~BISCUIT BONANZA-- In France,
dessert is often constructed from towers of flaky puff pastry, and in the
Middle East, paper-thin phyllo dough is either left crispy or made soggy
with syrup. But the U.S. has biscuits to call its own. Biscuits--moist,
tender and rich--are used as an alternative to a yeast-leavened bread.
Biscuits are closer in technique to making pie crust than to making bread.
The steps follow the same order: Cut the shortening into the flour mixture,
add some liquid and roll it out. Once youve mastered the technique, you
can not only delight in the aroma of biscuits browning for breakfast, you
can also bake scones for a proper English tea. (The difference is there are
eggs in scones and not in biscuits). Biscuits are similar to real
shortcakes, rather than the hockey pucks made from cellulose sponges found
next to the red glop in the produce department. And you can crown fresh
fruit with a biscuit dough topping and call it a cobbler. Start by sifting
the dry ingredients ~-flour, baking powder or soda, salt, sugar and so
forth. Then cut in the butter or shortening until the mixture resembles a
fine meal, like breadcrumbs. While a wire-blade pastry blender is useful,
you can use two knives, pulse a food processor fitted with the steel blade
on and off a few times, or use your fingertips. The third step is adding
the liquid. The trick is to accomplish this quickly, so that the
ingredients are just blended enough to hold together. Its tempting to do
more, but thats what makes biscuits or their first cousins tough. Once
liquid is added to flour the gluten formation begins, and any agitation
intensifies this process. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface,
such as a counter or a pastry board, and use the same restraint that went
into adding the liquid. Dont knead it more than 10 times, just enough to
give it a push in the oven, but not enough to make it chewy. Now either
roll or pat the dough into the proper thickness. The dough should be less
than 1 in thick. Cut it into desired shapes. No fancy cutters? Use juice
cans (a 2 in diameter) or an upside down glass.