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Sam's Cloud Biscuits

Source of Recipe

From "Biscuit Bliss" by James Villas


Recipe Introduction

"My friend Sam Segari in Houston prides himself on various dishes made with superior Gulf shrimp and crabmeat, but what people really exclaim most about are the 'short,' slightly sweet, and billowy cloud biscuits he turns out by the dozens for virtually any meal. One secret, of course, is the half-cup of cake flour, considerable amount of shortening, and egg; the other is the quick baking at relatively high heat."

List of Ingredients

◦ 1 � cups all-purpose flour
◦ � cup cake flour
◦ 1 tablespoon sugar
◦ 4 teaspoons baking powder
◦ � teaspoon salt
◦ � cup chilled vegetable shortening
◦ ⅔ cup whole milk
◦ 1 large egg, beaten


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 475� F.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the two flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the shortening and cut it in with a pastry cutter or rub with your fingertips till the mixture is very mealy. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the milk and egg, add to the dry mixture, and stir with a fork just till the dough follows the fork around the bowl.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead gently 4 to 5 times. Roll out the dough about ⅓ inch thick and cut out rounds with a 2-inch biscuit cutter. Roll the scraps together and cut out more rounds.

Arrange the rounds fairly close together on two baking sheets.
Bake in the center of the oven till just golden, 10 to 12 minutes.

Makes about 2 dozen biscuits






❧ Biscuit Bonus:
When measuring solid shortening in a measuring cup, push it down into the bottom of the cup so that no space is left, thus assuring an accurate measurement. To minimize the messy procedure, wrap two fingers with part of a paper towel, then discard the towel.