Buttermilk Biscuits

Making homemade biscuits is something I have tried and tried.  I figured out bread and yeast products but biscuits are a whole different ballgame.  I have tried at least 20 different recipes and what I have come up with is a variety of different recipes and combined them till I found one that I really enjoyed.  They used to come out like hockey pucks but have finally gotten to wear they rise are perfectly flaky.

• 2-1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 2 Tbsps. Baking Powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup COLD butter
• 1 cup COLD buttermilk
• 2 tsps. honey or sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Stir until well-combined.
3. Cut the cold butter into cubes and add it to the bowl. Use a pastry cutter (or the back of a fork) to work it in until coarse crumbs form.
4. Create a hole in the middle of the dry mixture and add the cold buttermilk and honey. Use a silicone spatula to gently stir until just combined. Don’t overmix. It will be crumbly.
5. Add the dough to a floured surface and create a rectangle with your hands about 9 inches long.
6. Fold the left side into the middle, then the right side. (See process shots.)
7. Rotate the dough so that it’s horizontal. Gently flatten into a rectangle again, and repeat the same folding process 2 more times.
8. Form into a 10 x 7 inch triangle about 1-inch thick.
9. Use a 3-inch cookie cutter to cut 6 circles. Do not twist the cutter, it will seal the edges and prevent airflow which will hinder them from rising. Lightly flour the inside of the cutter in between. I like to store them in the fridge as I cut them to prevent them from getting too warm.
10. Roll the dough back out until it’s 1 inch thick again and cut 2 more biscuits. You should end up with about 8 biscuits total.
11. Butter a 10-inch cast iron skillet and place the biscuits inside so that they are almost touching. The close proximity makes them rise better. You could also place them close together on parchment paper on top of a baking sheet.
12. Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
13. Combine the honey and melted butter and brush the warm biscuits with it. For more browning on top, bake for up to 5 more minutes at 450°.
14. Store in an airtight container or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze leftover biscuits.

Rotini Salad

This is one of my favorite pasta salad recipes.  I love love the dressing on this pasta.  It reminds me way back in the day when we used to have get-togethers or Sunday suppers.  I believe my aunt's used to make this. Have you ever had this recipe?

• 1 lb rotini cooked, drained, and chilled
• 1 large green pepper, diced
• 1 chopped onion
• 3 carrots, peeled and grated
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup vinegar
• 1-1/2 cup mayonnaise

Mix thoroughly the milk, sugar, salt, vinegar, and mayonnaise.   Pour over tossed vegetables and rotini.  Toss to coat.  Chill before serving.  Best if chilled 2 days before serving.