With the holidays fast approaching, you may have guests dropping in for an unexpected visit, or dinner plans for a crowd, or a brunch buffet for the whole family on Thanksgiving morning to tide them through until that day-long roasted turkey is ready to serve…whatever you can make ahead and throw together at the last minute can often be your saving grace.  Here is a recipe mix that will open up your meal plans to new possibilities!

With this in mind, I thought I’d share my version of a make-ahead biscuit mix which can be used for dumplings, pancakes, scones, etc…just mix it up now and store in a sealed container in the back of your refrigerator.  When needed, just measure, add liquid and bake!  There is even a dry cultured buttermilk blend that you can use in place of the dry milk solids if you like buttermilk pancakes or tender buttermilk cheddar biscuits.

I know there are already grocery store mixes out there, like BisQuick or Aunt Jemima…but with this recipe, you can control  the ingredients.  For instance, I only use pure Himalayan salt as it is unprocessed and toxin-free; unbleached flour; aluminum free baking powder; organic milk solids; fresh organic unsalted butter…you get the picture.  If you choose to use fresh butter, this mix will keep, sealed in a jar in your refrigerator for 4-6 weeks.  If you choose to use shortening, it will keep even longer.  Or you can use half and half.   There are also butter/canola oil blends you can use.

To be honest, this make-ahead mix is the same recipe you’d follow if you were making the biscuit dough or pancake batter from scratch yourself at the last minute….just presented to you here in a format that allows you to prepare it in advance and save precious last minutes of prep time.  If you keep a jar of this in your refrigerator, even children will be able to make biscuits or pancakes from scratch all by themselves very easily.  I stick a small recipe card in the jar with instructions, so that anyone can throw together a batch of biscuits or flip some pancakes together without hunting me down.

I don’t know about you, but warm, buttery cheddar biscuits along side of a bowl of steaming clam chowder are a comfort food to me.  And indulging in hot pancakes drizzled with warm maple syrup before my eyes are even open on a leisurely weekend morning….can you begin to anticipate the possibilities?

Homemade Biscuit/Pancake Mix

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups unbleached flour
• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 2 Tbls sugar
• 1/4 cup aluminum free baking powder
• 3/4 Tbls baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cups dry powdered milk or cultured buttermilk blend
• 1 cup (8 oz) shortening or butter (2 sticks) cold

In a large mixing bowl, measure all the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

With your beaters running, add the butter as diced pieces and continue to mix until it resembles coarse granules.

Store in an air tight container in refrigerator for 4-6 weeks.

FOR CHEDDAR BISCUITS:

Measure 2 1/2 cups of the above mix into a bowl.  Add 1 cup shredded cheddar.  Add 2/3 cup water.  Mix into a dough.  Dump onto a floured countertop.  Knead several times and pat out to 1/2 ” thick.  Cut into biscuits, using a biscuit cutter or a glass-rim dipped in flour.  Place biscuits on a parchment lined pan.  Press your thumb in the middle of each biscuit slightly (so they will rise evenly) and brush with either cream or butter or beaten egg (optional).  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

FOR RED VELVET PANCAKES:

• 2 cups mix
• 1 Tbls sugar
• 1 Tbls unsweetened cocoa
• 1 cup water or milk
• 2 eggs
• several drops red food coloring

Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Whisk in the liquids only until combined.  Do not over mix.  Lumps are allowed.

Heat griddle.  When water drops jump around when sprinkled on the hot griddle, it is ready.  Brush with butter or spray with cooking spray.  Pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake.  Cook 2-3 minutes until you see bubbles breaking in the center and the edges look dry.  Flip and cook an additional minute or two until browned.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Serve with cream cheese glaze or maple syrup.

FRIED CHICKEN & GRAVY WITH DUMPLINGS:

My Mom would fry up a chicken in a large cast iron skillet, then make a skillet full of chicken gravy using a little of the frying oil, a handful of flour, milk to thin the roux, then she’d season it with salt & pepper… nestle the fried chicken pieces back into the hot gravy…and drop spoonfuls of this dumpling batter all over the top of the hot chicken & gravy, cover and simmer for 15 more minutes.  Watch out, you will need plenty of room in the skillet for the dumplings to expand…and make sure the gravy is thin but plentiful, as the dumplings will absorb a lot.    Yummmmmmm…it will taste like stuffing!

• 2 cups mix
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning (I use Grandma’s Roast Chicken Rub under Recipes)
• 2/3 cup milk