Good Old Fashioned Buttermilk Baking Powder Tea Biscuits

I remember you, Judy O’Brien!

Yum! Yum! Yum! Hot tea biscuits with butter. Hot baking powder biscuits with butter. Hot buttermill biscuits with butter. They are all the same thing – as long as you use butter, and buttermilk to make them. Yum! Yum! Yum! The butter melts into the flaky layers and drips down my chin when I take a bite. That’s how it is supposed to be: casual, messy, delicious and warm, comfortable pleasure.

Judy O’Brien was my grade 7 Foods teacher. It was called Home Economics in “those days”. We all had to wear a dress with nylons. And I do mean nylons. So now you know it was really “the old days”! Boys weren’t allowed to take Home Ec.. Girls weren’t allowed to take “Shop”. Mrs. O’Brien was an absolute doll. There were only about 12 of us in the class. She would talk to us, and sing to us, and provided such a warm and wonderful place for us to be that we always looked forward to primping for that full morning once a week. What fun! A great excuse to dress to the nines every week. Who would complain?

She taught us how to make Postum because drinking tea and coffee was against her religion. Postum was good. We would make it, then sit at the table and learn how to drink it properly. How to have a proper conversation. How to use impeccable manners. If it wasn’t for her, who knows what would have happened to me on my first date! My mom taught me impeccable manners, too. But, never ventured into the dating area like Mrs. O’Brian did.

I have many recipes from that grade seven class that I have made all of my life, but the most dog-earred is this one. I made this all through University whenever we were having soup, stew, company, or were out of bread. I made it when I was newly married to please my young husband. I made this to get a warm hug from each of my daughters as they grew up through the years. Now, I make it for my dad. He loves Buttermilk Biscuits as much as I do.

And, I am teaching my own Foods students this very same recipe so that they can use it for a lifetime to bring smiles to the faces of those they love.

“The best biscuits are made from the best ingredients”. That was Mrs. O’Brian’s mantra, and it is mine with my students, today. I use freshly churned organic butter (when I have it, and I try to always have it). I use organic buttermilk and if you haven’t tried it, you must. It is absolutely irresistable. Then, I use white flour.

Look into the buttermilk bottle. Can you see how thick and luscious it was? I used my Thermomix, though you certainly do not have to have one to make this recipe. Most people use a food processor.

I teach my students to cut the fat into the flour by hand, just as I did so many years before. “You cannot add your liquid until I see how well you cut the fat into yout flour”. My teacher reminded me as I remind my students. “Your fat will look like oatmeal flakes if you have cut it in properly”. But she would let us add the liquid if we had cut it to the point that it was the size of small green peas.

The butter was frozen solid when cut and placed in the Thermomix. The power of the machine is amazing, and in 2 seconds, the fat was perfectly cut into the flour (picture two, three rows above, to the right of the buttered cubes in the flour). Then, with the buttermilk added, and kneaded for 15 seconds. At this point, you could add herbs, cheese, or anything else you can think of. The batter came out of the TM bowl (two rows above, middle photo) absolutely clean. A brief roll under parchment paper (we used to use waxed paper), and they are ready to cut. Remember to leave them really thick. Do not roll them out too thin, or your biscuits will be too flat.

I use a biscuit cutter. Rerolled the left over dough, and cut out more.

Judy O’Brian and I actually became great friends later in life. She was really only about 8 years older than me. She was always young at heart, and I am sure she still is. We lost touch about 10 years ago. And, though I am sure I could find her without too much trouble, I can never forget the huge impression that she had made upon my life, and how powerful, and treasured her classes were… and, now, I am paying it forward – or trying to, with my own students. Thank you, Miss Judy. XO

This week, I made these to go with the Oyster Stew I took over for my Oyster loving dad who was too ill to join us on oyster shucking and sucking night. He had stories to tell about my mom’s dad making oyster stuffing every Christmas and mom remembered her dad making oyster stew. I didn’t have enough oysters to make this chowder sing like it should have, but I am now motivated, and I will definitely cook up a pot again. But, the biscuits were the perfect accompanyment for this briney brew. I used mine to sop up the soup, and definitely buttered it first.

And, yes, it definitely left me with a glassy-eyed smile on my face. I was so carried away that I didn’t even hear the little squeals beneath me for quite some time. Yes. Poor little Beavie. Somehow, I sat on him. He really has to watch where he seats himself. But, he will survive. He is just plumping himself up and breathing out the moment. He’ll be back. Don’t worry.

Tags: Biscuits