Few things in my stretching-the-budget and filling-tummies career have made as big a difference as biscuits. Do you remember how much the canned variety costs? Oh, I dearly love the convenience. But I don’t like paying for it. Especially when I have to get so many cans to feed the seven of us. And that’s where batch cooking homemade biscuits comes in.
But here’s the trick. Don’t make a special effort. Double or triple the recipe while you are already making biscuits for a meal. Here’s how I do it. Since I know we will be having breakfast for supper one night a week, I plan to double the biscuits then. Or maybe one lazy Saturday morning, when I decide biscuits are what we need for breakfast.
Point being, you already have all the ingredients out. Go ahead and do it. Make it easier on yourself later. The time investment up front will make you smile later.
Just use your favorite recipe. Here are mine. All easy to mix up in batches:
- Erin’s drop biscuits (and cinnamon honey butter!)
- White Lily biscuits (recipe on the side of the flour package)
- Brittney’s Biscuits (my sister-in-law’s recipe)
To freeze for later: Cut out biscuits. Place, sides almost touching on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Put in freezer for at least an hour for flash freezing. Remove from tray and place in freezer zip top bags.
Get the children in on the action and you just might have some star-shaped biscuits 🙂
Biscuits are not just for breakfast. Batches of the frugal and homemade variety help fill tummies almost any meal. Are you as fond of them as I am?
I love making the light and fluffy ones. I either use or make my own biquick add 2 cups of the mix 1/2 cup sprite and 1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream mix and cut out OMG these are the lighted biscuits ever…
How, if at all, does freezing impact the baking time and temperature? I love the idea because we are always doubling and tripling recipes to cut down on our weeknight efforts!
Kimberly – depending on the recipe, I usually add 5-10 minutes to baking time. And, in my experience, the temperature remains the same. Enjoy!
Do you put them straight from freezer to oven, or thaw first?
Just stick them straight in the oven. No need to thaw.
Hmmmm bisquick? It’s just flour, salt, powdered milk, baking powder and shortening in a box for which you are paying a premium price. Heloise Hints developed a home in which you keep the dry ingredients in a jar on the shelf . You add the wet when ready to bake. If you add powdered milk to the dry, all you need to do is add water. The mix also works for pancakes and waffles (just add eggs).
• 8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 8 teaspoons sugar (optional)
• 1 cup shortening
• Milk
Mix all dry ingredients together. Using a pastry blender, cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Store in a well-sealed container in the pantry or fridge. To make biscuits, use 1/3 cup milk for each cup of mix. Bake at 450 F for 12 to 15 minutes. — Heloise
As for me, I make mine from scratch, two cups flour, half stick butter, 1/2 t salt, 1Tb baking powder, 1/4t baking soda and 8 oz buttermilk. Southerners use self-rising flour for which all you have to do is add milk and shortening.
Easiest biscuit recipe ever:
1/2 c butter
1 c sour cream
2 c self-rising flour
Melt butter and mix with sour cream. Stir in flour (I usually start mixing with a fork and finish by hand) Let sit a few minutes. Flatten out to about 1/2 inch and cut into biscuits. If you don’t want to have any scrap pieces like you get with a round cutter, shape it into a rectangle and just cut in squares. Bake @ 425 for 12-15 minutes.
These turn out very similar to the Pillsbury Southern style biscuits that are in the freezer section.