Middle Biscuit Comfort

When I was a girl my grandmother would make a big pan of buttermilk biscuits and she would let me and my brother have the biscuits that were baked in the middle of the pan---the coveted “middle biscuits.” She did this because to her the middle biscuits were the best biscuits in the batch. They are softer and would rise higher than any of the other biscuits.

She would take that hot middle biscuit slice it open and put lots of butter inside of it. Once the butter had melted she would open the biscuit up and spread a great big heaping spoonful of homemade blackberry jam on both sides. Yummmm……

I have so many wonderful memories of times with my grandmother.  She was always so comforting, loving and encouraging. Cooking for her family was just one of the many ways she showed her love for her family.

My mother passed down the love of cooking for family to me and I hope my girls will continue the tradition. There is great comfort in sitting together around a table with family and enjoying a good meal together. It is extremely important for families to crave out some relaxing time together.

I think one of the things that helped us to keep our family together through the hard times is we ate supper together every night. Even when my cousin and her twin daughters moved in with us for six months we would all gather around the table to share our day and fill our bellies.  

Now don't get me wrong there were nights when we were hissing and taking heads off left and right---you have to remember at one point we had 3 teenage girls, one pre-teen and a pre-menopausal woman all under one roof. Poor Bobby he deserves a purple heart.

Life is hard for all families. Getting along with each other requires effort. It takes communication and the dinner table is a wonderful opportunity for families to come together and share. Make sure when you are at the dinner table together you are like my grandmother's middle biscuits soft around the edges so you are able to offer comfort and encouragement  and that you rise high so when criticism or someones bad attitude is present you can keep your head and emotions above it.

I learned to make biscuits when I was twelve and went on to win first place in the state 4H competition for the best biscuits when I was fourteen. I have included the winning recipe for you. Enjoy!

Self-Rising Biscuits

                                                

2    cups Gold Medal® self-rising flour

1/4  cup shortening (solid not oil) 

3/4  cup buttermilk                                           

• Heat oven to 450°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray. Place flour in large bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk; stir with fork until soft dough forms and mixture begins to pull away from sides of bowl.
• On lightly floured surface, knead dough just until smooth. Roll out dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with floured 2-inch round cutter. Place biscuits with sides touching on cookie sheet.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.