Mess of Greens

full bellies | warm welcomes

Biscuit Quest

Biscuit Quest Concluded! Perfect Flaky, Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits

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Oh my gosh, y’all. It’s over. Our search for the perfect biscuit is OVER. Thanks to a recipe my mama had been keeping for at least eight years from Southern Living Magazine titled “Our Best Ever Buttermilk Biscuit recipe” we now have EXACTLY the recipe–and most importantly, the technique–to make the fluffy, flaky biscuits we’ve been dreaming of. These cook beautifully RIGHT after the dough is made and also freeze for a few days and bake perfectly… truly, it seems like a dream (especially when you see the ingredient list) but we’ve actually, honest-to-goodness hit the brakfast/brunch jackpot! (but pay attention…technique is critical here.)

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My Biscuit Quest Continues: Sweet Potato Biscuits

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A few weekends ago we were given an incredible gift of 60 degree weather in south Mississippi in early September (WHAT?) and it was heavenly. So heavenly, in fact, that I felt the urge to made pumpkin things… and drink coffee all day and crunch leaves underneath my feet.
I settled, however, for a picnic brunch with my family featuring venison sausage from our crazy generous friend John Mark and sweet potato biscuits (the often-overlooked yet most amazing autumn root vegetable). I’ve FINALLY unlocked the secret to flaky, fluffy biscuits, and the sweet potato just added a really lovely orange color to them, but I wouldn’t say that they had an overwhelming sweet potato taste. Do they finally allow me to leave-off my search for the perfect biscuit? Well, no… but only because I love the quest. If I were less interested in testing out new recipes, then these would definitely be a contender. See what you think!

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Biscuit Quest Attempt #2… Bon Appetit

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I’m not gonna lie, these biscuits turned out pretty well. Flaky, buttery, thick enough to serve with a slab of canadian bacon or egg…. Bon Appetit‘s Pies and Thighs biscuits didn’t disappoint me as I continued the search for the world’s perfect biscuit. (Ok, obviously this is NOT an objective category, but I have a flavor/texture/look combination that I’m going for here, and I won’t stop until I find it.See other attempts with Flying Biscuits here and Sister Shubert ones here.) The people in my family aren’t really buttermilk biscuit people, but it’s definitely a southern food group all on it’s own, PLUS the photo in BA just looked SO GOOD and pretty close to my vision of perfection so I needed to try it.

What I learned: In terms of what I’m personally shooting for, these biscuits were a little too buttery, but the texture was divine. When I try this recipe again, I could probably use shortening and solve the buttery issue pretty quickly… FYI, Bon Appetit DID NOT LIE when they said they’d found the secret to tender, fluffy biscuits… and the secret is this: don’t over-mix. Want more that just a secret? Keep reading.

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The Perfect Biscuit Search… #1. Angel Biscuits

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So, I’m ashamed to say that although Mess of Greens is about 2.5 years old I’ve only shared one SINGLE biscuit recipe. Biscuits and cornbread are two southern table staples PLUS they’re two of my most favorite foods in the whole world, so it’s pretty weird that biscuits have only made ONE appearance…although considering that most of my biscuit making attempts end in failure, it’s not that weird.

True story… I love biscuits so, so much, but haven’t been able to replicate my own idea of flaky, fluffy,  crispy on the bottom, chewy on the top, just-salty-and-sweet enough  perfection. Obviously there are different TYPES of biscuits for different meals… the cover in gravy biscuit, the Hardee’s sausage biscuit, the biscuit for the top of a casserole… but I’m looking for the perfect eat-on-its-own-with-just-a-little-butter biscuit.  My grandmother had a fantastic recipe…but I think her own hands and all the love and care for us that she put in them made hers truly delicious. When I try to use her recipe they taste fine, but they just aren’t the same. A few months back I shared the Flying Biscuit’s recipe, (which are so good) but they’re still not what I’m craving most Saturday mornings when it’s biscuit making time.

I’ve tried Sister Shubert’s Angel Biscuit recipe twice recently, and I liked the texture and think they’re perfect to smother in creamed chicken or some sort of gravy. So, think of these as a dinner-time biscuit. It’s a yeast dough, so they’re smoother than regular biscuits, but that also means they weren’t bad with butter and dewberry jam, either, but still not just what I’m personally looking for when it comes to flaky, breakfast or brunch goodness. I’m sharing that recipe here so you can see for yourself.
Now, I know I’m starting to sound like Goldilocks and the Three bears here, but I’m still on the hunt for the biscuit recipe that’s just right and won’t stop until I find it. In the meantime, here’s a recipe to see if it’s YOUR biscuit ideal.

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