Tea Biscuits - A Taste of Childhood

Hello foodies,

This morning, I had a bit of nostalgia for breakfast. 

When I was a child, the weekend afforded the opportunity for a more elaborate breakfast than could be managed during the week.  Frequent dishes were french toast, pancakes, or the classic bacon and eggs, but my favourite weekends were the ones when my mother made tea biscuits.  My mother has a deft hand with these biscuits.  It is one dish where I cannot achieve quite as good a result.  A tea biscuit, fresh out of the oven, split and spread with butter and drizzled with real maple syrup (today, real maple syrup made by my baby brother) is a thing of beauty.  When this morning she suggested that she whip up a batch for brekkie, I was all for it, as was nephew T.

1/3 c shortening (or butter)
2 c flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c milk

Mix the dry ingredients and cut the shortening (or butter) into the dry, aiming for a crumbly texture as the fat works into the flour.  Add the milk and stir to combine.

 

When the dough comes together, turn out onto a floured board and knead for 2-3 minutes.  This develops the gluten and ensures the fat is worked well through the dough - essential for getting a good rise, and for the tender texture of the finished product. 

 

Pat out to a thickness of around 1/2 inch (can be a little thicker - it isn't an exact science - but I wouldn't go thinner).

 

Using a floured glass or ring mould, press through the dough to get biscuits of the desired size.  Gather scraps and pat out again to minimize waste - BUT - remember that the more you work the dough at this stage the tougher the product will be.

 

Place on a ungreased cookie sheet, or in an ungreased muffin tin.  Bake in a pre-heated 450 degree oven for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 for an additional 20 minutes.  Coming out of the oven, they should be golden brown with a good crust and a tender interior.

 

These biscuits have ruined me for scones, tea biscuits and similar products made commercially, because the pro's work just can't compare.  They're always dryer and less tender than my mother's tea biscuits.  And, for people from an English background, these biscuits are the basis for a proper strawberry shortcake, not that oversweet, squishy angel food cake or flan found more commonly in North America.  To turn into strawberry shortcake, split a biscuit, add sweetened whipped cream, sliced strawberries, and a sprinkling of sugar.

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