Buttery Biscuits

Sometimes, nothing is better than fresh, hot biscuits full of buttery flavor, fresh out of the oven.

Thanksgiving is definitely one of those times. I mean, in the play that is Thanksgiving, some love has to go out to all the supporting actors, and I would say biscuits fall into that category. If they were an actor, wouldn’t it fit for them to be humble but kind, shy and yet reliable? A good biscuit can elevate any meal, and you can always count on them to please anyone: be it the picky eaters, grandma, or even the leftover scroungers (I fall into that category! Biscuit sandwiches= super ridiculously delicious!)

So why not fill your house (and your bellies!) with some warm, buttery,healthy biscuits that are just as decadent and delicious as the full-fat, buttery versions? My recipe calls for yogurt (I find that plain nonfat works best, but if you are joining in on the Greek Yogurt craze then that would also work, albeit with less fluffiness) and a touch of honey, capturing the traditional flavor with some margarine and imitation butter extract. If you can’t find imitation butter extract at your store, I have two things to say: one, you are seriously missing out and should find it now and two, don’t stress about it because these biscuits are still seriously delicious without it (but if you have it, add it!)

People seem to be afraid to mess with Thanksgiving, but it doesn’t have to start with huge, dramatic menu reconfigurations. Just mix up Thanksgiving a bit this year by adding in a side that you can feel good about.Heck, add these to your menu any time of year. They are soft, flaky, buttery, and super easy to mix together.

Oh, yeah. And they taste great, too!

Buttery Biscuits

Serves 6                 Serving Size: 1 large biscuit                  Calories/Serving: 115

Ingredients:

• 3/4c. all-purpose flour
• 1/4c. whole-wheat flour
• 1/4c. light margarine, chilled, cut into chunks
• 1/2tbl. baking powder
• 1/8tsp. baking soda
• 3/4tsp salt
• 1/2tsp honey (or sugar)
• 1/2c. nonfat plain yogurt
• 1/4tsp butter imitation extract
• Wax or parchment paper
• cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking
   soda, and salt. Cut the margarine into the mixture a little bit at a
   time until the mixture is coarse.
3. Add the honey and yogurt into the dry ingredients, mixing until nice
   and moist. The resulting mixture should be a little bit sticky, but not
   incredibly so. 
4. The fancy way to shape the biscuits: Spray a long piece of wax paper with cooking spray, and spoon the dough onto it. Smooth the dough out (I find using wet hands is best for this) until it looks a bit like a log shape, and then fold the wax paper over the dough (much like one making sugar cookies). Roll until the dough log is evenly distributed (you want the diameter to be about the size you want your end biscuits). Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Unroll the wax paper and cut the log into 6 evenly-sized pieces. Using wet hands to prevent sticking, shape them into biscuits.
   The easier way: Refrigerate mixture for 20 minutes. Divide the mixture into 6, making each 1/6 a biscuit dollop (I divide my
   mixture in half, and then take that half and split it into 3. It is
   kinda like dolloping on muffin batter, just a bit firmer) and place on baking sheet. Use wet hands to smooth down the edges.
5.  Place the biscuits on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray or parchment paper. Make sure to space them apart, as
   the biscuits expand a lot during cooking.
6. Gently press down on the biscuits with the back of a spoon so they look prettier in the end with a smoother top.
7. Bake in the oven for 14-17 minutes, or until lightly golden and a
   toothpick inserted into the center of a biscuit comes out clean.