As you may have gathered by now, Jen and I both cook quite a bit, and we get a lot of our recipes from books and the internet and magazines.  It’s always fun, trying out new things, but there’s also much to be said for bringing out your recipe box, pulling out a little handwritten index card, and cooking something that’s been passed down to you from someone you’ve known and loved.   We thought it would be fun to share some of those most-loved recipes in a new feature we’re calling:(Yeah, I had to make a banner in picmonkey.  I have a sickness.)

Anyway, the first recipe I’m sharing is one from our mom.  Mom is a good cook, and I’ve hit her up for a lot of recipes over the years, but this is the one I’ve made most often; I don’t even have to refer to the recipe card anymore, though I love the recipe card because it has Mom’s practically-perfect-penmanship on it:See what I mean?  Why isn’t my handwriting that neat?  Anyway, based on her notation at the top, it would appear she got this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens, but whatev – at this point, it’s totally my mom’s recipe.

Mom’s Baking-Powder Biscuits

  • 2 c. flour (it says sifted, but I’ve never seen my mother touch a sifter in my life, so clearly, it’s optional)
  • 3 t. baking powder
  • 1 t. sugar
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 1/4 c. shortening
  • 3/4 – 1 c. milk, soured (she says it’s optional, but it’s not.  Sour milk rules!)

Preheat oven to 450°.  Cut shortening into dry ingredients, then quickly stir in milk with a fork.  (Why a fork?  I don’t know.  You’d have to ask Mom.)  You can pat out the biscuits and cut them, or just drop them and make cat’s-head biscuits.  I always drop them because it’s faster and I like the crispy pointy bits.  Make them whatever size you like.  Bake for 12 – 15 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet.

At this point, I’d normally show you a picture from where we had these for dinner tonight, but we ate them too quickly.  They’re sturdy enough to hold up to sausage gravy, but tender and light enough for just a little butter and jam (or Griffin’s Original Syrup, if you were raised right).

Every time I make these biscuits, I feel like my mom is right there with me and there’s something pretty darn awesome about now making them for my son.  And someday, I’ll send him out into the world with his own recipe card that says, “Nana’s Baking-Powder Biscuits.”

I think his kids will love them, too.