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Fourpeaks
Biscuits from Scratch
Getting into the backcountry ways? Forget the toaster cakes & prepared cereals! Learn to bake these old fashioned hot little bread cakes from scratch.
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(On this page.)
'Baking Powder' BISCUITS
Recipe Option: 'Cheese Dinner' BISCUITS
'Mrs. Eliot's' BUTTERED SCONES
'Mrs. Eliot's' MIXED SPICE
Recipe Option: CHEESE SCONES
More about the biscuits, measure abbreviations.
Guest Notes:
"My biscuits turned out well - Thank you for the recipe."
"Our time was spent walking, cooking, reading, and sleeping. Making scones and
topping them with your grape nut jam"
(On the next page.) Easy to print version of this page.
14 Homemade Jam Recipes to go with these biscuits.
14 Homemade Pickle Recipes from our Fourpeaks Old Farm.
'Baking Powder' BISCUITS
Plan to try this recipe while you're here at Fourpeaks.
We provide the rising flour. And a free jar of our therapeutic Raw Wildflower Honey.
You just get the milk and butter.
Time for breakfast? You're 15 minutes away from fresh biscuits with heavenly honey.
Have you got time for this? We hope so!
Happy Baking!
PREHEAT oven (hot) 450deg.
Measure 3/4c MILK.
Mix in bowl 2c FLOUR, 3t(1T) BAKING POWDER, 1/2t SALT . We supply this "rising flour", all ready mixed for you.
ADD 4T (1/2 of 1/4lb stick) softened BUTTER to flour mixture. Blend by hand. ( Hard butter right out of the fridge won't blend easily. Plan ahead and leave butter out overnight. )
ADD milk to flour mixture stirring with spoon till dough ball forms.
Here's a baking tip.
- Moisture control is important. When thoroughly blended the dough should be moist but not sticky. Too dry? Biscuits are hard like crackers. Too wet? Impossible to roll and they won't rise right.
- Measure ingredients carefully. This is a tested recipe.
- Reserve a bit of flour and add what you need to get correct dough consistency -or-
- Reserve a bit of milk and add what you need to get correct dough consistency.
Turn dough out on floured board. KNEAD briefly. Press and roll to 1/2in. thick. (No rolling pin? Use wine, beer or coke bottle or just your hands.)
Cut 2in. circles. (No cutter? Use empty tin can. Or cut any shape you like of about the same size. ) Knead remnant & cut quarters.
BAKE 12m on ungreased baking sheet. Makes approximately 12 biscuits.
About the ingredients. Substitute buttermilk for a special flavor. Use butter only--not margarine. Use only unbleached flour. Try local mills for freshest flavor. Substitute graham (whole wheat) flour. Best if you can get it freshly ground.
Optional recipe: CHEESE DINNER BISCUITS: Add 1/2t ground mustard, 1/4c grated cheddar style cheese to flour. Sprinkle with additional grated cheese before baking.
'Mrs. Eliot's' BUTTERED SCONES
An English favorite, we enjoyed them most in the countryside in Wales. They are very nice with afternoon tea, but we like them for breakfast, too. They keep for several days.
PREHEAT oven 425deg.
Mix in bowl: 3c FLOUR, 4t BAKING POWDER, 1t Mrs. Eliot's MIXED SPICE (see recipe below), 4T SUGAR.
BEAT 2 EGGS in one cup measure and fill with MILK to one cup level (generous). Set aside.
ADD 8T(1/4lb stick) soft BUTTER to flour mixture. Blend by hand.
Add 1C Dried CURRANTS (Raisins, cranberries, peach or other fruit, finely chopped). Mix.
ADD liquid mixture to flour mixture stirring with spoon.
Turn out on floured board.
KNEAD briefly. Press and roll to 1/2in. thick. Cut 2in. circles. Knead remnant & cut quarters.
BAKE 12m on cookie sheet. Makes 18 scones.
Mrs. Eliot's MIXED SPICE
(Mixed Spice is not available in the U.S. Mix it yourself.)
1-1/3 Tablespoons ground nutmeg.
1-1/3 Tablespoon ground cinnamon.
2 teaspoons ground ginger.
1 teaspoon ground cloves.
Optional recipe: CHEESE SCONES. Omit sugar, spice & currants. Add 1t ground mustard, 1c (scant) grated cheese to mixture. Sprinkle with additional grated cheese before baking.)
More about the biscuits.
The Baking Powder Biscuit is an American biscuit, very popular down South. The source for this recipe: London & Bishov, The Complete American-Jewish Cook Book, Harper, 1971, paper, p.95. Many other recipes were researched, but this has a perfect balance of milk, butter and flour.
English scones have much more butter. The scone recipe is from Rose Eliot, English Baking, a great source for old fashion bread baking of all kinds.
Measure abbreviations and conversions.
C=cup, 8 USA fluid ounces (fl.oz.), 8.33 UK fluid ounces (UK fl.oz.), 237 milliliters (ml).
T=tablespoon, 1/2 USA fluid ounce (fl.oz.).
t=teaspoon, 1/3 tablespoon
Try our Old Farm Jam Recipes
Try our Old Farm Pickle Recipes
Fourpeaks offers lots more than just lodgings. Browse our 10 activity pages for 20 miles of private hiking/skiing trails, an unequalled nature experience with no people. River swimming, floating, wilderness canoeing, fishing at the famed AuSable River nearby. And just R&R in our accessible wilderness. [CLICK HERE for Fourpeaks Adirondack Activities.]
#1795 "My biscuits turned out well - Thank you for the recipe."
Date:
Mon, 9 Jul 2001
From:
Sharon J*** sharonl***@juno.com
To:
Martin@4peaks.com
We enjoyed our stay. It was cozy, country, and
comfortable.
Everything you stated at your web site is just the way 4
peaks proved to be.
We appreciate your straightforwardness and the
opportunity to stay at 4 peaks.
I think the rivers were our favorite.
Gorgeous!
My biscuits actually turned out well - in spite of MY cooking. Thank you
for the flour, jam, and recipe. We enjoyed that the first morning of our
stay.
#1519 "Our time was spent walking, cooking, reading, and sleeping. Making scones and
topping them with your grape nut jam"
Subject: Greetings from Oneida Lake
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2001
From: Dean F**** d***@cornell.edu
To: YourAdirondackGuide@4peaks.com
Hi Martin!
We found our time in your back country satisfying and exactly what we
wanted in a place away from the distractions of the world. The natural
beauty of Fourpeaks was both serene and impressive. Integrated with this
beauty were the awesome, lingering effects of the 1998 ice storm. Our time
was spent walking, cooking, reading, and sleeping. Making scones and
topping them with your grape nut jam was a perfect touch on our last day.
In our opinion, this was a perfect mix for a weekend away. We still have
some jam here at Oneida Lake that is being used sparingly on our morning
toast.
One of the thing that did disappoint us was the fact we planned such a
short time at Fourpeaks. This is why we are planning now to visit again
this November or early December. With luck the snow will be flying by then
and provide a completely different caricature of the forest and mountains.
Our dog Baxter also really enjoyed his time at Fourpeaks. He clearly loved
the walks and all the different smells on the paths and in the cabin. He
was fascinated with the wood stove and gas lights.
Best wishes,
Dean F**** and Sandy P***
More about this. (Keep reading.)
Subject: Re: Greetings from Oneida Lake
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001
From: YourAdirondackHost@4peaks.com
To: Dean F*** d**@cornell.edu
Dean and Sandra--
It was a treat to get your email just returning from a visit with our
daughter in NYC. We're happy you experienced the restorative quality of a
walk in the woods away from it all. It's for that we built our places years
ago.
Jam making is now in high gear, so there'll be plenty for you to take home
next time. November and December are perfect empty times.
If you have a moment--would you remind me of something? I think you made
the biscuits once with the original recipe and then again with spices (and
more butter) for a richer quality, like Welsh scones. Can you remember the
amount of butter you put in? Did you add fruit to the batch? I plan to make
a "scone" optional recipe for the biscuit webpage.
Best wishes,
Martin
More about this. (Keep reading.)
Subject: Re: Greetings from Oneida Lake
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 13:31:42 -0400
From: Dean F*** d**@cornell.edu
To: VisitUs@4peaks.com
Hi Martin!
We have made the biscuits several times since our visit to 4 Peaks. We were
not the couple who did it with spices or extra butter so that must be
someone else you are thinking of. However, when we have made the biscuits,
we have substituted extra virgin olive oil for the butter (1:1 ratio). We
have also had great success adding items like fresh garlic, onions (dried
and fresh), oregano, and basil to the mix to make it more rich. If you have
any other questions, just email Sandra (sl***@cornell.edu).
We still want to visit 4 Peaks later this fall or winter. Once we pick a
weekend that works, we will email you. We have a keen interest in staying
at the Ridge Camp this time.
Hope all is well there!
Best wishes,
Dean F.
More about this. (Keep reading.)
Subject: Thanks for your email with biscuit update.
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001
From: Martin YourAdirondackHost@4peaks.com
To: Dean F**** d***@cornell.edu, sl***@cornell.edu
Dean--
Thanks for your email with biscuit update.
I've gotten a teeny bit more insistent that guests do some baking while
they're here and almost all go along with it, many with very pleasant
results.
I will use your comments when update the page.
Yes. Do come to Ridge. You'll like it.
Best wishes,
Martin
PS I really thought it was you I gave the Welsh spices to in order to do
the "English" scones. Well this will be an option when I do the page over.
.
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