CHOCOLATE CHIP BISCUITS: Biscuit Day!

Today is National Biscuit Day. Here's a fabulous Retro Ad for Bisquick. There are '6 things you and Bisquick can do with biscuits.' What's missing? Chocolate Chip Biscuits! 

The recipe below does not require Bisquick. You'll be making everything from scratch. Easy and fun! But, if you're using Bisquick, just throw in some chocolate chips!

CHOCOLATE CHIP BISCUITS

Ingredients
3 Tbsp sugar
2 cups self-rising flour  (*see below for easy substitute)
pinch of salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup good quality dark mini-chocolate chips
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 425.
Combine flour and 1 Tbsp sugar in large bowl.
Cut butter into flour mixture with pastry blender until crumbly.
Add buttermilk and fold in chocolate chips. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened (do not overstir). Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead 3 times.
Pat dough to 1/2-inch thickness
Cut with 2-1/4-inch round cutter.
Place biscuits on baking sheet.
Bake 15 minutes or until golden.
Take out and while still warm, quickly brush biscuits with 1/4 cup melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.

*Self Rising Flour Substitute:
In a separate container:
For each cup of all-purpose flour (level measure), add 1- 1/4 tsp baking powder and a 1/4 tsp salt. Then re-measure what you need (2 cups for this recipe)*

CHOCOLATE CHIP BISCUITS: Biscuit Day!

Today is Biscuit Day. Now Biscuits in the U.S. are not cookies, as in the U.K.  Nor are they dog biscuits. That said, there are several kinds. Here's a list of biscuits and how to use them The Nibble, one of my favorite websites. Scroll down for my recipe for Chocolate Chip Biscuits.  And, I love this Vintage ad from Bisquick for Biscuits and what you can do with them. 

TYPES OF BISCUITS 

Angel Biscuits. These lighter, fluffier biscuits are made with yeast. They rise before being baked. Drop Biscuits. A wet dough is dropped from a spoon onto a baking sheet. They’re not shapely like cut-out rounds, but just as delicious. 

Dumplings. The dumplings in the chicken and dumplings recipe are actually smaller drop biscuits. The biscuits are steamed in a pot rather than baked, and are served atop a hearty chicken stew. 

Rolled Biscuits. Also called baking powder biscuits, the dough is rolled out, then cut into rounds, and baked. 

Scones. Yes, scones are biscuits, even the versions that add cream and butter. Shortcake. The same biscuits used for shortcake—sliced in half and topped with whipped cream and berries added—are also popular in the bread basket. Scones can be used as well. 

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits. Loaded with butter and buttermilk, the result is rich and flaky. Baking soda is also often added to make the biscuit fluffier. 

There are numerous variations on the above. Some of them: 

Self-rising biscuits are made with self-rising flour. 

Cream biscuits are made with heavy cream. 

Sourdough biscuits are made with sourdough starter.

And see the Vintage Ad above for Bisquick. There are '6 things you and Bisquick can do with biscuits.' What's missing? Chocolate Chip Biscuits! 

This recipe below does not require Bisquick. You'll be making everything from scratch. Easy and fun! But, if you're using Bisquick, just throw in some chocolate chips!

CHOCOLATE CHIP BISCUITS

Ingredients
3 Tbsp sugar
2 cups self-rising flour  (*see below for easy substitute)
pinch of salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup good quality dark mini-chocolate chips
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 425.
Combine flour and 1 Tbsp sugar in large bowl.
Cut butter into flour mixture with pastry blender until crumbly.
Add buttermilk and fold in chocolate chips. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened (do not overstir). Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead 3 times.
Pat dough to 1/2-inch thickness
Cut with 2-1/4-inch round cutter.
Place biscuits on baking sheet.
Bake 15 minutes or until golden.
Take out and while still warm, quickly brush biscuits with 1/4 cup melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.

*Self Rising Flour Substitute:
In a separate container:
For each cup of all-purpose flour (level measure), add 1- 1/4 tsp baking powder and a 1/4 tsp salt. Then re-measure what you need (2 cups for this recipe)*

CHOCOLATE BUTTERMILK BISCUITS: National Buttermilk Biscuit Day

Today is Buttermilk Biscuit Day. American biscuits are nothing like British Biscuits which are cookies. No, our biscuits are more like scones, only fluffier. Buttermilk Biscuits are great with breakfast or gravy and chicken or just about anytime. I love biscuits.

I couldn't pass up this great Retro Space Age Ad for Puffin Biscuits. I think Sterling Cooper (Mad Men) could easily have created this ad. I, of course, suggest you make your biscuits from scratch, and they truly will be "So light they almost fly!"

And, if you're so inclined, add chocolate. Following is a recipe for Chocolate Buttermilk Biscuits.

First, though, a few biscuit making tips from the Bisquick site. These apply if you use Bisquick or if you make your biscuits from scratch.

BISCUIT MAKING TIPS

1. Leave an inch or two space around the biscuits on the cookie sheet. They'll heat more evenly and cook better.
2. In a pinch, a straight-sided plastic glass can also substitute for a rolling pin.
3. For crunchy top, skip kneading and rolling and drop biscuit-sized spoonfuls directly onto baking sheet.
4. Loosen freshly baked biscuits from tray with spatula so they don't stick.
5. Count to ten; kneading biscuit dough too much can make biscuits tough.
6. If you don't have a biscuit cutter, either use a knife to cut squares or cut rounds with upside-down drinking glass. A little flour or extra Bisquick on the knife or glass will help keep things from sticking.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

This recipe is great served with whipped cream and strawberries! Or just grind some Trader Joe's Chocolate Coffee Bean Sugar -- or some Cinnamon Sugar-- over them just after you brush with the melted butter. Yum! Another variation: add chocolate chips to the dough.

Ingredients
2 cups of flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
5 Tbsp DARK cocoa powder
4 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
8 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp cold buttermilk (no buttermilk?add a tsp of vinegar to whole milk)
2 Tbsp melted butter for top of biscuits

Directions
Preheat oven to 450
In food processor: Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Pulse. Add cubed butter. Pulse until butter combines to create grainy mixture.
Put contents of food processor in bowl. Make well in center and pour in chilled buttermilk. Mix to form sticky dough. Place dough on well floured surface. Fold dough a few time. DO NOT OVERWORK.
Roll out dough with floured rolling pin to one inch thickness.
Using biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits in straight up and down motion. Do not twist when cutting out the biscuits. Hint: Twisting will seal sides of biscuits preventing biscuits from rising and consequently make for tough, flat biscuits.
Put cut out biscuits on parchment paper lined baking sheet so that they are close but not touching.
Once all of biscuits are on baking sheet, bake for 10-12 minutes in center of oven until golden brown. Brush with melted butter.