Hi all– I’ve skimmed recipes for “Angel Biscuits” over the years– and always thought, “Baking powder AND yeast? Sounds complicated.” But I am truly a big biscuit lover, especially with a dollop of orange marmalade or berry jam, and finally I could resist no longer. And it turns out they were easy to whip up! Definitely worth the wait!!
Less buttery than standard biscuits, but light and a bit yeasty. Perfect with a pot of soup. And pretty darn good toasted up for breakfast the next day.
ANGEL BISCUITS
1 envelope, rapid rise yeast (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tab. warm water*
2 3/4 cup flour
3 tab. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup butter, cold
1 cup cold buttermilk
In a small bowl, stir together the yeast and warm water. Set aside to to proof while you mix up the rest.
In another mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.
Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or 2 forks until it resembles coarse crumbs (a food processor will do the trick too, but who wants to clean up a big food processor just for biscuits?)
Then stir in the buttermilk and warm yeast until it makes a sticky ball of dough.
Turn the dough out onto a counter sprinkled with a little more flour and shape the dough into a 1″ thick round. (Don’t handle too much, better to keep the butter cold!)
Cut the biscuits with a cookie cutter or a glass (like my grandma used to do) and set them on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
Set sheet of biscuits into a 400 degree oven and cook them until they are golden brown and set, about 15 to 20 minutes.
I do have to insist that you eat them hot from the oven, and with spoonfuls of jam or honey. Irresistible!
*Some people shy away from using yeast, but it’s really not hard. Just don’t get the water to hot and kill the yeast. Years ago someone told me– use water about the same temperature you’d use for a baby’s bath– warm, not hot. Seems to work!
The Thankful Heart 