Three Grain Biscuits

My father is going to be a very happy camper tonight. My sister is making Chili for supper. My father loves Chili.

Me, not so much, but it she has it cooking now and it sure smells good. I am quite sure I will enjoy hers! I baked some Three Grain Biscuits for us to enjoy along with it.

 The recipe comes from an old cookbook of mine entitled Home for the Holidays, festive baking with whole grains by Ken Haedrich.  My father happened to have it in his bookcase so how lucky was that. 

I did have a copy in the UK, which I had to leave behind, so it was nice to have this one to use. My father did not mind me having it, as he never cooks anymore.

These are an incredibly wholesome, toothsome biscuit.  There are three whole grains in them. Unbleached flour. Old fashioned oats and stone ground yellow cornmeal (if you can get it.) I used regular yellow corn meal. 

Bear in mind this is regular cornmeal, not self rising cornmeal. I love the touch of crunch it gives to baked goods. 

 

Because of the whole grains these won't rise quite as high as traditional biscuits. Don't let that fool you into thinking that they are not light and fluffy however! 

Whilst the cornmeal gives them a lovely exterior crunch, the interior of these little biscuits is light and creamy from the oats and the sour cream that you use as a part of the liquid.

The sour cream also gives them a lovely rich flavour as well. There is butter in there also to add to the sumptuousness of these.

They are not really heavy biscuits as one would suppose with whole grains.  They are quite light and fluffy!

 I think they will go great with the chili, especially once they are split and buttered.  I can almost taste how good that will be.

Hot Biscuits and Chili. It doesn't get much better than this. These bake fast enough that by the time people get their bowls filled and are sitting at the table they are ready to serve.

Chili was not something we ever really had when I was growing up. My mother discovered the recipe on the side of a tin of beans once, or  maybe it was tomato soup.  

She tried it. My father loved it, and every Saturday night from then on it was Chili night.

My father and daughter love to treat themselves to a bowl of chili at Tim Hortons. Mom also loved it. I have never had it myself, but I have seen it in cans at the shops.

My daughter Eileen loves it so much that she has it almost every day for her lunch. She gets it at the actual restaurant. I have heard the stuff in the tins is not that good.

I wouldn't know as I have never had either.  I like to make my chili at home from scratch. I normally use ground steak. My sister is using grass fed lean ground beef. I am sure it will be delicious.

I hope there is some cheese to sprinkle on top!

 

I had to taste test one of the biscuits with my lunch time salad. Just to make sure they were palatable you know.

They were lovely.  I suggest they go well with a soup, or a salad. Or even on their own with some peanut butter or honey or both!

 They are especially nice split and spread with butter.  Hot biscuit, cold butter, melting down into all those light nooks and crannies.

Perfection.  Pure Biscuit perfection.  I cut them into rectangles so that every one of them is a first cut. No re-patting of the dough.

 The key to a light biscuit is to handle the dough the least amount as possible.  Over-handling them can toughen them considerably.

And when you have to gather up and re-pat out scraps that doesn't help. The re-pats never come out as nice. Not to look at and not texture wise.

If you are using a biscuit cutter, make sure you cut them out with a sharp up and down tapping motion. I know the temptation is there to want to twist the cutter, but don't.

Twisting seals the edges and you get a biscuit that is not as light, not as tall and often lopsided to look at.

 

These are just right.  I think you are sure to love them.  They would be good on a buffet table during the holidays to serve with cold cuts and cheeses as well. 

I loved that they are made of whole grains.  The more whole grains and fibre we can get into ourselves the better. Healthy and substantial without going over the top. I declare these to be a beautiful biscuit!

 

Three Grain Biscuits

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Yield: Makes 12

Author: Marie Rayner

prep time: 10 Mincook time: 14 Mintotal time: 24 Min

Crisp on the outsides with a soft, creamy interior these are fabulously light and delicious biscuits! They are perfect for when you don't want a really heavy bread on the side.

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups (170g) unbleached flour
• 1/3 cup (51) yellow cornmeal
• 1/3 cup (25g) rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup (60g) cold butter, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup (60g) sour cream
• 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
• butter for brushing on top

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 235*C/450*F/ gas mark 7.  Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Whisk the flour, oatmeal, cornmeal, soda, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.  Drop in the butter and cut it in with a pastry blender or two round bladed knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Mix together the milk and sour cream.
4. Make a well in the centre of the dry mixure.  Pour in the wet and stir quickly together with a fork to make a soft dough.
5. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and pat out using floured hands to make a rectangle, roughly 3/4  inch thick.
6. Cut into 12 rectangular biscuits and place onto the baking tray.
7. Bake for 13 to 14 minutes, until risen and golden brown.  Brush the tops with butter and serve while still warm.

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