And so it begins.

Saturday morning before our weekend houseguest was even out of bed, there I was in the kitchen, wrist-deep in biscuit dough. 

Now I know that in her whole life, my great-grandmother never once used a recipe for biscuits. I'm sure that she learned from her mother, probably before she was even old enough to tie her own shoes or reach the kitchen counter. But I missed that boat; I wasn't ready when she was still able to teach. 

I have, after my first failed attempt, actually managed to make several batches of respectable biscuits over the years thanks to a recipe from the Amateur Gourmet. Adam's recipe involves ingredients that most of us already have on hand and a few quick pulses of a food processor. These biscuits are quick, easy and satisfying - but nothing like those of my great-grandmother. 

So Saturday morning, I dug out the pastry cutter (purchased at a thrift store years ago) and found this recipe in her collection, Sue's Best Biscuits.  I set to work in the hopes that the result would be something like those biscuits my great-grandmother churned out all those years ago.  

 

They weren't even close. 

They were flaky, golden and better than any I had ever made before; but they weren't her biscuits. However, as I was cutting shortening into the flour, measuring out a half-quart of buttermilk and remembering how she always mixed her biscuit dough by hand; I was following her lovely script and reliving memories of her kitchen. It felt good. 

There is still some hope of recreating my great-grandmother's biscuits - my grandmother. She lives only about three hours away and I think a visit is in order. 

Next up in the collection - chow chow. 

The recipe: