"I miss southern biscuits" Recipe

Now that it is the holidays, I get these weird cravings for home. Thank god I can’t get Cracker Barrel or a Grandy’s here, I’d look like a balloon in no time. These are very easy to make and with ingredients I use in Germany. I love these with homemade sausage gravy, which I briefly state how to make below.

Makes about 12 mini-biscuits.

Ingredients:

120g (1 cup) sifted flour (405 Weizenmehl)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons cold french butter (Semi-Salted Butter, i.e. Isigny Sainte-Mère)
1/4 teaspoon salt
about 100 ml milk
fresh ground pepper

Sift the 120 g of flour with the baking powder into a large bowl and stir in the salt and sugar. Cut in the butter with your hands by rubbing the butter into the flour. Gradually add the milk a little at a time until it is uniform then stop adding when soft dough is formed. On a slightly floured surface turn out the dough and lightly knead it for about 30 seconds to give it some shape. Roll the dough until it is about 1 to 1.5 cm thick and cut with a floured biscuit cutter or I used a tall shot glass to make little baby ones. In a pre-heated 200°C oven bake on ungreased sheet for 10 minutes.

I take some German bratwurst out of the casing and shape it into a patties, leave some as bits for the gravy. Fry the patties and bits up in some lard (Schweineschmalz or Ganzeschmalz is good) then leave a little bit of grease in the pan (about 2 Tbs) and add a equal volume of flour to the hot pan. Reduce the heat to about medium. Scrap the bottom of the pan continuously, never leaving the flour on the bottom for more than a few seconds in one spot. Do this until the flour starts to smell a bit nutty. Then add some milk. Increase the heat and stir the milk until the roux is uniform with the milk. Add more milk if it is too thick or if you need more gravy. Just when it is thick enough, taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.