Super-Quick Biscuits using a food processor

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
half tsp salt
quarter cup butter chilled, cut in pieces
two-thirds cup milk

Preheat oven to 450F.

Put all the ingredients except the milk into the processor bowl and process several times until the fat is cut in to the dry ingredients. The mix should look like fine breadcrumbs, but not be sticking together in lumps. No large lumps of fat should be visible. Turn on the processor and add milk until the dough forms a ball. It will be slightly sticky. Not all the milk may be needed: add about 3/4 of it to start with, then add more gradually until the sound of the processor changes tone and the dough starts to form a big ball. Stop when most of the dough has clumped together. You can add the little blobs in by hand.

Turn the dough out onto a flat, floured surface and knead a few times. Pat or roll it out into a rectangular sheet about 1/2" thick, then cut the sheet into triangles with a floured knife. You can also use cookie-cutters to make round or other shaped biscuits, of course. Put the biscuits on a floured cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 mins until golden brown on top. Makes 12.

Basic Scones
225g self raising flour
2 1/2 ml salt
5ml baking powder
25-50g butter
150ml milk

Preheat a baking sheet and the oven to 450F. Self-raising flour is soft white flour which has had a raising agent added. If you can't buy self-raising flour where you are, you can use plain white flour with the following items added: 1 1/4 tsp baking powder for every 4oz (scant cup) of flour. This is additional to the baking powder called for in the basic recipe.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together, and rub in the fat by hand or using a food processor, as above. Add enough mlik to give a soft dough and stir it in. Knead the dough a few times on a floured surface, then pat or roll out to make a rectangle about 3/4" thick. Cut the dough into triangles with a sharp knife, place them on the pre-heated, floured baking sheet, and bake for 8-10 minutes until browned and well risen. Makes 10-12.

Variations
Use a cookie cutter or round glass to cut the dough into rounds. You'll have leftover scraps from this which can be bunched together, re-rolled and cut again. These "second rollings" are not quite so tender as the first rolling, and you'll still end up with scraps, so I always use the knife and make triangular biscuits. Using fancy-shaped cookie cutters can work if they are fairly simple shapes - thin, small details don't work very well.

If you'd like a shiny browned top, brush with milk or beaten egg before baking.

Wholemeal flour makes great biscuits but you'll need to increase the amount of baking powder as the flour is heavier. Experiment to find out what works best with your flour.

Flavorings
Spices like nutmeg or allspice, cinnamon or ginger, or a combination
Herbs (fresh or dried) (rosemary and cheese is yummy!)
Sweeteners like sugar or stevia
Grated cheese (cheddar or parmesan both work well)
Dried fruit
Cut-up fruit leather (commercial or homemade)
Fresh fruit (mushed up or in chunks - reduce the amount of milk used). Blackberries make purple scones!
Combinations of the above!

Even more simple biscuit recipes

Do you make scones or biscuits often? Then make up this mix and keep it in the fridge. All you need to do to make biscuits is to add milk or water, mix and bake. You get the advantages of fresh ingredients you've chosen yourself, with no extra preservatives or weird unpronouncable additives, plus you save time and effort.

8 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups dried milk
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/4 cups vegetable shortening, butter or margarine

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, then cut in the fat by hand or in batches in a food processor. Store in the fridge and use within 10-12 weeks.

Wholewheat version
8 1/2 cups wholewheat flour
1 1/2 cups dried milk
6 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups vegetable shortening, butter or margarine

To make rolled biscuits
Preheat your oven to 450F. Mix 3 cups of mix and up to 2/3 cup milk or water in a large bowl, adding the liquid in stages until you see you've used enough. Let the dough stand for a few minutes. Knead the dough gently on a floured surface about 15 times. Pat or roll out to 1/2" thickness on a floured surface, then cut into triangles with a knife or rounds with a cookie cutter. Place 2" apart on an floured (not greased) baking or cookie sheet and bake 10-12 mins. Makes 12 biscuits.

To make drop biscuits (even easier!)
Preheat the oven to 450F and flour a baking sheet. Combine 3 cups of mix and up to 3/4 cup milk or water in a bowl to make a soft sticky dough. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto the baking sheet about 2" apart and bake 10-12 mins until golden brown. Makes 12.

Variations
You can use any of the additions in the previous section with these biscuits. I also like to press grated cheese onto the tops of the drop biscuits.

If you like this recipe hub, you can also visit my main Quick Easy Dinner Recipes site.