Honeyed Words: Could Biscuits Save the World?

Could Biscuits Save the World? · 8 May 2007

Picture of a Freshly Baked Biscuit

There a common thread in the work of Anne Bishop. The world may be in danger of being engulfed by the super-villain, you may find that you’re suddenly the head of a group of unbelieving spoiled fairies, or you may push yourself to the brink of death from exhaustion. But whatever happens in the realms of Anne Bishop’s imagination, your family will always be there for you.

In the Ephemera series, this family is headed by Belladonna’s mother, Nadia, and she dishes out practical advice and love with a side of biscuits. Love problems? Nadia's got a biscuit. Eater of the World looks unstoppable? Have another. The entire burden of saving the known world has fallen squarely on your shoulders? There's a basket full of biscuits waiting to be passed around the kitchen and a supportive family to eat them with you.

My mother was a comfort to me in times of need too, but her idea of food therapy was more along the lines of a hot cup of tea with honey or a hot bowl of soup than a carbohydrate binge. I had to discover the joy of home made biscuits long after leaving home when a roommate introduced me to the wonders of Bisquick.

Biscuits have gotten me through some tough times. They’re quick, filling, comforting, and (best of all on a starving student’s budget) cheap. I’d wager a basic batch of biscuits costs about the same as a bowl of Ramen Noodles, and is much less dangerous to your blood pressure.

Biscuits are forgiving and biscuits are a medium for creative expression. You can make biscuits just about any way you want, by adding any flavoring agent that you enjoy, and they’ll probably turn out just fine. My personal favorite biscuit is of the garlic and cheese variety, but I’ve made biscuits with just about every spare ingredient I've had.

By Friday of last week, my larder was a bit bare due to sickness induced abstention from grocery shopping. After days of soup, I needed some solid food. It was time to make biscuits.

These are biscuits made from a basic recipe, not from Bisquick, but can easily be adapted to use Bisquick based on the instructions on their packaging.

I used feta cheese in this batch, a first for me. While I like feta, I didn’t think it was the best pairing for the garlic, or provided the comforting buttery flavor I was going for. I often use a blend of Montery Jack and cheddar cheese (usually leftover from making Mexican food) which is a better taste combination.

If you’d like a slightly sweet biscuit instead of a savory one, substitute the cheese with almonds or pecans, the garlic with sugar, and serve the biscuits warm and topped with jelly.

Picture of a Bowl of Freshly Baked Biscuits

Basic Baking Powder Biscuits:

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp + 1 tsp softened butter or margarine
1 cup milk or ½ cup milk and ½ cup water

Garlic Cheese Biscuit Add Ons:

Approximately ¼ cup grated or shredded cheese (more if you like really cheesy biscuits)
2 Tbsp finely chopped garlic

Preheat oven to 425° F. Prepare a cookie sheet by greasing it with cooking spray or using a paper towel to rub a light layer of butter or margarine on it.

Combine flour, baking power, and salt in a large mixing bowl. (For the sodium conscious, the salt is what activates the baking powder, so don’t omit it or you’ll get flat biscuits!)

Add the first 2 Tbsp softened butter and the milk to the bowl. Beat with a whisk or mixer until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

If desired, add the cheese and garlic, or other flavoring agents to the dough and stir until well distributed.

Drop biscuit dough onto the cookie sheet by placing an approximately 3 Tbsp sized dollop of dough on the sheet. This recipe should make 12 large biscuits, so gauge the size of the dollop accordingly. Dough can be added to or removed from the dollop after it’s dropped onto the sheet to make the sizing work out in the end.

Using a butter knife, place a small pat of butter on the top of each biscuit dollop once you have achieved the desired size.

Bake large biscuits 11-13 minutes or until golden.

Anne Bishop, Biscuits, Bisquick, Comfort Food, Ephemera, Side Dish, Vegetarian