Jenny’s Buttermilk Overload: Here Are All Of Her Recipes!
This coronavirus quarantine has me eating a lot of my feelings, and last week, I was craving my mom’s homemade buttermilk biscuits in a BIG way. I don’t remember the last time I ate them, and I have never attempted to make them myself. But, with bread harder to find and a LOT more time on my hands, I decided to give them a try. They turned out just as delicious as I remember them tasting when my mom made them.
The only problem was, even after making two batches of biscuits, I still had 3/4 of a gallon of buttermilk leftover–and it was set to expire tomorrow. Quarantine also has me in Oregon Trail mode, and I refuse to waste anything, so I Googled, “Recipes that use buttermilk.”
I ended up with another batch of biscuits, which I cut into small pieces & used as dumplings for chicken & dumplings; plus one batch of cheddar bay biscuits (and I’m not trying to brag, but they were BETTER than the ones from Red Lobster), AND a pan of made-from-scratch cinnamon rolls.
It was three hours of my life well spent–and yes, I was able to use all of my remaining buttermilk!
If you’re into cooking–or if you’re not into cooking and are thinking of picking up a hobby while you’re quarantining–here are my recipes. Don’t let the words “homemade” or “from scratch” freak you out. None of these recipes require any yeast, which can be tricky to work with. They’re all pretty simple–messy, but simple–and a lot of fun to make!
GRANDMOMMY’S BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
Ingredients:
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a baking sheet. In large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda & salt. Add shortening and mix with a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in buttermilk and mix well (the dough will be very sticky, so flouring your hands helps handle it.) Knead dough for about 30 seconds–too much kneading will make the biscuits tough. Sprinkle flour onto a clean, smooth surface, like a countertop or cutting board. Roll dough to about 1/2 thickness and cut (you can use a cup if you’re making biscuits; for dumplings, I just used a knife and cut 1-inch square pieces.) Place on greased baking sheet and bake for ten minutes. (If you’re doing slow cooker chicken & dumplings, you can put the raw dough in the soup to cook. I like quick dumplings, so I go ahead and bake them, and then put them into the soup already cooked so it’s ready to serve immediately.)
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NO-YEAST BUTTERMILK CINNAMON ROLLS
Ingredients:
Filling:
3/4 c. light brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. melted butter
optional: 1/2 c. raisins or pecans
Dough:
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. half & half or milk
2 Tbsp. melted butter
Frosting:
3 Tbsp. melted butter
3 oz. cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. half & half
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a 9-inch baking dish.
In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, butter, vanilla & melted butter to make filling. Set aside.
In a larger mixing bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda & salt. Stir in buttermilk and half & half, then add the 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Mix well, and then knead for about 30 seconds (the dough will be sticky, so flour your hands before kneading.)
Flour a clean, smooth surface and roll out the dough into a rectangle shape, about 12 inches by 10 inches (it doesn’t have to be perfect or exact.) Brush 2 more tablespoons of melted butter all over the rolled out dough, and then spread your brown sugar cinnamon mixture evenly over the top, leaving about 1/2 inch of dough around the edges. If you’re using nuts or raisings, sprinkle them on top and lightly press them into the dough. Start with the long end of the rectangle and roll the dough into a log. (I roll the log onto a sheet of wax paper and refrigerate it for several minutes so it’s easier to cut.) Cut the dough into 8 or 10 rolls, depending on how thick you like your cinnamon rolls. Place them in the baking dish, not quite touching one another; leave about 1/2 inch between each, and brush the tops with another 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees & bake for about ten more minutes, until the edges begin to brown.
While your rolls are in the oven, whip up the topping by combining melted butter and softened cream cheese (you can place the block of cream cheese in the microwave for about 45 seconds and it’ll be the perfect consistency.) Add vanilla, powdered sugar and half & half. Mix well and spread over hot rolls when you remove them from the oven. These store nicely in an air tight container, refrigerated for up to 3 days, and are SO good microwaved for about 15 seconds!
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BUTTERMILK CHEDDAR BAY BISCUITS
Ingredients:
Dough:
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional–but it does NOT make the biscuits spicy)
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. melted butter
1 1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Topping:
3 Tbsp. melted butter
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, cayenne & Old Bay.
In a separate bowl, mix the buttermilk and melted butter. Stir the buttermilk/butter mixture into the flour mixture, and then gently stir in the cheese. (The dough will be very thick.)
Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop the dough onto the baking sheet (this ensures they’re the perfect size.) Don’t place the biscuits too close together on the baking sheet; leave about an inch between each. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden.
While they’re baking, mix the topping ingredients together, and when the biscuits are done & out of the oven, brush the topping over each one while warm. These are best served warm, but will keep in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 3 days. They’re delicious reheated; just microwave for about ten seconds & enjoy!
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If you try any of these recipes, let me know what you think! Take a picture and tag me on Instagram, @jennyperrybender!
