Poor Man
Survival
Self
Reliance tools for independent minded people…
ISSN
2161-5543
Two Ingredient Biscuit Recipe
It’s miraculous to make a biscuit with only
two ingredients, particularly when making such an impressive biscuit, light and
tender, capable of convincing anyone that the cook was born holding a biscuit
bowl. This recipe is a good fallback for anyone who hasn’t made a biscuit for a
while or has to hurry up and get some baked. If using a cream with less fat
(heavy cream has 36 percent) start with less and use only what is needed to
make a moist, slightly sticky dough. Half-and-half just doesn’t work well
enough to use by itself. This is really a hurry-up recipe, but the directions
are detailed.
Ingredients
o 2
1/4 cups commercial or homemade self-rising flour, divided
o 1
1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
o Butter,
softened or melted, for finishing
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Select the baking pan by determining if a
soft or crisp exterior is desired. For a soft exterior, use an 8- or 9-inch
cake pan, a pizza pan, or an ovenproof skillet where the biscuits will nestle
together snugly, creating the soft exterior while baking. For a crisp exterior,
select a baking sheet or other baking pan where the biscuits can be placed
wider apart, allowing air to circulate and create a crisper exterior. Brush
selected pan with butter or oil.
3. Fork-sift or whisk 2 cups of the flour in
a large bowl, preferably wider than it is deep, and set aside the remaining 1 ⁄
4 cup. Make a deep hollow in the center of the flour with the back of your
hand. Slowly but steadily stir 1 cup of cream, reserving 1 ⁄ 4 cream, into the
hollow with a rubber spatula or large metal spoon, using broad circular strokes
to quickly pull the flour into the cream. Mix just until the dry ingredients
are moistened and the sticky dough begins to pull away from the sides of the
bowl. If there is some flour remaining on the bottom and sides of the bowl,
stir in just enough of the reserved cream, to incorporate the remaining flour
into the shaggy, wettish dough. If the dough is too wet, use more flour when
shaping.
4. Lightly sprinkle a plastic sheet, a board,
or other clean surface with some of the reserved flour. Turn the dough out onto
the board and sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with flour if sticky. With
floured hands, fold the dough in half and pat it into a 1 ⁄ 3- to 1 ⁄
2-inch-thick round, using a little additional flour only if needed. Flour again
if sticky and fold the dough in half a second time.
5. If the dough is still clumpy, pat and fold
a third time. Pat dough into a 1 ⁄ 2-inch-thick round for normal biscuits,
a 3 ⁄ 4-inch-thick round for tall biscuits, or a 1-inch-thick round for
giant biscuits. Brush off any visible flour from the top. For each biscuit, dip
a 2-inch biscuit cutter into the reserved flour and cut out the biscuits,
starting at the outside edge and cutting very close together, being
careful not to twist the cutter. The scraps may be combined to make additional
biscuits, although they will be tougher.
6. Using a metal spatula if necessary, move
the biscuits to the pan or baking sheet. Bake the biscuits on the top rack of
the oven for a total of 10 to 14 minutes, until light golden brown. After 6
minutes, rotate the pan in the oven so that the front of the pan is now turned
to the back, and check to see if the bottoms are browning too quickly. If
so, slide another baking pan underneath to add insulation and retard the
browning. Continue baking another 4 to 8 minutes, until the biscuits are
light golden brown. When they are done, remove from the oven and lightly brush
the tops with softened or melted butter. Turn the biscuits out upside down on a
plate to cool slightly. Serve hot, right side up.
Variations:
o For
Sour Cream or Cream Cheese Biscuits, substitute 1 cup sour cream or cream
cheese for the heavy cream. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. This makes a moist
biscuit.
o For
Yogurt and Cream Biscuits, use 1 ⁄ 2 cup yogurt and 3 ⁄ 4 cup heavy cream or
half-and-half.
o For
Yogurt Biscuits, add 1 teaspoon salt to the flour and 1 cup plain yogurt for
the heavy cream. Add a bit of milk or cream to moisten if a “drier” yogurt is
used. Yogurt biscuits are a bit “bouncy.”
o For
Strawberry Shortcake, add 1 or 2 tablespoons sugar to the dough. Line a cake
pan with parchment paper. Pat the dough into the lined cake pan. Bake as above.
Remove from the oven, brush the top with butter, and turn upside down on a rack
to cool slightly. When cool, slice in half horizontally. To serve, sandwich
with sugared strawberries and cream or serve a bowl of each separately.
Use orphan socks when you run out of sheets for
your wet/dry mop. Just dampen with your
favorite cleaning solution, stretch around the mop head and use.
How To Build Your Own Solar Bottle Bulb And Get Free
Off-Grid Lighting
The DIY solar bottle bulb is improving lives all over the world.
Here’s the original story if you’ve missed it, and in the video below you’ll learn how to
build your very own solar bottle bulb (not suitable for climates where water
can freeze).
http://www.resilientcommunities.com/solar-bottle-bulb/
Related
stories:
Microgrids
Aren’t a Fad…They Are the Future
Brian Kerkvlies small compost pile on Inspiration Farm
provided 500 hot showers over a 2 month period from just 90 minutes of work.
Good to the Last
Cent
Receiving rebate prepaid cards in the mail for $5 or $10
is always a welcome surprise, but what do you do when the balance left on the
card is less than one dollar? I make sure not to lose a single cent of my
rebates by purchasing stamps. The post office has never refused the prepaid
card, and I am always ready when the cost of postage increases because I have
the extra stamps available to make up the difference.
Cynthia S. in Claysville, PA
Cure toe nail fungus with Vicks Vaporub. Swab it on a couple of times daily. Another solution includes soaking your feet
in diluted bleach which kills the fungi and it will lighten those yellowed
nails – use about 1 tbs. of bleach to 1-gal. of warm water and soak for 15
minutes, then cleanse with soap and water.
Do this twice daily before applying any kind of topical remedy.
Think You Know What a Farmer Looks Like? Think Again.
Preliminary results from the 2012 Census of Agriculture
show the increasing role of women in U.S. agriculture—especially on organic and
small-scale farms
DIY Toilet Bowl Cleaner
This recipe harnesses baking soda's gentle abrasiveness,
vinegar's acidity and the stain-lifting power of the fizz created by mixing the
two, plus tea-tree oil's antibacterial capabilities.
Prep: 2 min.
Cost: 48¢
Yield: 1 cup (enough for 1 use)
YOU'LL NEED
Measuring cup
Toilet brush
INGREDIENTS
½ cup baking soda
10 drops tea-tree essential oil½ cup
distilled white vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS
Pour baking soda directly into the toilet bowl, add oil,
then vinegar—in that order. Let water effervesce for several minutes, then
scrub bowl with brush. Flush.
This week’s winning tip :
Why Washing Soda
I love washing soda. It's an economical cleaning product.
I found it in the laundry aisle of the supermarket.
I had well-used baking dishes, loaf pans, pie plates,
etc. The baked-on black spots from years of use remained no matter how hard I
scrubbed. Washing soda cleaned the baking items and made them look as if I just
bought them. It was as simple as filling my sink with water and adding about
1/2 cup of the soda. I let the items soak for a while and then I gave them a
light scrubbing.
It's also good for a lot of other cleaning jobs. You will
want to wear rubber gloves. It's non-toxic, but it can dry your hands.
This week’s prize:
a copy of my new book…
We’ll post
the tip and the winner gets a prize!
Scroll to the bottom of the page to
submit your tip…
Tired of seeing your
standard of living hijacked? Fight back!
If you would
like to learn more about the US economy's phony foundations, how the whole mess
will come crashing down, and what you can do right now to protect yourself,
consider reading our NEW book…How to
Survive the War on the Middle Class.
Yours in freedom,
Bruce ‘the Poor Man’
Got a News Tip or Resource to Share With the Poor Man?
A
Shallow Planet Production
