NICOLE PARTON’S FAVORITE RECIPES: Skillet Biscuits

The perfect camping biscuit, these are ready from start to finish in 15 minutes. I also call these “It’s Quick” Biscuits, because they’re every bit as fast as the mix with the similar name.

Skillet Biscuits:

1 tbsp. (15 mL) white vinegar or lemon juice
1 c. (250 mL) milk
3 c. (750 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. (15 mL) baking powder
½ tsp. (2.5 mL) baking soda
Dash of salt
½ c. (125 mL) butter or margarine
Strained bacon drippings, as needed

See the Note that follows this recipe before starting. I prepared these in a skillet, but you may prefer to bake them in the oven. If so, preheat oven to 425 deg. F.

Stir vinegar or lemon juice into milk in measuring cup. Let stand 5 min. Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl, mixing well. Cut butter or margarine into dry ingredients until butter is the consistency of small peas. Add milk to dry ingredients, mixing with a fork just until blended. Dough will be soft. Knead 15-to-20 times on floured board. Pat to ½-in. thickness and cut into 2-in. (5 mL) rounds, using a floured glass or biscuit cutter.

Oven Method: Bake buns on lightly greased sheet 12 min., or until lightly browned. Yields 10-to-12.

Skillet Method: Add bacon drippings to a depth of about ¼-in. (0.6 cm) until hot but not sizzling. Using method above or described in Note below, drop flattened biscuit dough into hot fat about 1 min., or until lightly browned. Turn once to brown second side. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low for 5 min. Remove from heat, allowing to stand, covered, 3-to-5 min. longer. Serve at once. Yields 10-to-12.

Note: I diverted from the usual method of using two knives or a pastry blender to cut the fat into the dry ingredients. I also broke with the normal method of blending the dough with a fork. Although this recipe presents those traditional instructions, I used my fingers for both steps because these were camp biscuits and I wasn’t seeking perfection (Recipes normally call for two knives and a fork because warm fingers warm the fat, changing the dough’s consistency and the texture of the product).

I nonetheless waded further into Recipe No-No Land, kneading the dough right in the mixing bowl instead of on a flat, floured surface. Rather than pat out the dough and cut it into biscuit sizes, I rolled chunks of it into balls, flattening them between my palms. My methods were unconventional, but quick - and the biscuits turned out fine.