Biscuits or cookies or whatever you want to call it!

I love me some baking, whether it be a simple loaf of bread or absolutely delicious pastries like blueberry muffins, banana nut bread or the Masterchef Australia's elimination challenge special, SCONES! I think baking is the single most hardest thing you can master in the kitchen. Every single aspect of the process needs to be precise and accurate for it to be considered any type of a success. The risk is great but, ultimately, the reward is that much more greater. There is no better feeling than biting into a fresh off the oven muffins or the soft doughy biscuits.

ADD special: Did you know how the term "biscuit" came about originally? It is a french word and was coined to describe twice baked cakes. "Bis" = twice and "cuit" = cooked. It literally means twice cooked. Originally, biscuits were first baked and then returned to the oven for further baking.

Let's talk further about biscuits. Biscuits are referred to two completely different things. To the British and for most other parts of the world, they are referred to what Americans call cookies. They are small, hardened and flat pastries which can be had as a snack. If you ask for biscuits in India, we will guide you towards an aisle that sells sunfeast and bourbon biscuits. Ahhhh Bourbon! Not the whiskey, the biscuit! Although Bourbon whiskey is so damn good that it is referred to as God's nectar, but I digress.

In America, biscuits are usually referred to soft cake-like thingys. They are a staple of a typical thanksgiving day feast and are usually served with gravy along with, of course, the gigantic bird of epic proportions, the Turkey! The American biscuits are the cousins of what is called scones in Britain and most other parts of the world, although there is a major difference between the two. Scones contain eggs and butter which makes it a richer man's version of American biscuits.

One theory proposed by Elizabeth Alston in her book "Biscuits and Scones" is that early British colonists came to America with the recipe for scones only to find out that they couldn't find or afford the necessary ingredients to make them, mainly fresh butter and eggs. They decided to include lard instead of butter and completely eliminated eggs, which gave them something that was similar to scones, American biscuits. By the way, if you like to try your hand on baking these awesome creatures, give that book by Elizabeth Alston a try. Some amazing recipes for scones in that one and a used version of that book costs a penny on Amazon! Difficult to find a much better deal than that.

Is this all too confusing? Its picture time!

Biscuits in Britain and all other parts of the world!
Cookies in America!

Biscuits in America!
Scones' cousin in other parts of the world!

Scones, uh, everywhere?

And there you have it! Some history of biscuits and scones. Damn, now my mouth is watering for some freshly baked biscuits. :(

I don't have an oven right now to make them but you can! Here is a simple, absolute basic recipe for some good ol' fashioned country biscuits!

Country Biscuits(American)

Note: This will give you about 15-18 biscuits.

The stuff

All-purpose flour - 600 g
Salt - 12 g
Granulated Sugar - 30 g
Baking Powder - 30 g
Unsalted Butter - 210 g
Milk - 720 ml

The procedure

1. Sift the dry ingredients together, making sure they are blended thoroughly.
2. Cut in the butter. The mixture should look mealy; do not overmix.
3. Add the milk and stir, combining only until the mixture holds together.
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured working surface; knead until it forms one mass. Channel your inner chappathi maker. We are looking for that kind of a texture.
5. Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. It should be thick. Do not roll it out too thin, like the aforementioned chappathis. Cut into circular shapes with a floured cutter.
6. Bake at 220C until the tops are light brown and the interiors still moist, approximately 10-12 minutes.
7. Remove the biscuits to a wire rack and cool.
8. Uh, there are no more steps. Hog those things! Om nom nom nom!