Tender, flaky, homemade biscuits

This is a delicious recipe and easy to make. You can cut the recipe in half if you have a small family because these have no preservatives and therefore don't keep longer than 24 hours...but don't be surprised if there are no leftovers!!

Photo by dineanddish, flickr

Ingredients:
2 cups self-rising flour
1 ½ tsp. sugar
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 ¼ cups buttermilk*
⅓ cup vegetable oil (not olive oil)

Method: 
Preheat oven to 400F (200C)
Sift together dry ingredients.
Add 1 cup buttermilk (reserve ¼ cup) and stir, then slowly stir in oil.
Mix together until all is incorporated but do not knead.
This makes a VERY soft dough, so handle it gently.

On a floured board, pat or roll out to 1" thick.
Cut 2” or 3” diameter rounds and place on greased cookie sheet.
Brush tops with reserved buttermilk.
 Bake for 15 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.

Serve hot with butter (hint: break them open with your fingers or a fork, don’t cut them open with a knife. They are very tender and flaky inside.)

*If you don’t have buttermilk, sour milk works fine: add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk, allow to stand for 10 minutes for the milk to curdle, stir and use.


VARIATION

Scones

To make scones, use the recipe and method above but add up to ½ cup additional sugar to the dry ingredients (sweetness depends on your taste) and cut at least 4” diameter rounds.

Use the scones, split, for strawberry shortcake bases, or serve them warm and buttered with strawberry jam and whipped cream for a real English-style tea.