———–BISCUIT BONANZA— In
France, dessert is often constructed from towers of flaky puff
pastry, and in the Middle East, paper-thin phyllo dough is either
left crispy or made soggy with syrup. But the U.S. has biscuits to
call its own. Biscuits–moist, tender and rich–are used as an
alternative to a yeast-leavened bread. Biscuits are closer in
technique to making pie crust than to making bread. The steps follow
the same order: Cut the shortening into the flour mixture, add some
liquid and roll it out. Once you’ve mastered the technique, you can
not only delight in the aroma of biscuits browning for breakfast, you
can also bake scones for a proper English tea. (The difference is
there are eggs in scones and not in biscuits). Biscuits are similar
to real shortcakes, rather than the hockey pucks made from cellulose
sponges found next to the red glop in the produce department. And you
can crown fresh fruit with a biscuit dough topping and call it a
cobbler. Start by sifting the dry ingredients ~-flour, baking powder
or soda, salt, sugar and so forth. Then cut in the butter or
shortening until the mixture resembles a fine meal, like breadcrumbs.
While a wire-blade pastry blender is useful, you can use two knives,
pulse a food processor fitted with the steel blade on and off a few
times, or use your fingertips. The third step is adding the liquid.
The trick is to accomplish this quickly, so that the ingredients are
just blended enough to hold together. It’s tempting to do more, but
that’s what makes biscuits or their first cousins tough. Once liquid
is added to flour the gluten formation begins, and any agitation
intensifies this process. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured
surface, such as a counter or a pastry board, and use the same
restraint that went into adding the liquid. Don’t knead it more than
10 times, just enough to give it a push in the oven, but not enough
to make it chewy. Now either roll or pat the dough into the proper
thickness. The dough should be less than 1 in thick. Cut it into
desired shapes. No fancy cutters? Use juice cans (a 2 in diameter) or
an upside down glass.
Yields
1 Servings