Southern Biscuits

I've always enjoyed Southern biscuits with fried chicken... and always enjoyed scones with jam at tea time... but I've always felt that the homemade scones and biscuits were missing something no matter how many variations I tried to make... I just could match the store bought Southern biscuits... (my scones were around a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10) First of all, I believe that whenever you buy a whole book dedicated to one specific subject, you are bound to get into the nitty-gritty of that subject... and I think it is those details and specifics that separate good results from great results! This book has a whole myriad of different types of biscuits and scones to try out at home and each one has its own subtle little difference ranging from those that require many ingredients and relatively more time to prepare, to your quick biscuit fix recipes! I have to warn readers that when attempting the more complex (relatively speaking of course) recipes, don't cut corners like not brushing the biscuits with melted butter as it will seriously affect the moistness and taste of your biscuits. Granted, there is a lot of butter involved with biscuits and scones... but I guess readers already know that biscuits and scones are not the healthiest foods on earth. I really found the introductory chapters really beneficial where the authors discuss the different materials that might be used and what affect each has on the finished product... I really think that this kind of information is the kind that adds to your understanding of the subject and makes you better in the field. I specifically found the information on low gluten flour especially beneficial as I have been primarily focusing on high gluten flour for baking breads... you wouldn't believe how much of a difference the gluten content of flour makes on the finished product! Also, I have always wondered why certain recipes used baking powder and others used bi-carb... the section on this really clears up any confusion as to why and how and when to use each! There are also some tips and recommendations on who to actually cut the biscuits using your cutter to help improve your results! Overall, a very specific book for a specific audience who will undoubtedly find this book interesting to read and try the recipes in it... I'm sure everyone's technique and end results will benefit from this book.

Love it love it LOVE THIS BOOK. (am I shouting? ooops...sorry. I've VERY enthusiastic!) I'm a baker. I bake everything - most of my life cookies and cakes. Bread was always an uh oh. And forget about biscuits. I'd kill them with kindness, with too much thinking but most of all with handling. I watched Baking With Julia, I watched the bread monk guy, I watched them all, but it just didn't occur to me that you don't need to do much to bread items except leave them alone and let them make themselves. But I've learned some over time. I think the NYTimes guy who discovered the art of making artisan bread without doing a damned thing was my first eyeopener. Put all the stuff together, stick it in a bowl and leave it be for a day or two was the first step. So I learned bread. I also learned RECIPES are IMPORTANT. I had been doing the winging it thing. I like to wing. It's good to wing. But you can't wing unless you KNOW baking science. I was operating on cake/cookie science. Different thing altogether. Bread is something else, quickbreads even more so. Quick is the key! So back to this amazing little book - skimming through all the recipes (and there are LOTS of them) I picked up two really important things: ACID(LACTOSE), FAT, FLOUR w LEAVENING. that's your basic biscuit recipe. DON'T MESS AROUND WITH THEM MUCH, that carries over from bread. From cakes too. Leave the flour alone - let it do it's thing. It's alive. It doesn't like to be mauled. So with biscuits, for ALL these recipes, I throw everything in the refrig - flour too. cut in the fat, add the acid/milk/buttermilk/sour cream/yogurt, stir and fold it once, twice, three times as soon as it's a substancial mess of goop throw some flour on top to give it body, form into a squareish thing about an 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shape. And carefully place in a buttered pan, then a hot oven. My oh my. I haven't tried EVERY recipe but I promise you I will. I haven't tried rolling out the dough for fear of mishandling, but I shall try once I have the feeling to. The only downside to all this easy deliciousness is they are terribly terribly fattening. AND you have to put butter on them because you HAVE TO! (and trust me when I say home made GOOD biscuits are like manna and Pillsbury and Bisquick don't even come into this - don't have a place at the table at all.) THIS is the BEST LITTLE RECIPE BOOK IN THE WORLD.

This is my go to for biscuits, I’ve had it for years, it is always in my cart because I gift this book regularly. Great for beginners and the more advanced with lots of variations. Buy it, gift it!

Good recipes and advice about baking biscuits of many different kinds. I found the format clumsy. It is completely repetitive for each recipe, and it would be hard to find a particular recipe easily when the time comes to bake biscuits. As my grandfather was from Kentucky, I remember my grandmother saying that she had to bake biscuits every day. As a missionary in the mountains of Colombia, South America, I have made biscuits, cinnamon rolls, and coffee cake out of a basic biscuit recipe, baking them in a skillet over coals with a cover and hot coals on top to brown the top, or you can turn them over to brown both sides. I would have been interested in trying some of the more exotic biscuit recipes. It was an interesting read.

I love all things Nathalie Dupree. "Back in the day" I would spend my Saturdays with her when she was a regular on my PBS station with her New Southern Cooking television program. Then one year when I was cooking in France it turned out that Nathalie was the guest chef at the maison and we were inseparable for a week. Quelle chance! She was at the time researching her next book, Shrimp & Grits, and in her southern charm style she was gathering stories and recipes from fellow sojourners. Alas, my recipe did not make it into the book. But the book and my memories of Nathalie are spectacular nonetheless. With Southern Biscuits Nathalie has again shared with us her wit, charm and recipes from the Old New South -- and she has hit it out of the park! I mean -- who doesn't love a light, fluffy, flaky biscuit?! And who knew there were so many versions and ways to make and eat a biscuit? I have been busy working my way through every conceivable incarnation of this dining staple. Whether you are a novice or a mealtime maven, there is something new, delicious and exciting for you in this book. It never occurred to me to use cake flour to lighten up my biscuit, or that there was even such a thing as goat butter!! Who knew?! Nathalie knew -- and she shared. This book is worth the price of admission just to discover how to make your own self-rising flour or Homemade Refrigerator Biscuit mix. But, let me warn you, this book can be dangerous. It makes it entirely too easy to create a (half)dozen biscuits at will and on a moment's notice. But, I have enjoyed every bite of the cloud-like creations owing to my extra 10 pounds of girth -- thanks to Nathalie Dupree and Southern Biscuits! And, oh yeah, the Kindle edition at $1.99 is the bonus kitchen companion making it also convenient to review and recreate the recipes with ease.

Southern Biscuits was mentioned in an article in one of the magazines my wife subscribes to. The article was all about biscuits and quoted this book and the authors so I purchased the book. As a family we're pretty good at making biscuits. My wife, an 8th generation Texan with a published family cookbook, is very good as are our 3 children. My heritage is a bit simpler. Just hanging in the kitchen with my mother as a kid and loving cooking. Later in life both my dad and older brother (we're very competitive) turned into avid cooks. So, we know our way around the kitchen, too. Southern Biscuits is a delight and will return hours of fun recipes and many satisfied friends and family.

The lowly biscuit, some folks can make them ok, but few can make them well. That being said, if you love even a simple great biscuit, you need to get this book. There are many different components to consider, type & brand of flour and baking powder, shortening or butter, this book gives a great introduction for all that. Then its gives the recipes. It also has many different flavor combinations in the various recipes. My mom always made what I called the "cat head" biscuit. It wasn't great, but doable. My aunt makes a good drop biscuit, but my grandma could make great biscuits. I love this cookbook, you may be thinking why do I want a cookbook just for biscuits, because it's worth it to hone your skills from a doable biscuit to a great biscuit!

There are lots of biscuit recipes out there, but this is more than a recipe book; it is a paean to the biscuit, a sourcebook and textbook for how to make the very best biscuits. Of course, the recipes take center stage, and there is lots if variety to choose from, with accompanying stories and background information. It is a joy to read AND to cook from. I have tried many of the recipes in this book, and though my first attempts were not awesome, continuing to make biscuits and work on my techniques have helped me achieve the best biscuits I have ever baked.

I could go on and on swooning about this biscuit book. Honestly, it has brought me so much joy. That may sound like a lot for a biscuit book, but if you loved biscuits as much as I do - and I know y'all are out there! - then the Queen of Biscuits, Nathalie Dupree will bring you joy, as well. This gem of a book has so many biscuit recipes. I never realized there were so many different ways to make what we used to call a simple biscuit. There's a page for each one and each is written so well one could prepare them in the dark. The best part is that each recipe is different. I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious the Sweet Potato biscuits are. They are light as air with a wonderful aroma. Terrific with a hearty soup. The Goat butter/milk biscuits are dreamy. Milky white in colour and the fluffiest cloud in texture. And, both are just as good the next day. BTW, I often use the goat milk instead of sweet milk in my other recipes now, too. This book is well worth it. I love it so much, I still read through it like a favourite novel before going to sleep. Of course, I then dream of biscuits... With this book, one will better understand why certain fats are preferred as well as the mystery behind different flours and, of course, the different fats (sweet milk vs buttermilk) Note: There are some pictures, but not of every biscuit recipe. It may be an issue for some, but honestly, that doesn't bother me one bit.

loved the recipes

So much has been said about this book, I eventually purchased it, but I am not sure it is worth the money, has some good recipies, but I've had and made better biscuits ... If your looking for biscuit magic, then this is not the book.

This book informs and inspires. Lots of techniques and recipes to help you get over the hump of creating something quite simple that without guidance is difficult to master.

I will be making biscuits 24/7! Nicely explained recipes in a nice hard cover! It even tells you how to substitute regular flours for self rising not always found in Canada. Would recommend this for biscuit lovers.