Buttermilk Biscuits & Sausage Gravy Recipe

Anyone who knows my mama knows she doesn't live to cook like me but rather she cooks because she needs to eat!  But don't let her fool you.  She is a great cook!  She is the type of cook (like my husband) who has to follow the recipe.  Andy gets so blustered when I start adding things that aren't on the recipe or eyeballing measurements.  My mother is the same.  I try to rattle off a recipe to her and she always tells me to "email it to me" and I always say, "I don't need to email it.  It's so easy.  You can memorize it."  I love these little dances that we have with the ones we love.  These are the little things that you remember and hold onto.

With that being said, my mama is a world-class, professional, master Buttermilk Biscuit Maker.  I always ask her to make biscuits whenever possible.  I also love her traditional english trifle too.  I have asked her to make that numerous times as my birthday cake.  She also hand forms each biscuit.  She never has a crack in hers unlike mine.  They are always the perfect size and perfect crumb.  Her recipe is simple but I still cannot make them like her.  I usually roll mine and cut them with a cutter but this morning I decided to give it a go with hand forming mine.  They turned out pretty good but still no comparison to my mama's biscuits.  The other secret of hers is Self-rising White Lily flour but out here in CO you can't buy white lily flour.  I haven't found a comparable flour for biscuits here in CO.  I think I might have to smuggle some in my bag on the next visit.

My sister in law, Heather also makes amazing biscuits.  She makes the 7up biscuits.  They are light and fluffy like a pillow of heaven.  At first you think they are a yeast biscuit and then you find out that 7up is the magic ingredient.  Here is a recipe that you can try for 7up biscuits. 

Buttermilk Biscuits & Sausage Gravy

Biscuits:
2 1/2 cups Self-Rising Flour
1/2 cup Shortening
3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk

Preheat Oven to 400 F.  Cut shortening into flour using a fork or pastry cutter.  When the shortening is well distributed and pea size, add the buttermilk.  Mix.  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead slightly.  The key is to not over knead.  The dough can still be wet on the inside as long as it's not too sticky on the outside.  Pinch off biscuits and form in hand or roll out to 1 in thickness and cut using a round cutter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet having the biscuits touching.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Makes about 8 biscuits.


Sausage Gravy:
1 lb. breakfast sausage
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 to 4 cups whole milk
1/2 t seasoned salt
2 t freshly ground black pepper, more to taste

Brown the sausage over medium-high heat until no longer pink and break up into small clumps. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Sprinkle on the flour and stir so that the sausage soaks it all up. Cook it for another minute or so, then slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly. Cook the gravy, stirring frequently, until it thickens.  Sprinkle in the seasoned salt and pepper and continue cooking until very thick. If it gets too thick too soon, just splash in another 1/2 cup of milk or more if needed. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spoon the sausage gravy over warm biscuits and enjoy!

Bon Appetit!