Buttermilk Biscuits with Honey Butter

Every now and then I get a hankering for hot biscuits and honey butter. Most of my family are not big biscuit fans, so it’s like a special treat for me when I do make them. Biscuits that are not drowning in melted honey butter are not biscuits at all (or home-made apple butter).

My grandmother baked biscuits every morning at breakfast and then again at noon if she had company. She baked them in an extra hot wood-burning stove that she used for years after she got an electric range. When she made biscuits, she didn’t measure any of the ingredients. She put a heaping spoonful of shortening in a cast iron skillet, and melted the shortening in the hot stove. When the shortening was melted, she whirled it around in the pan until the bottom and sides were evenly coated. The rest of the melted shortening ended up in the bowl with the flour and milk. After the dough was mixed, she rolled it out and cut beautifully thick picturesque biscuits.

Biscuits baked at high temperatures form a toasty crust around its tender insides. A puff of steam escapes when you pull one apart, leaving the center exposed for a big dollop of honey butter.

Unlike my grandmother, I mix everything up in a bowl, pinch off a ball of dough about the size of a meatball, roll it in my hand until it’s smooth, then press the top down once it’s on the baking sheet coated with baking spray. They’re not nearly as good as grandma’s biscuits, but they’re sure good for sopping up melted honey butter.

Buttermilk Biscuits with Honey Butter Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 23 minutes

Servings: 12

Author: Olives-n-Okra

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Ingredients

Honey butter

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1/3 cup honey plus 2 tablespoons

Biscuits

• Baking spray
• 2 cups White Lily self-rising flour
• 1/4 cup shortening chilled
• 3/4 cups buttermilk

Instructions

• In a small mixing bowl, beat butter and honey until well-blended. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Heat oven to 500°F. Spray baking sheet with non-stick baking spray.
• In a large bowl, add flour and shortening. Cut shortening with pastry knife until crumbs are the size of peas. Blend in enough milk with fork until dough leaves sides of bowl.
• Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead gently 2 to 3 times. Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut using floured 2-inch biscuit cutter. Place on prepared baking sheet 1-inch apart for crisp sides or almost touching for soft sides.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
• Makes 12 biscuits.

Notes

You can substitute whole milk for the buttermilk.