Monday's Meal

Today's recipe is for my mom. Of course, you can all feel free to try it as well. But my mom should sit up and take notice.

My children love Bojangles restaurant biscuits. So for fun I looked up a recipe on the internet and then made them one night. When my children came to the table, they looked at the biscuits and then asked if I had made them. A few minutes later, my husband made it to the table, took one look, and asked if I made them.

Don't misunderstand. I make home made biscuits (good home made biscuits) just about every Saturday and we're not talking bisquick either, baby. So of course I had to find out why it was that they thought these were not my handiwork. The answer was that they looked like restaurant biscuits. I suppose I can accept that since any restaurant food is not going to be as good as something home made in my opinion.

I have a long relationship with home made biscuits. I began with Bisquick, like most cooks, only mine was Jiffy brand because we liked their stuff better than the national brand. I then graduated to a humble baking powder biscuit recipe. A few years ago I found angel biscuits. I LOVE angel biscuits, particularly because I can make the dough the night before, put it in the fridge, and pat out and cut them the next morning while I am only half awake. And they are always light and fluffy like the commercial says -- except these really are. But lately, and I'm sure its only to vex me, my children have informed me that Bojangles biscuits are better. I have threatened them with refusing to cook and they still say it (but always with a grin which makes me think they are enjoying my disgust with them). I admit that these are good but I have to say they aren't like Bojangles biscuits to me (which are dry and have no taste in my opinion so its a good thing to not be like them). The ungrateful fruit of my womb claims otherwise but what do they know. Honestly.

The reason I call my mother's attention to this recipe though is because she has claimed for a long time that she can't make biscuits with all purpose flour, which is what I use for pretty much everything. She says it just won't work for her. So here it is, a recipe that uses self-rising, just for her.

See how nice I am. How can they talk badly about my cooking?


Bojangles Biscuits

2 cups self rising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons confectioners sugar
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening (such as Crisco)
up to 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
butter or margarine

Stir together the flour, baking powder & 10x sugar. Cut in the shortening until pieces are about the size of grains of rice. Stir in the buttermilk (you may need less buttermilk, start with 3/4 cup and add more as needed). Knead a few times, roll out on a floured board or counter top to 3/4-inch thickness. Be careful not to work dough too much or add too much flour, or you'll have dry biscuits. Cut with an oversized biscuit cutter (about 3-inches). Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake about 12 minutes in a preheated 450 degree oven. Remove from oven and brush tops with butter.