When the talk is about biscuits I always think of Leah Chase, chef and owner of Dookie Chase’s in New Orleans, and those she baked for us on one of our Master Chef TV programs. They were the tenderest, the lightest, and really the best I ever remember eating. This is our interpretation of her method. The key to tender biscuits is using light, rapid movements, so that you activate the gluten in the flour as little as possible, and the flour itself plays a role. Southerners make their famous biscuits with soft wheat (low gluten) flour, and to approach its equivalent use part regular all-purpose and part cake flour as indicated here.

　　

Ingredients

for about 1 dozen 2 1/2-inch biscuits

　　

Step 1

For about 1 dozen 2 1/2-inch biscuits, baked in a 425°F oven. Preheat the oven. Provide yourself with a pastry blender or 2 knives, a pastry sheet either covered with parchment paper or buttered and floured as described on page 97, and a round 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter.

　　

Step 2

Measure into a large mixing bowl either 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup plain bleached cake flour or 2 cups soft wheat (pastry) flour, plus 1 2/3 tablespoons fresh lump-free double-action baking powder (see below), 3 /4 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Mix thoroughly and then, with the pastry blender or 2 knives, rapidly cut in 3 /4 cup vegetable shortening (I use Crisco) until the flour-covered fat particles look like small peas. With a wooden spoon or your hands, lightly and rapidly, but in big dollops, fold in 1 cup of milk to make a rough, somewhat sticky, dough—do not attempt a smooth mixture at this point.

　　

Step 3

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and, as a gentle type of kneading, lift the far side up over onto the near side, pat it out gently into a fat circle, sprinkle on a little flour as necessary, then lift the left side over the right, the right over the left, and so forth, giving 6 folds in all. Finally spread and pat the dough into a reasonably smooth rectangle 3/4 inch thick.

　　

Step 4

Cut out biscuit circles and place them close together, but not touching, on the pastry sheet. Gently gather the scraps together and give 2 or 3 folds as before, pat out again into a rectangle, cut out the circles and place them on the baking sheet, and continue until the dough is used up. Finally, pressing the sides of each biscuit shape with your fingers all around, plump them up slightly. Set in the middle or lower middle of the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through and slightly browned.

　　

Step 5

Serve warm or at room temperature. (Leftovers, if any, are best frozen, then set from freezer for a few minutes into a 350°F oven.)

　　

Variation

Step 6

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE. Use 2 tablespoons sugar rather than 1 in the dough, and you may prefer to form it into a single large cake 1 inch high. Plan on about 2 cups of fresh ripe strawberries per serving. Leaving one whole big fine berry for decoration, halve or quarter the rest, toss in a bowl with drops of fresh lemon juice and a good teaspoon or so of sugar for each quart. Let stand for 10 minutes or more, allowing the juices to exude. Toss again and add a little more lemon and sugar if needed. When it’s time for dessert, split the biscuits (or single large cake) in half horizontally, spoon strawberries and their juices over the bottom halves, set on the tops, crown with a generous dollop of sweetened whipped cream (see below), center the reserved berry on top, and proudly serve. You may wish to pass around extra whipped cream separately.

　　

Baking Powder

Step 7

In an opened can loses its strength after about 6 months, so always test it by stirring a teaspoonful into 1/2 cup of hot water. If it doesn’t bubble up in a lively way, throw it out. Before you use baking powder, be sure to smooth out any lumps.

　　

Sweetened Whipped Cream

Step 8

For 2 cups, whip 1 cup heavy cream or whipping cream as directed on page 101. Just before serving, sift on 1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar and fold it in with a large rubber spatula, adding, if you wish, 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.

　　Julia's Kitchen WisdomKnopf