Thursday, May 2, 2019

Southern Tomato Biscuit Shortbread (1865)

  • 2 cups sifted flour
  • 1 cup tomato juice
  • 8 tspns baking powder
  • 6 to 8 tbspns shortening
  • 1/2 tspn salt
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into mixing bowl. Cut in shortening with 2 knives, pastry blender, or fingertips. 

When using fingers, pick-up mixture and rub shortening in quickly; drop and take up another portion. Repeat until mixing is complete. 

Mix only until the mass resembles cornmeal. Make a little well in the center. Pour into this well most of the tomato juice at once, stirring with a fork or knife. The amount of liquid needed varies with the flour, but add it until the mixture follows the spoon or fork in the dough.

Mix no longer than needed. The ideal is a soft dough that may be handled. Remove the ball of dough to a lightly floured board. Knead lightly 10 to 20 times; roll to 1/4-inch thickness.

Cut in large (8-inch rounds) or in in individual rounds, and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake in very hot oven (450 degrees) for 12 to 15 minutes.

Two rounds may be put together like sandwiches, spreading melted butter between and on top before baking.  

More "Lost" Biscuit Recipes
Southern Beaten Biscuits (1857)

(Origin - "'Gone with the Wind' Cook Book, published by Abbeville Press in 1991. This is a "facsimile edition book," part of Turner Entertainment's Hollywood Hotplates cookbook series.) 

No comments:

Post a Comment