Georgia Magazine - October 2023 - 31

biscuit is not seen very often anymore.
Chef Paul Zang, an Atlanta native,
teaches biscuit-making at The Cook's
Warehouse at Ansley Mall in Atlanta and
shares with students about the many
varieties of biscuits available.
" Not all biscuits are cathead-style, "
he says, mentioning sweet potato
biscuits with cinnamon butter; drop
biscuits, which Fannie Farmer, the noted
American culinary expert, called
" emergency biscuits " ; and laminated
biscuits, with their flaky layers. Laminated
biscuits rely on very good cold butter,
and their preparation is similar to that of
puff pastry.
" Biscuits can be simple or complicated, "
Zang says.
A good biscuit can be dressed up
with additions of cheese or herbs and
can benefit from adding jam, a slice of
country ham or sausage cream gravy.
Quarter-sized biscuits filled with pimento
cheese or a slice of ham or fried chicken
breast make a splendid cocktail nibble.
Looking for special biscuits for a
breakfast treat? The Sweet Potato Cafe
in Stone Mountain specializes in sweet
potato biscuits on its Saturday breakfast
menu. In Savannah, head to Back in the
Day Bakery or Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room
for classic biscuits. In Macon, try them at
H&H Restaurant.
Some biscuit enthusiasts insist the
best biscuit is made with lard, which puts
it off the menu for vegans. But there are
numerous sources for vegan biscuits.
Flour + Time, which often sold its biscuits
at the Sunday farmers market in Avondale
Estates, is planning a new location
in the West Midtown neighborhood of
Atlanta. Café Sunflower in the Buckhead
area of Atlanta makes them for Saturday
brunch.
Whichever style of biscuit you prefer,
nothing dresses up a weekend breakfast
like a solid, classic Southern biscuit.
" [If] you want to see a pleasing
smile, you don't have to pop a can [of
biscuits], " Zang says. " Make them, freeze
them, throw them into a Ziploc [bag],
and there's no reason you [won't] have a
delicious, steamy bundle of heaven in the
oven whenever you want them. "
Jane F. Garvey is a food, wine and
travel writer from Decatur.
Aunt Mimi's famous cheese biscuits are lovingly
recalled in " The Cheese Biscuit Queen Tells All " by Mary
Martha Greene (USC Press, 2021). Greene recalls in the
introduction to the recipe how her Aunt Mimi's cheese
biscuits keep her legacy and spirit alive.
AUNT MIMI'S FAMOUS
CHEESE BISCUITS
4 sticks Land O' Lakes margarine, at room
temperature* (see notes below)
4 cups freshly grated Kraft extra-sharp
cheddar, divided*
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, optional
4-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour*
4 cups Rice Krispies cereal
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set aside 3 ungreased
Mary Martha Greene
baking sheets.
Let the margarine and cheese come to room temperature, about 1 hour. (You can
also warm them both in the microwave for 20 seconds on high, as you want them to
soften, not melt.)
Using a stand mixer on medium-high speed, cream the margarine. Place half the
cheese in a food processor and process until it forms a ball, or cream it by hand. Add
the ball of cheese to the margarine and blend until the mixture is fully combined
and creamy. Repeat with the other half of the cheese. Cream together the margarine
mixture and remaining cheese until the mixture is smooth, has a light orange color
and resembles fluffy buttercream frosting. Add the ground cayenne pepper and
paprika, if using.
As the mixer continues to run on medium speed, gradually add the flour,*
1/2 cup at a time, to the cheese mixture. After you have added 4-1/2 cups of the sifted
flour, return any additional flour to the bag.
Place the Rice Krispies in a strainer with medium-to-large holes, if you have
one, and shake out and discard any small pieces of cereal and sugar, reserving the
Rice Krispies. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the Rice Krispies to the
mixture, 1 cup at a time.
Drop the batter by rounded teaspoons or balls from a No. 70 scoop (a .5-ounce
scoop) onto the baking sheets. Press down lightly on the balls, making them about
1/4-inch thick. Bake until lightly golden brown on the bottom, about 20 minutes.
(Mimi would bake them for 10 minutes, then switch the baking sheets between the
top and bottom racks to bake for the remaining 10 minutes, so they would brown
evenly on the top and bottom.) Remove from the oven. If you have a partial sheet of
biscuits, they will not require as much baking time, so adjust as necessary, probably
about 15 or 16 minutes.
As soon as they come out of the oven, transfer the biscuits to paper towels
spread on a clean countertop to absorb the grease. Set aside to cool for 10 to
15 minutes. As soon as they have cooled, serve or transfer the biscuits to airtight
containers so they don't reabsorb any grease. Biscuits will keep in an airtight tin on
the countertop for up to a week or can be frozen in an airtight container for up to
2 months. (Mimi used to reheat them on a baking sheet in a warm oven for a few
minutes to " freshen " them up, then act like she'd just baked them when anyone
dropped by to visit.) Makes 10-12 dozen.
*From the notes: Greene says she uses 2 sticks of margarine and 2 sticks of butter,
because using all butter in the recipe makes the biscuits too greasy and not as fluffy.
Do not use pregrated cheese, as it contains a coating that will ruin the biscuits'
consistency. Using a large, slotted spoon, fluff the flour in the bag before measuring
it out. Sift it and then measure the flour again.
MORE
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COURTESY THE UNIVERSITY OF
SOUTH CAROLINA PRESS
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