Southern Biscuits

I love all things Nathalie Dupree. "Back in the day" I would spend my Saturdays with her when she was a regular on my PBS station with her New Southern Cooking television program. Then one year when I was cooking in France it turned out that Nathalie was the guest chef at the maison and we were inseparable for a week. Quelle chance! She was at the time researching her next book, Shrimp & Grits, and in her southern charm style she was gathering stories and recipes from fellow sojourners. Alas, my recipe did not make it into the book. But the book and my memories of Nathalie are spectacular nonetheless.With Southern Biscuits Nathalie has again shared with us her wit, charm and recipes from the Old New South -- and she has hit it out of the park! I mean -- who doesn't love a light, fluffy, flaky biscuit?! And who knew there were so many versions and ways to make and eat a biscuit? I have been busy working my way through every conceivable incarnation of this dining staple.Whether you are a novice or a mealtime maven, there is something new, delicious and exciting for you in this book. It never occurred to me to use cake flour to lighten up my biscuit, or that there was even such a thing as goat butter!! Who knew?! Nathalie knew -- and she shared. This book is worth the price of admission just to discover how to make your own self-rising flour or Homemade Refrigerator Biscuit mix. But, let me warn you, this book can be dangerous. It makes it entirely too easy to create a (half)dozen biscuits at will and on a moment's notice. But, I have enjoyed every bite of the cloud-like creations owing to my extra 10 pounds of girth -- thanks to Nathalie Dupree and Southern Biscuits!And, oh yeah, the Kindle edition at $1.99 is the bonus kitchen companion making it also convenient to review and recreate the recipes with ease.

This is a very good, and well-written biscuit cookbook-as it should be if it's from Nathalee Dupree. It's good reading, entertaining, and has recipes for many kinds of biscuits, so whether you like light and fluffy, or short and crisp, you should be able to find exactly what you are looking for. So far, I have only tried the Coca-Cola Biscuits, I made a small batch of the Homemade Refrigerator Biscuit Mix for them and that was easy. They turned out very well. I have my eye on the Pimento Cheese Biscuits for my next recipe.

I've always enjoyed Southern biscuits with fried chicken... and always enjoyed scones with jam at tea time... but I've always felt that the homemade scones and biscuits were missing something no matter how many variations I tried to make... I just could match the store bought Southern biscuits... (my scones were around a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10)First of all, I believe that whenever you buy a whole book dedicated to one specific subject, you are bound to get into the nitty-gritty of that subject... and I think it is those details and specifics that separate good results from great results!This book has a whole myriad of different types of biscuits and scones to try out at home and each one has its own subtle little difference ranging from those that require many ingredients and relatively more time to prepare, to your quick biscuit fix recipes! I have to warn readers that when attempting the more complex (relatively speaking of course) recipes, don't cut corners like not brushing the biscuits with melted butter as it will seriously affect the moistness and taste of your biscuits. Granted, there is a lot of butter involved with biscuits and scones... but I guess readers already know that biscuits and scones are not the healthiest foods on earth.I really found the introductory chapters really beneficial where the authors discuss the different materials that might be used and what affect each has on the finished product... I really think that this kind of information is the kind that adds to your understanding of the subject and makes you better in the field. I specifically found the information on low gluten flour especially beneficial as I have been primarily focusing on high gluten flour for baking breads... you wouldn't believe how much of a difference the gluten content of flour makes on the finished product! Also, I have always wondered why certain recipes used baking powder and others used bi-carb... the section on this really clears up any confusion as to why and how and when to use each! There are also some tips and recommendations on who to actually cut the biscuits using your cutter to help improve your results!Overall, a very specific book for a specific audience who will undoubtedly find this book interesting to read and try the recipes in it... I'm sure everyone's technique and end results will benefit from this book.

I could go on and on swooning about this biscuit book. Honestly, it has brought me so much joy.That may sound like a lot for a biscuit book, but if you loved biscuits as much as I do - and I know y'all are out there! - then the Queen of Biscuits, Nathalie Dupree will bring you joy, as well.This gem of a book has so many biscuit recipes. I never realized there were so many different ways to make what we used to call a simple biscuit. There's a page for each one and each is written so well one could prepare them in the dark. The best part is that each recipe is different.I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious the Sweet Potato biscuits are. They are light as air with a wonderful aroma. Terrific with a hearty soup. The Goat butter/milk biscuits are dreamy. Milky white in colour and the fluffiest cloud in texture. And, both are just as good the next day. BTW, I often use the goat milk instead of sweet milk in my other recipes now, too. This book is well worth it. I love it so much, I still read through it like a favourite novel before going to sleep. Of course, I then dream of biscuits...With this book, one will better understand why certain fats are preferred as well as the mystery behind different flours and, of course, the different fats (sweet milk vs buttermilk)Note: There are some pictures, but not of every biscuit recipe. It may be an issue for some, but honestly, that doesn't bother me one bit.

loved the recipes

This book informs and inspires. Lots of techniques and recipes to help you get over the hump of creating something quite simple that without guidance is difficult to master.

So much has been said about this book, I eventually purchased it, but I am not sure it is worth the money, has some good recipies, but I've had and made better biscuits ... If your looking for biscuit magic, then this is not the book.

I will be making biscuits 24/7! Nicely explained recipes in a nice hard cover! It even tells you how to substitute regular flours for self rising not always found in Canada. Would recommend this for biscuit lovers.