Catshead Biscuits

This recipe comes from the South, some say Missippi (Delta Catshead Biscuits), and some say Kentucky (Mountain Catshead Biscuits) either way, its an old, old biscuit that has been handed down many, many times and Grandma always did it by touch and feel. But then, Grandma was a lot smarter than we are, so we're gonna use a recipe.


2 cups self rising flour
1 cup buttermilk (okay, so a 2:1 ratio - got it?)

use a lump of shortening about 1/8 of a cup in size. You can use real butter, margarine, lard or solid vegetable shortening. It must be at room temperature to blend smoothly into the dough. If you try to use some soft dairy spread because all your neighbors have sworn off butter, 'cuz "its bad", this won't work. They all contain so much water that they won't work for any baking purposes.

Pour the flour into a large mixing bowl. Most flours today do not need to be sifted, but it doesn't hurt either. Push the flour to the sides of the bowl to form a depression in the center. Place the shortening and a little of the liquid buttermilk (you can get it in powdered form and it stores like forever)in the center and start stirring with a big spoon. When the shortening is blended, add the rest of the buttermilk, mixing just until blended and the dough forms a ball. The dough should be a little on the moist side.

Place wax paper on a flat surface and sprinkle flour on it. Roll the dough out on the wax paper. Don't knead the dough. Handling the dough excessively will make the biscuits tough. The less you handle it and the more moist the dough, the better your biscuits will be. Just pat the dough down gently until it's about an inch and a half thick.

Then cut out the biscuits and place them in a greased cast iron skillet. If you don't have one (how in the hell do you make cornbread without a cast iron skillet!!??) you can use a metal or glass pan, but it won't be right and the spirits of Grandmas from all over the South will come and sit on the foot of your bed and chant "dumb ass, dumb ass" over and over and keep you up all night. Its your call. Whatever you use, be sure it is small enough so that the biscuits are all close together, touching - Remember, you want the biscuits to rise up, not out to the side. Another reason for this is that when the biscuits bake with their sides touching, you can pull them apart easily, but those sides will be very soft and tender, not hard and brown. This is a very important part of making good biscuits.

Bake in a 400 degree oven just until the biscuits are light brown.

You can brush melted butter on the tops of the biscuits when they are done, or before you place them in the oven. They do not rise as much as buttermilk biscuits.

You should eat them hot from the oven, with butter, honey, home made strawberry jam or go really deep South and try molasses. Gwan, I double dog dare ya . . .