Recipe: Touch of Grace Biscuits (very light)

TOUCH OF GRACE BISCUITS

This makes a very light biscuit. So light that it almost crumbles under the weight of a pat of butter.

Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups self-rising, low-protein flour, such as White Lily, Martha White or Red Band
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons shortening or lard
2/3 cup cream
1 cup buttermilk (approximate; see directions)
1 cup all-purpose low-protein flour, for shaping
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and arrange one shelf slightly below the center of the oven. Spray an 8- or 9-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the self-rising flour, sugar and salt. Work the shortening or lard in with your fingertips until there are no large lumps. Gently stir in the cream, then the buttermilk. (It may take less than 1 cup of buttermilk, or if you are using a higher protein flour, It may take more.) The dough should not be soupy, but should be wet and resemble cottage cheese.

Spread the all-purpose flour on a plate or pie pan. With a medium-size ice cream scoop or spoon, place three scoops of dough well apart in the flour. Sprinkle flour gently over each scoop. Flour your hands, then pick up a dough ball, gently shape it into a round, shaking off excess flour, and place it in the prepared cake pan. Continue shaping biscuits the same way, placing each biscuit up tight against its neighbor in the pan, until the dough is used.

Place pan in the oven and bake at 425 degrees F until lightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Brush with melted butter, invert pan onto one plate, then back onto another to turn biscuits right side up. With a knife or spatula, cut quickly between the biscuits to make them easy to remove. Serve immediately.

(Leftover biscuits can be reheated by wrapping in aluminum foil and placing in a 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes.)

Makes 12 to 14 biscuits.
Source: CookWise by Shirley Corriher (Morrow, 1997)
Reprinted in the Free Lance Star newspaper, Feb 21, 2001.