BLUEBERRY BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Today Hillcrest Thrift Shop celebrated its 6th birthday. Everything in the store was 50% off.  Free hot dogs and birthday cake were also provided. I volunteered to work the first shift from 10 to 12:30. Fortunately we have two registers and Jack was also there to work. Bagging up the merchandise is one thing that will slow the clerk down. Expecting a crowd I asked Friend Fran to help and "bag" for me. The first people in the door knew exactly what "high-priced" items they wanted so Jack and I were both "ringing up" customers within a minute of the doors opening. We finally had a chance to get our breath at 11:15. I felt like it was time for the shift to be over.

Before I got up this morning I knew I was going to make a new recipe I found in Southern Living's 1989 Annual Recipes cookbook for Blueberry Buttermilk Biscuits. It was submitted by Carolyn Rosen from Nashville, TN. I thought the volunteers that expect something from me every time I go in to work would be appreciative. Because it was "our" birthday and there would be lots of volunteers helping, I kept the biscuits at the register with me and just let the "usuals" know I had them. (And I only had 8 to share.)  I thought I was going to get away with one to bring back home and enjoy, but Josh asked me if I had anymore left as I was leaving, and of course I let him have it. Don't worry, I plan to make some more in the morning for my husband and me.

I don't mind telling you, I make good biscuits. I have been making biscuits for 42+ years. I worked and worked until I perfected my recipe. My son wanted me to enter them in the county fair when we lived in CA. (How sweet is that?!)  I have to say though that Carolyn's recipe is really good also for a "fancy" biscuit. I know I will be making them often.

The only change I made in Carolyn's recipe was with the sugar.  I used 1/2 cup of stevia for the sugar in the biscuit. Then for the topping, instead of the 3 tablespoons of sugar, I used 1-1/2 tablespoons of stevia/sugar blend. I almost forgot that I used a blend with the flour. I had about 1-1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour.  Next time I will go half-and-half.

I was going to wait and write this up in a few days ( I have a number of posts I am anxious to share with you), but John said he knew the recipe would be on my blog this weekend and he would be checking for it.

Remember you can print the recipe using the print friendly button at the bottom of the post and it will permit you to remove the images.  I am such a visual learner, I have a hard time doing anything here and not include lots of pictures.

BLUEBERRY BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

2       cups all-purpose flour (I used 1-1/2 cups all-purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour)
1        tablespoon baking powder
1/4    teaspoon baking soda
1        teaspoon salt
1/2    cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup stevia)
1        teaspoon grated orange peel
1/3    cup shortening
1        egg, beaten
3/4   cup buttermilk
1/2    cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I used fresh)

3       tablespoons  margarine, melted
3       tablespoons sugar (I used 1-1/2 tablespoons stevia/sugar blend)
1/4    teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8    teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheet.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and orange peel in a large bowl. (I sift these ingredients together twice.)

Cut in the shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. (I use my fingers but you can use a pastry blender.) "Coarse meal" means you don't have any big pieces of shortening left. 

Combine the beaten egg and buttermilk and then add to flour mixture.

Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. (I use my hand to "stir".)

Add the blueberries and stir easily. ( I continued to use my hand.)

Dump mixture out on a lightly floured board.

Knead 4 or 5 times. Kneading is not hard to do. Your batter is fairly moist, so just bring half of the blob over the rest.

Rotate the dough 90 degrees around (a quarter way around) and then bring half over the top.

Continue doing this until you have a nice rather smooth looking ball (4 or 5 times).

Lightly flatten dough out with fingers to about 1/2 inch thick.

Using a round cutter, cut biscuits as closely as possible. I have a favorite glass I like to use that makes a 3 - inch biscuit. I made 9 biscuits.  Carolyn used a 2 - 1/2 inch biscuit cutter and made 15 biscuits.

After cutting as many biscuits as you can this first time, take the scraps and gently fold them in 3 or 4 times until it is smooth again, flatten, and then cut. 

If you want "edges" around your biscuits space them at least an inch or two apart on the baking sheet. If you place them closer, they will bake together and you will have soft edges.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Mix the topping while biscuits are baking (margarine, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg). Brush or spoon mixture over the biscuits when you take them out of the oven covering the tops.