Here in the UK, a biscuit is sweet. These delicious treats are known in the US as cookies, since an American biscuit is rather different, as this recipe will show.
Ingredients.
2 cups Flour
1 tablespoon Baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 ounces, or 1/2 cup Butter, cold, cut into small cubes
2/3 cup Milk
Method.
1. Preheat oven to 400°F(200 Degrees C). Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a large bowl. Add the butter and work into the flour quickly with your hands to form a coarse mealy texture.
2. Stir in just enough milk to bring all the ingredients together in a shaggy mass. You may have to add more or less milk than called for.
3. Remove the dough to a floured work surface and knead briefly just to smooth out the dough. Do not over-knead or your biscuits will end up tough.
4. Roll out to a thickness of about 3/4 inch. Cut into rounds with a floured glass or a biscuit cutter. Place the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet and brush with milk or melted butter.
5. Place in the oven and bake until browned on top, about 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately.
Variations.
• Buttermilk Biscuits: add 3/4 teaspoon baking soda to the dry ingredients and substitute buttermilk for the regular milk.
• Cheesy Biscuits: stir 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese into the flour-butter mixture for cheesy biscuits.
• Drop Biscuits: add a little more milk to make a moister dough and skip the kneading step. Use an ice cream scoop to spoon out portions of the dough onto a baking sheet and bake as directed.
• Southern-Style Biscuits: substitute chilled lard for 1/2 the butter and stir in some crumbled bacon.
• Add 1-2 teaspoons of dried herbs, or 1 tablespoon of minced fresh herbs to the dough if you like.
Notes.
• As with all quick-breads, it helps to have all the ingredients well chilled. Also, do not handle the dough any more than necessary. Overworking it will make the biscuits tough.