How to make Baking Powder Biscuits

A classic baking powder biscuits recipe, as I was taught to make as a child growing up in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. An easy 15-minute recipe, start to finish, and a perfect one to get the kids involved.

Baking with the kids, a perfect first recipe

Where I grew up on the East coast of Canada scones were called biscuits. This is a Cape Breton recipe I have been whipping up ever since I started dabbling with baking around the age 12.

Now, in Scotland, I’ve taught my daughter, aged 5, how to make them and she certainly has the magic touch with her small hands. Her scones turn out light, fluffy and deliciously perfect every time.

They are quick and easy to make, taking only 5 minutes to prepare and 9-10 minutes to cook. A wonderful addition to any soup, especially served warm, Cape Breton style, with lashings of sticky black strap molasses and a thick slice of sharp cheddar cheese. They are also excellent as an after-school snack the next day, cold, with butter; true comfort food.

Ingredients for baking powder biscuits (and why!)

• 2 cups plain flour –  an all-purpose flour with a lower protein and gluten content. This makes the flour softer and ideal for biscuits.
• 4 tsp baking powder – used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of the biscuits. It works by releasing carbon dioxide gas into the dough through an acid–base reaction, causing bubbles in the wet mixture to expand and thereby leavening the mixture.
• 1/2 tsp salt – strengthens the dough and enhances the flavours of the finished bake.
• 4 tbsp butter – provides richness, tenderness and structure to the biscuits and delicious buttery undertones.
• 3/4 cup milk – encourages the browning reactions characteristic of biscuits. The additional protein and sugar (lactose) in milk add more sweetness and a browner colour to baked goods than water does. It also keeps the biscuits soft.

How to make them

1. Rub the first four ingredients together until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
2. Add the milk and stir until a dough forms. Be careful not to overmix or knead the dough too much.
3. Cut with a 3″ fluted round cutter (this is my tradition!). Gather up all the leftovers bits and re-roll until all the dough is used. The last scone will use up the remainders and is always oddly mishapen. It’s tradition in our house that the youngest (present) gets this scone. 
4. Bake at 200 °C for 9-10 minutes, or until golden.

Variations

• Fruit baking powder biscuits – add a small handful of raisins before adding the milk.
• Sweet baking powder biscuits – add 1 tbsp of caster sugar to the flour. This makes an excellent strawberry shortcake base and is also very, very lovely served with clotted cream and strawberry preserve.
• Cheese baking powder biscuits – sprinkle the tops with grated mature cheddar before baking.

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