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It seems like every time I think I've hit the holy grail of biscuits, a few tries at other recipes yields yet another pillow of deliciousness that's even better. These are phenomenal. Self-rising flour makes them quite easy, especially since I don't cut them round and re-roll. I just shape the rolled out dough into a rectangle and use my bench knife to cut them into squares (sort of). The raggedy ones around the edges are the first to go. Of course it doesn't hurt that I use half leaf lard (I double the recipe and freeze them). Anyway they were so good I just had to share the biscuit love...

Emilie

http://leitesculinaria.com/94672/recipes-southern-buttermilk-biscuits.html

Looks awesome.

BEAUTIFUL

If these are as good as the zucchini bread recipe that you posted they'll certainly be my new favorite! Can't wait for an occasion to try them.

So glad that zucchini bread recipe worked for you. I took a loaf from the freezer a few days ago and it's just as good as fresh. But the thought of needing an occasion to make biscuits is terrifying! You have way more self control than I do, Linda!

Emilie

Emilie,

The recipe calls for 4 oz of butter. Do you substitute 4 oz of lard?
They look delicious.

Empty Nester

I use half unsalted butter and half lard -- in my experience I've found that using lard alone in pie crusts and biscuits can make the dough more difficult to work with because lard is softer than butter, even when chilled. So I always just sub lard for half of the butter, or for the amount of shortening that's called for in a recipe that's butter & shortening.

So in this case, because I double the recipe and freeze at least half, I do use 4 oz. of butter along with 4 oz. of lard. But if you're just doing a single recipe, it would be 2 and 2. And just fyi, my impression is that the lard in the grocery store is pretty gross in general. A great source for leaf lard is Dietrich's Meats in PA. I buy 15 or 20 pounds at a time and keep all but 1 in the freezer -- it lasts frozen for well over a year and that's the best way to economize on the shipping. (Will always be thankful to Amy for steering us in their direction!)

Oh -- and just a heads up that the dough is super sticky -- you'll need to repeatedly shake a lot of flour on your bench, the dough, and your hands while you're doing the rolling and folding 3 times.

Enjoy!

Emilie,

The Dietrich Meats site says Fresh rendered lard, that's the leaf lard?

Yup, that's it. They're a little old school in that it can't be ordered online even though they have a website. You have to call them to place the order and then you mail them a check. And like I said, the shipping is high which is why I order a lot at one time. But I'm serious when I say it's like having gold in the freezer!!

In fact, just recently when I've made chicken pot pie, I've started subbing lard for half of the butter that I sauté the vegetables in. It's only about 3T of each so isn't much -- but I swear it's made it even better. The past couple of times I've made it I've used the same broth that I canned a while back and the same veggies, etc. as the other recent times I've made it (so in other words the ingredients were identical), but just tonight after DH had some, he asked me how I managed to make it even better than before. I told him it's the lovely LARD!!

Emilie

Oh, and Empty Nester, If you do get some and want to try it in a pie crust, I use Kenji's food processor method and just sub cold lard for half the butter. Couldn't be easier (especially when you use a scale so don't have to grease up a measuring cup) and I foodsaver & freeze rounds of the dough so I always have homemade dough for crust ready whenever I need (want ) to throw together a pie or tart. It's amazing the difference it makes in the tenderness of a crust.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/07/easy-pie-dough-recipe.html

Emilie