I grew up with the genius of Fannie Farmer at my fingertips. Both Mom and Dad would reference the aging and ginormous encyclopedia of recipes when cooking for the family.
Unfortunately, through the shuffle of life, the ancient and cherished bound pages were lost.
While I long for the rustic smell of the aged paper and slipping my fingers across the yellowed edges, the interwebs make finding her spectacularity fairly simple.
And, I knew the great Fannie had a solution for quick and easy drop biscuits.
“Fannie Farmer of the famed Boston School of Cooking called drop biscuits “Emergency Biscuits,” which is appropriate considering that all you need to make them is 25 minutes and five basic ingredients. Not only are these quick to make, but they’re also super fluffy and tender.”
Thanks, Fannie.
And, homemade hummus can be made in a flash too!
Hummus Veggie Sliders
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus:
1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers
1 14.5 oz. can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2 heaping Tbs. tahini (Artisana is my favorite brand)
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. sea salt
warm water, as needed
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse all ingredients for about a minute, then add water and process until thick and smooth.
Emergency Biscuits:
1 stick (8 Tbs.) cold butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces (and kept COLD)
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/3 cup milk
Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper; alternatively grease a baking sheet with butter.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Toss butter into the dry ingredients until coated with flour. Working quickly and using your fingers or a pastry blender, rub or cut butter into flour until it resembles coarse meal. Alternatively, add flour mixture and butter to food processor and pulse 2 to 3 times to form pea-sized pieces; transfer to a large bowl.
Add milk and stir with a fork until it just comes together into a slightly sticky, shaggy dough.
Bake biscuits until golden brown, about 15 minutes for small biscuits and 20 minutes for large ones. Let cool slightly, then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, slathered in homemade hummus and sliced cucumbers.
