It's a Synthesis of Hyacinths and Biscuits

Autumn: From the Heart of the Home 
by Susan Branch

(September 2004)

ISBN:  978-0316088664

This book is listed as a cookbook but it is so much more. Looking at this book is like sitting down with your best friend and her sharing her journal with you. The entire book is hand lettered and full of lovely watercolor illustrations by the author. There are many tips on decorating, entertaining, and, of course, cooking. All are inspired by the season in the title. There are suggestions for various types of gift baskets such as the Sniffle Basket and the Apple Bowl.
 

My favorite is the Cookie Man. It is a very clever way to give her Ginger Crisp Cookie recipe (p. 106) as a kit. You just measure out the dry ingredients into two resealable bags, then set them aside. Using pinking shears you cut from two layers of heavy brown paper a cookie man shape. Decorate the front. On the back write out the cookie recipe and baking instructions. Sew the front to the back, tucking the dry ingredient pouches in through the head opening before sewing completely closed. Punch a hole in one hand and attach a cookie cutter with ribbon or string. Complete instructions are found on page 21.

The recipe I tried was the Farmhouse Biscuits (p. 60).  They are unusual in that they are made with sour cream. I found the recipe incredibly easy and the biscuits turned out very light and tender. To make things even easier, next time I would just press the dough into a rectangular shape and cut into 12 squares. No hunting for the biscuit cutter and no scraps to press together to re-cut.  

Check out the recipe and pics after the jump.

YOU WILL NEED: 

1 1/2 cup Flour 

2 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder 

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda 

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 cup Sour Cream

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. 

Grease (butter) a baking sheet and flour a work surface. 

Combine first 4 ingredients. 

Mix in the sour cream with your fingers just until blended. 

(This step was very messy, but well worth it.)

Bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 12 biscuits.

 

Photos (above):

1 - Mixed
2 - Hmm, is it supposed to look like this?
3 - The funny looking one on the left is the scraps patted together to make one more biscuit.

After baking.  Not too bad.

The next time I make these I will cut down the flour in the mix by 1/4 cup and use that to flour the surface.  You can always add more flour to the dough before patting if it is too sticky.  It took me twenty minutes to find my biscuit cutter.  I had the idea for just patting the dough into a square and cutting the biscuits into squares after they were already in the oven.  Oh well, next time.