 – 12 minutes. Makes about 12 biscuits.
They’re good! I like mine with just plain butter but Vince likes his with sorghum syrup.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I had to laugh when you said one of Vince’s egg yolks broke. My daughter and I tells my husband that “his toast burned.”
I love biscuits and never make homemade one’s – when do you add the buttermilk? After you cut in the shortening I assume?
i’m with you, i like biscuits better than toast too.
This must be a biscuit (or no bread) kind of day. I made biscuits this morning too. I have Coconut oil that my daughter gave me. She follows Nourishing Traditions and says coconut oil is really healthy. It looks like shortening so I used it with butter after getting some Google advice and it made very soft and flaky baking powder biscuits. Homemade biscuits may even be less expensive than bread. I agree they taste better than toast.
When I lived in Baton Rouge I worked for a company that had a “cook in” every Friday for lunch. We used to make biscuits from scratch and we would heat the pan, melt a little butter in it, and then dip the biscuits in the melted butter and then cooked them in the same pan. Talk about good!!! No calories of course, lol.
Would low fat yogurt work in place of the buttermilk? We always have yogurt in the house, not buttermilk. We also have reconstituted non fat powdered milk but I would not think that would work at all. Also, I wonder if whole wheat flour would work, maybe half and half with the white flour?
Would Yogurt (l% or fat free) work? What about whole wheat flour? Maybe half and half with white?
Judy L – Just wondering – would it be possible to replace the shortening with cold butter and cut in? or would I end up with scones? I do love buttermilk biscuits !! They also love my waist and hips. It is a “mutual admiration society” thing.
Judy C in NC
I just don’t do toast. I love biscuits, though! Thanks for this recipe, definitely want to give it a try this weekend!
What does the T. stand for in the shortening line of the recipe? Tablespoon? I can so see myself getting this wrong – we do everything by grammes or ounces in the UK not cups. But I own some cup sized measuring cups and would like to try it out….
Judy I made your biscuits this morning. My husband and mother-in-law loved them. Thanks for your recipes.