Sunday Morning Biscuits

Sunday Morning Biscuits

Let the dog out.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Put the kettle on to boil, grind the coffee. Let the dog in.

Mix together:
2 c flour
2 tsp sugar
4 tsp bp
1/2 tsp salt
(1/2 tsp cream of tartar- optional)

Add to bowl: 1/2 c cold butter, or a combination of butter and shortening, cut into small pieces
Use your hands to find each little piece of butter and squish it into the flour, until it is evenly incorporated with no big pieces. (Don't put the flour away yet.)

Wash your hands. Pour boiling water over your coffee grounds.

Add to bowl: 2/3 c milk/soy milk/cream/buttermilk. Stir in with a fork until thoroughly mixed, with no wet or dry spots. (If you'd like to turn these into scones, use cream, an extra tablespoon of sugar, and currants, raisins, cranberries, or diced, orange-scented prunes and candied ginger.) You can add a few tablespoons more liquid if it seems too dry.

Pour more water over your coffee grounds.

Dust a piece of parchment paper with a little flour.
Put the dough on the parchment, knead just enough to keep it all together, flatten to about 1-1/2 inches thick.
Cut with a sharp biscuit/cookie cutter, or a knife. If using a knife, be sure to cut straight down. It doesn't matter how big or small the biscuits are. I like mine at least 3 inches across.
Place them on another piece of parchment on a glass pan, close but not touching. Place on top rack of oven.
Set the timer for 20 minutes, but keep smelling the air for the aroma of toasty biscuits in case your oven is hotter than mine or you've chosen to make tiny biscuits. They'll be barely golden brown on the top.

Pour yourself a cup of coffee, curl up on the sofa, and read for 20 minutes before anyone else wakes up.

Serve biscuits hot from the oven with butter, jam, honey, or scrambled eggs. Be sure to take them off of the hot pan, or at least flip them over, immediately, or the bottoms will over-brown. Bacon optional. Coffee not optional.