Biscuits and Gravy

My most favorite breakfast next to pancakes!!!


Ingredients:

For the biscuits:

▪ 2 cups flour

▪ 1 tablespoon baking powder

▪ 1 teaspoon salt

▪ 1 stick cold salted butter, cut into ½-inch slices

▪ ¾ cup cold 2% milk

For the gravy:

▪ 1 pound bulk breakfast sausage or links with casing removed

▪ ½ cup flour

▪ 4 cups 2% milk

▪ ¼ teaspoon salt

▪ ⅛teaspoon pepper

▪ Cayenne (optional)

Step 1 First prepare the biscuits. Heat the oven to 400°. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Use a pastry blender* or two butter knives to cut the butter into the mixture until it has a coarse, pea-size texture. Add the milk and stir the mixture until it forms into a shaggy dough.

Step 2 Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Use your fingers to gently flatten it into a %-inch-thick rectangle. Fold the dough over itself and flatten it once more. Repeat three or four times, working quickly so that the butter remains solid.

Step 3 Flatten the dough a final time, then use a 3-inch biscuit cutter or a drinking glass to cut out 10 dough rounds. Transfer them to a 12- by 17-inch baking sheet and bake them until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 4 While the biscuits cook, make the gravy. Brown the sausage in a medium skillet over medium heat. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan.

Step 5 Slowly sift the fl our into the pan as the meat continues to cook (see “Amy’s Tip” on previous page). Use a wooden spoon or a spatula to work the fl our into the meat.

Step 6 Add the milk, then let the mixture simmer, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken. Add the salt and pepper and let the gravy continue to simmer as you stir, until it reaches the consistency of a creamy soup. Be sure to maintain medium heat so that the mixture doesn’t boil. If the gravy becomes too thick, thin it with more milk, adding a small amount at a time.

Step 7 Add a few pinches of cayenne, if using, and more salt and pepper, if needed, and stir in well. To serve, put a biscuit on a plate and ladle the gravy alongside or on top.