Low (er) Fat, Tender Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

I won't pretend that these biscuits are without fat, but given that they are made with 1% buttermilk, it makes me feel better that they are "low fat" biscuits :) More importantly, others won't be able to tell that they are "healthier", and an added bonus is that they are very easy to make! 

Adapted primarily from a highly rated Cooking Light biscuit recipe, I added additional best practices from other biscuit experts that I incorporated. I learned that making good biscuits is all in the handling of the dough, so hopefully these tips will help you avoid dry and crumbly biscuits.

Tip: While these are very easy to consume, I highly recommend eating these in moderation as your belly will get full from them! My friends and I love these and hope you do too :)

Lowfat Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe
Makes approximately 12 2-inch biscuits
(recipe easily doubles to make ~12 3.5" biscuits)

• 9 oz all-purpose flour (I highly recommend weighing this as extra flour makes for dry biscuits!)
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 tbsp chilled shortening, cut into small pieces (I use Crisco)
• 3/4 cup 1% buttermilk (make sure you shake before measuring)
• 3 tbsp honey

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (425 if you are making 3.5" biscuits)
2. Prepare butter & shortening into small pieces and refrigerate to ensure they are chilled.  (Note: you can use all butter or all shortening but I like the combination of both. The shortening creates a flakier biscuit)
3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

MIXING

1. Cut in butter & shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. It's ok if there are a little pebbles of fat left. Chill for at least 10 minutes.
2. Whisk buttermilk and honey until well blended (Note: I do this in a 2-cup Pyrex so it's easy to measure and pour), then place in the fridge to chill as well.
3. After ingredients are chilled, create a crater in the middle of the flour mixture and pour the liquid mixture all at once into the crater.
4. Use a fork to mix everything together as quickly as possible, starting from the center and bringing flour in, until just moist. It's ok if there's a little flour left, but you don't want a lot.

FOLDING & CUTTING

1. The next few steps are critical. Do not overwork the dough or else you'll get less tender biscuits. I also think this folding method from Cooking Light is the easiest to follow.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to make sure any extra flour is incorporated.
3. Pat dough with your fingertips into a 1/2" thick 9x5" rectangle (18x10" if you're making larger biscuits). Dust surface lightly with flour.
4. Fold dough into thirds, as if folding a piece of paper to fit an envelope.
5. Pat dough again into 1/2" thick 9x5" rectangle (18x10" for larger biscuits). Dust surface lightly with flour.
6. Fold dough into thirds.
7. Pat dough to a 3/4" thickness into a shape where you can maximize the number of biscuits, depending on your biscuit cutter size. 
8. Cut dough with your preferred biscuit cutter. Make sure to press straight down, and do NOT twist the cutter. You can also cut your dough into squares if you prefer.

BAKING

1. Place dough rounds on a parchment lined baking sheet with the edges just touching. This helps the biscuits to rise and also helps them to stay more tender. (Note: you can reshape the scraps and bake, but these won't be as tender)
2. Bake for approximately 12 minutes on the top oven rack. For larger biscuits, rotate pan about halfway through. The biscuits should be cooked after ~12 minutes, but check a scrap to be sure. If the biscuits are cooked inside but not quite golden on top yet, use the broiler for 1-2 minutes (while watching carefully!) to create the color.
3. Remove from pan and cool 2 minutes on wire racks before serving.

These biscuits are really best on the same day, but are still pretty tasty the next if you store them in a ziplock bag. I have also freezed them after bake for future consumption. Enjoy alone, with jam, or get creative! I served these with a homemade Korean-inspired fried chicken slider.

Homemade Lowfat Buttermilk Biscuits

Lowfat Buttermilk Biscuits: all-purpose flour, 1% buttermilk, butter, crisco, baking powder, salt, honey

East Meets West Fried Chicken Slider on a Biscuit

East Meets West Fried Chicken Slider: fried chicken, homemade Korean inspired  bbq sauce, homemade pickles & fresh lettuce on a biscuit