This is really embarrassing. I made this recipe 3 times.
Read this recipe, notice anything?
Overt HINT: self-rising flour.
Mama's Mayonnaise Biscuits from Bon Appetit, Y'all by Virginia Willis
1 tblsp. canola oil, for the tin
2 cups self-rising flour (Southern)
3 tblsp mayonnaise
1 c. whole milk
1 tsp. sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 deg. Brush a 12-cup medium muffin tin with oil.
Combine the flour, mayonnaise, milk and sugar in a bowl. Using a spoon or an ice cream scoop, spoon dough into each muffin cup, filling about half full. Alternatively, drop spoonfuls of the dough onto a greased baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly, then invert the biscuits onto the rack to cool until warm. Serve warm.
In the notes for this recipe, Southern flour (White Lily or Martha White) is recommended. In order to accommodate this recommendation, I would have to order it online, but I thought I'd get all experimental-like and follow the suggestion that Virginia Willis makes for those of us who don't have easy access to Southern flour, which is to use 1 part all-purpose four and 1 part cake flour. However, I decided I'd take it up a notch and use half whole wheat flour and half cake flour. Mistake! I would absolutely not recommend using whole wheat flour for biscuits. Even if the package says it has the qualities of white flour. It really doesn't.
But that's not the half of it. From my very obvious hint that I gave you earlier, the recipe calls for self-rising flour. If you want to sub with all-purpose flour, then you have to add the baking powder and salt yourself. And here's the embarrassing part. I forgot to add the baking powder. Not once, but twice. I made the first batch and they turned into hardened dough. I thought it was the muffin tin I was using which was stoneware, not tin, and maybe you had to preheat it? So I start over and decide to use a baking sheet instead. Exact. Same. Result. omg. It hits me. You didn't add the baking powder!?#@$!!
Lord, help me.
Still, THE THIRD ATTEMPT looked nothing like the gorgeous photo in the cookbook. And that's because I used part whole wheat flour. The biscuits were edible at least, but tasty? No. Light and flaky, definitely not. I will not be using this recipe again unless I have acquired Southern flour. Maybe I'll buy some at Publix when I'm home over Christmas.
Oh well, you win some, you lose some.
See, I told you, hardened dough.
Wow. You scared me to death! All my google alert said was FAIL and I've been eating and making those biscuits my whole life. The whole wheat part is the kicker. Biscuits and whole wheat flour just don't mix. And, if you can't find Southern flour, you can try pastry flour - but of course, now you need Self Rising Pastry Flour. I hate it when I do something silly like leave out BP or salt. It is soooo aggravating!
ReplyDeleteIt will work with a national brand flour, just a little heavier. I have never been successful with whole wheat, however, and any biscuits. Thanks for experimenting with my recipe. Hope you enjoy some of recipes in my book! Best Virginia
Hi, Virginia,
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to have frightened you like that! The error was definitely all mine. Whole Wheat flour and biscuits do not mix.
Your book, by the way, is inspiring! There are many recipes that I am eager to try--the Catfish Stew, the Vidalia Onion Soup w/Bacon Flan, the Stout Batter Bread -to name just a few!
Thank you for commenting and I apologize again for the scare!
Brooke