Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Wed 29 Jul 2009 07:57:22a, Jean B. told us...
>
>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>> On Tue 28 Jul 2009 05:59:12a, Jean B. told us...
>>>
>>>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>>>> On Tue 28 Jul 2009 05:22:07a, Jean B. told us...
>>>>>
>>>>>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>>>>>> On Sun 26 Jul 2009 08:24:53p, Paul M. Cook told us...
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> "Damaeus" > wrote in message
>>>>>>>> ...
>>>>>>>>> I accidentally posted this first to rec.food-cooking....here's a
>>>>>>>>> post for this group:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I like biscuits now and then, and I got the itch to have some a
>>>>>>>>> while back when I was watching the Food Network and saw Tyler
>>>>>>>>> Florence's version. He shocked me when he said to use vegetable
>>>>>>>>> shortening, his reason being that he found that butter tends to
>>>>>>>>> burn, while shortening doesn't.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Well, here's the recipe, first of all:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/t...ttermilk-biscu
>>>>>>>>> it s- re cipe2/index.html
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Okay, I tried the recipe. I have to say they were not unedible,
>>>>>>>>> but nowhere near the quality of biscuits I had made using butter
>>>>>>>>> instead of shortening. These biscuits came out reminding me of
>>>>>>>>> store-bought, canned biscuits. I blame the shortening, because
>>>>>>>>> all shortening is, is hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated
>>>>>>>>> oils. I was skeptical of them for that reason alone.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> That said, I had normally made biscuits with plain whole milk,
>>>>>>>>> not buttermilk. We normally don't keep buttermilk in the house,
>>>>>>>>> but my roommate had a craving for fried chicken with buttermilk
>>>>>>>>> batter, so since we had some left, I made buttermilk biscuits,
>>>>>>>>> then buttermilk pancakes a few days later. The biscuits did rise
>>>>>>>>> nicely, however.
>>>>>>>>> But they turned out with a very yellow color inside, which
>>>>>>>>> surprised me greatly. They were quite white going in, but you'd
>>>>>>>>> think I'd laced them with turmeric, they came out so yellow. (I
>>>>>>>>> used unbleached flour.) As for the doneness, there was an even,
>>>>>>>>> brown crust all the way around it, that was almost cookie-like in
>>>>>>>>> texture, about a millimeter thick. I layered it as he suggested
>>>>>>>>> on TV, and as a result, they simply pulled apart like a
>>>>>>>>> biscuit-bun, no need for a knife to cut it in half.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Once I get some more flour, I'm going to try buttermilk biscuits
>>>>>>>>> again before it expires, using butter instead of shortening to
>>>>>>>>> compare.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> What is your experience with using butter versus shortening? So
>>>>>>>>> far, I'm not impressed with shortening, but I may have to blame
>>>>>>>>> the buttermilk if using butter in the next go-around results in
>>>>>>>>> the same type of experience.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I've never found butter to work well in biscuits. You get a
>>>>>>>> crispy rather than soft biscuit. I don't like the heavy taste
>>>>>>>> anyway as I put butter on the biscuits. I have always used lard
>>>>>>>> or vegetable shortening. Lard makes the best biscuits IMO.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Paul
>>>>>>> Lard + buttermilk + soft wheat flour (like White Lily) make the
>>>>>>> lightest and best biscuits.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> I can see I need to buy more lard. I am thinking I can use the
>>>>>> recipe in James Beard's American Cookery, but with those
>>>>>> ingredients. Yes?
>>>>> Absolutely.
>>>>>
>>>>>> Speaking of buttermilk... This is probably a stupid question, but
>>>>>> is it possible to find real old-fashioned buttermilk anywhere in
>>>>>> the Boston area?
>>>>> Most of what you'll find in any city is cultured buttermilk, but
>>>>> quality varies. I usually buy mine at TJ's or Sprouts. You'd
>>>>> probably have to find a private dairy to get the "real thing", but
>>>>> good quality cultured buttermilk works just fine.
>>>>>
>>>>> Once you have some, you can perpetuate your supply by mixing up a
>>>>> quart of non-fat dry milk, adding a cup of buttermilk and leaving it
>>>>> to set on the counter overnight, or until it clabbers. Then shake
>>>>> well and refrigerate. You can repeat this process indefinitely.
>>>>> Buttermilk used for cooking purposes can be kept refrigerated for
>>>>> months without spoiling.
>>>>>
>>>> Cool! Thanks. I still would like to find the old-style
>>>> buttermilk at least once in my lifetime.
>>>>
>>> Then you need raw milk where the cream hasn't been separated, and a
>>> churn. You can buy tabletop churns. You get the best of both worlds,
>>> fresh butter and fresh buttermilk. OTOH, if you drive out into the
>>> country where there are small farms that keep a few cows, they may make
>>> small quantities for themselves and might be wiling to part with some.
>>> Is there any Amish country within your driving distance?
>>>
>> Probably not. BUT this ties in with my growing desire to
>> experience milk that is more like nature intended!
>>
>
> Then you definitely need to buy a cow. :-)
>
Oh but wait! Last night I put a query out on the local food ng,
and someone informed me that Annie's, which makes butter, now has
buttermilk. I went to three stores and found some. The odd thing
is that is sounds like it is a byproduct of their butter
operation, but it still says "cultured buttermilk". Soooo, I have
the lard and the buttermilk, and will get some White Lily flour
today. I MAY have seen it at one of the regular supermarkets
around here. I know I have seen it at Williams-Sonoma, although
unfortunately I didn't look for it when I was there recently.
I wonder, too, whether one could use pastry flour? I will try the
WL first, though.
--
Jean B.