How to Make Homemade Biscuits with No Shortening

Golden biscuits go with breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Do you love the idea of warm, buttery, homemade biscuits, but not the idea of ingesting that semi-solid fat known as shortening? Although shortening is a traditional, commonly used ingredient in biscuits, it's not at all necessary. Whip up these fantastically rich biscuits and even grandma will beg for your recipe.

Things You'll Need

• Large mixing bowl
• Sifter
• 4 cups self-rising flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1 cup cream
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup flour for dusting
• Rolling pin
• 2-inch round cookie cutter
• 2 or 3 cookie sheets
• Cooking spray
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• Whisk
• Pastry brush

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. 

   Sift together 4 cups of self-rising flour, 1 1/2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 3 teaspoons of cream of tartar and 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt.

3. Add 1/4 cup of softened butter to the flour mixture. Using your hands, combine the butter with the flour mixture until you have a coarse, crumbly mixture.

4. 

   Add 1 cup each of cream and buttermilk to the flour mixture. Using a spoon and/or your hands, mix until thoroughly combined.

5. Place the biscuit dough on a lightly floured surface and knead well. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to approximately 1/2-inch thick.

6. 

   Cut the dough into biscuits using a lightly floured 2-inch round cookie cutter. Place the biscuits on cookie sheets coated with cooking spray.

7. Whisk together 2 large eggs and 2 tablespoons of whole milk in a small bowl. Dip a pastry brush into the mixture and lightly brush the tops of your biscuits.

8. 

   Bake the biscuits in your preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until tops are golden brown (a toothpick inserted into the center of a biscuit should come out clean).

References

• Cream Biscuits
• Biscuit Tips and Recipe
• Gooseberry Patch Christmas Book 3; Gooseberry Patch Company; 2001

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Joy of Baking
• Biscuit Recipes
• Pillsbury Baking