Cat Head Biscuits
What are cat head biscuits? These are believed to be an old Appalachia favorite. The origins of the name are lost to time, but it's believed that they're called that because they're about the size of a cat's head. Cat head biscuits are a lot less fuss to make than rolled and cut biscuits, come together pretty fast and bake golden brown and are very tender.
Servings 11 biscuits
Calories 255kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch pieces and softened
- 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425°F.Grease 9-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl.
Mix dough:
- Rub butter and shortening into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal.
NOTE: I used my food processor, instead of my fingers, by pulsing the butter and shortening into the flour mixture. - Stir in buttermilk until combined.
Portion biscuits:
- Use a greased 1/2-cup measure or large spring-loaded ice cream scoop to transfer 6 heaping portions of dough into prepared pan, placing 5 around pan's perimeter and 1 in center.
Bake biscuits:
- Bake until puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Serve. (Biscuits can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.)
Notes
Recipe Source: This recipe was printed in the April 2010 issue of Cook's Country Magazine (Cook's Illustrated).