Idella Parker's Biscuits

Idella Parker's Biscuits

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 29 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : LowCal (Less than 300 cals) LowerCarbs
No Yeast Veggie

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
3/4 cup milk -- approximately

Preheat the oven to 450F.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Using 2
knives, adding just enough to obtain a soft, pliable dough. The dough
should be mixed as little as possible.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the biscuit dough 1/4-inch
thick. Cut out 1 1/2-inch biscuits, using a round cookie cutter. Combine
the scraps an continue rolling an cutting until all of the dough is used
up. Transfer the biscuits to a baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch
apart.

Bake the biscuits until golden brown and wafer crisp, about 12 minutes.
Serve with a dab of butter on top.

Makes 28 to 30 biscuits.

AuthorNote: Marjorie Rawlings was the author of "Cross Creek Cookery", but
the creative genius behind much of the book was Rawlings' maid, Idella
Parker. Born in Reddick, Florida, in 1914, Idella worked for Rawlings for
fourteen years at Cross Creek. She confided in a recent interview that
many of the recipes in "Cross Creek Cookery" were actually hers, although
she is credited by name for only three. Here are Idella's biscuits, with
the cryptic words in Rawlings' version of the recipe, "Mix as usual",
explained by Parker herself. Note: these biscuits remain thin - even when
baked.