The Vegan Kitchen: Angel Biscuits

On my bookshelf in the kitchen I have a folder that contains recipes I have collected over the past 40 years. I started when I was 17, asking the old lady next door for her potato bread recipe, which was a specialty in the German city I grew up in (I’ll write it down for this blog sometime in the future). My folder has pastry recipes in the handwriting of my aunts, who are now long dead. My mother’s beloved Christmas cookies and sponge cake recipes have so many stains on them from lying on the kitchen counter, that they are barely readable. There is the small booklet about Texas cooking my friend and fencing coach Tom Bickley gave me, recipes from the local newspaper and the CoOp-flier, and single sheets of a recipe book I put together for my kids’ school 20 years ago. Angel biscuits have been among my favorite baked goods for special occasions, but the recipe below has the strange tendency to hide in the folder, and I have to look at least twice to find it. This is what happens when you deal with angels….

Angel biscuits are a hybrid between baking powder biscuits and yeast breads. They make a fantastic addition to savory dishes, but are also lovely with jam. The yeast makes them pillowy and fluffy, and gives them a wonderful tang.

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Yield: 12 biscuits        Cooking time: 2 hours (includes rising time)

Ingredients

1 packet active dry yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)

¼ cup warm water

¾ cup soymilk, warmed slightly

2 teasp. lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

2 ½ cups white whole-wheat flour

2 Tablesp. sugar

½ teasp. baking powder

½ teasp. baking soda

½ teasp. salt

½ cup vegan buttery spread (or vegetable shortening)

• Combine yeast and warm water, let stand 5 minutes
• Combine warmed soymilk and lemon juice (vinegar), let stand 5 minutes.
• Combine both liquids in a 2 cup liquid measuring cup and stir well
• Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
• Cut in vegan spread until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Add yeast/soy-buttermilk mixture; stir to combine.
• Turn onto a floured surface and fold the dough over itself a few times until all is blended. But don’t overwork the dough.
• Roll out to ¾ inch thickness, then cut into 2 ½ inch disks.
• Place biscuits on a baking sheet, oiled or lined with parchment paper
• Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes until doubled in bulk.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

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Copyright 2016 Eva-Maria Simms